Widely considered the most exciting time of year in Miami, Art Basel Miami Beach brings a certain electricity to the air in early December. The fair, showcases 269 world-class galleries from 29 countries, attracts an attendance of more than 70,000, including a sophisticated crowd of artists, collectors, gallerists and curators to the sands of South Beach.
At Art Basel Miami Beach, exhibition space is divided into seven sectors: Galleries, Nova, Positions, Edition, Survey, Public and Film. These sectors allow visitors to navigate this prestigious fair and experience the many dimensions of modern and contemporary art. ‘Positions’ provides 16 focus platforms for individual artists to present a major project. ‘Edition’ spotlights 11 leading publishers of edition works and prints, including Alan Cristea Gallery and Crown Point Press. ‘Survey’, presenting 14 projects, Carmelo Arden Quin(1913-), Barbara T. Smith(1931-), Kishio Suga(1944-)and David Reed(1946-) included, features presentations of rarely seen works from before 2000.
Curated by Nicolas Baume, director and chief curator of New York’s Public Art Fund, ‘Public’ features the theme ‘Ground Control’ this year, which is inspired by David Bowie. There are over 20 site-specific installations and performances by 20 artists spanning 10 countries in Collins Park.
The Film sector presents over than 50 films and video works by artists in SoundScape Park on the 7,000 square-foot outdoor projection wall of the New World Center and the Film Library located in the Miami Beach Convention Center. The curator Marian Masone selects the feature film, ‘Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back’(2016), which is directed by Maura Axelrod.
In addition to Art Basel Miami Beach, many satellite fairs, inclusive of Design Miami, INK Miami Art Fai rand Aqua Art Miami will be hosted from November 30th to December 4th in both Miami and Miami Beach. The Wynwood Arts District, home to over 70 art galleries, retail stores and open-air street-art installations, is one of the largest arts communities in the United States.
by YiART assistant editor, Elsa Kang
November, 2016
1.Maura Axelrod, Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back, 2016. Image Courtesy Art Basel.
2.Landau Fine Art, Lynn Chadwick: HIGH HAT MAN & HIGH HAT WOMAN, 1968. Image Courtesy Art Basel.
3. Galeria Nara Roesler, Julio Le Parc: Continuous light cylinder of the Enlightenment Series, 1962 / 2012. Image Courtesy Art Basel.
4. Maura Axelrod, Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back, 2016. Image Courtesy Art Basel.
5. Galerie Jocelyn Wolff, Franz Erhard Walther: Die Erinnerung untersockelt (Drei Zitate), Wallformation series, 1983. Image Courtesy Art Basel.