Getting to Miami-South Beach in December was a welcome escape from the snow-covered East Coast where I reside. With its wild bikini and booze vibe, the fabulosity of Ocean Drive and its Cuban flavor SOBE has a whole of lot of sexy that is hard to dismiss. At the start of December, within the past few years, SOBE has become an important destination on the social calendars of the elite international jetset as it emerges from being a party town to an important cultural mecca as host of the annual Art Basel Miami Beach. Since 2002, Miami Beach has been the home to Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB), the sister event to the original Art Basel exhibition founded more than 40 years ago in Basel, Switzerland. ABMB is one of America's most prestigious art shows. More than 250 leading galleries were selected by the ABMB selection committee to showcase works of modern and contemporary art. Galleries selected from 33 countries showcased paintings, sculpture, videos, photography, etc. Works by more than 2,000 artists were on display. Art is in the eye of the beholder
ABMB's main event took place in the Miami Beach Convention Center exhibition hall and vicinity. Participating galleries are organized in sectors such as Art Nova featuring emerging artists, Art Project featuring public art projects and The Oceanfront at Collins Park, a platform for performances, panels, and concerts. The works on display varied in shapes, sizes, color, medium and textiles, and artistic techniques and conveyed messages that seemed profound and sublime. They also varied by artistic technique and conveyed messages that seemed profound and sublime. Some pieces made me scratch my head, huh??? Other pieces conveyed an artist's internal struggles and others communicated social commentary. Jota Castro achieved this with his installation of 40 Mikado Sticks. Castro, a former diplomat, uses art as political activism. The Mikado piece looks like a life-sized game of pick-up sticks. However, the delicate arrangement shouts out his views on globalization and the impact of global financial crisis. The piece sold the first day of ABMB.
Installations at ABMB not only
promoted the artist, but also reflected the galleries' point of view
and artistic philosophy. The enormity of the event and the overflow of
creative energy were quite overwhelming. No need for the guided tours,
I just drifted aimlessly waiting for a piece to pull me in. Certainly
here, the artists communicated something; it was up to each person to
decide to participate in the conversation. Jen Davis, gallerist of
CSquare Gallery in NYC, suggested that while, "art is something that
comes from the artist, the viewer always plays a part in artistic
expression. If there are no viewers art wouldn't exist."After
perusing through the main event and checking myself for sensory
overload, I made my way to ABMB ancillary events. Miami Beach's
museums, private galleries and artistic cooperatives held exhibits for
Art Basel enthusiasts. Many notable events were located in Miami
Beach's Wynwood Arts District. There, I found the Photo Miami and
Sculpt Miami exhibitions located blocks apart from each other. This
year, Photo Miami's theme, A Year of Magical Thinking, set the stage
for vibrant new works of photography, new media and video. Many
eye-catching and colorful works were presented including noteworthy
pieces from Rosario Fernandez and Carlos Mercado, of Mercado Art
Gallery in Puerto Rico.Bilhenry Walker, curator of Sculpt Miami
held his event indoors and outdoors at Art Rouge Gallery. He gleamed
with adoration when sharing his work entitled, Solar Synapse. The work
is a very interesting and gigantic aluminum and steel kinetic sculpture
that moves with the wind. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the
movement
since there was not wind that day. Along with his own works on
display, Bilhenry pulled together impressive collection of works from
renowned U.S. sculpture artists such as Jennifer K. Martin, Michael
Hansel and the Miami-based Jorge Fernandez.
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The Art of the Deal
Works
on display at ABMB are not just for looking but for buying. Serious
collectors, both personal and institutional, VIPs and celebrities
closed deals during ABMB's preview vernissage, the private showing
before ABMB opens to the public. This was the case for world-renowned
artist, Takaski Murakami, who was lauded for his art meets fashion
collaboration with Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton handbags. One of his
museum quality pieces sold for $1.5 million dollars. Yes, this is too
heavy for yours and my pocket book but it’s good to know that there
were other pieces available for just a few hundreds of dollars.At
ABMB, the gallery directors and artists reps who staff the event
recognize the serious prospective buyers versus general onlookers. The
serious folks (and wannabes) stop, rest the chin on wrist, step up
close and step back and stare at piece waiting for the gallerist to
approach him or her to huddle and discuss price. The gallerists know
this dance, and they generally make no time for an onlooker (unless you
are a reporter). On the other hand, Jen Davis, from CSquare Gallery
doesn't take anyone for granted.
Davis represented emerging artist
Alex Guofeng Cao, whose mosaic photography technique consists of
juxtaposing small images of a pop culture icon or idea with images of
prominent public figures like President Obama and Princess Diana. She
was at Art Basel for the first time since opening her gallery in 2009.
"There is an interesting mix of buyers and onlookers and I don't'
assume folks are not serious when they approach," Davis said. "I get
intrigued by anyone who is interesting in the creative. Everybody
should have some art in his or her life," Davis added.
The Scene to be seen
Everybody
knows that Miami Beach nightlife is bananas. The goal is to put your
face in the right place with the right people. For VIPs, the artsy
crowd, out of towner wannabes, and the fringe element, there was an
overwhelming amount of events to attend. Topdog nightlife impresario
Hardy Hill, throws parties that are always a must do.
During Art
Basel, Hill hosted his Garden of Zen Party at the Hotel Victor rooftop,
a fete featuring Floyd the Rock Artist who created paintings with live
music accompaniment. As the music pumped, Floyd slapped paint to
canvas like kindergarten finger painting class. After a few comedic
antics and few brush strokes the work took impressive form. David B.,
a local physician, art patron who has attended ABMB since the beginning
said that the event was interesting. "Generally, Art Basel brings a
welcome eclectic mix of people normally not on the Miami scene. During
this time you will find folks with a lot of cool and substance, " he
said. The rest of the "ABMB cool" was found at one of my many events
at The W Hotel or at the world renowned The Webster Miami boutique.
Dream Life Entertainment threw a poolside party at the Hilton Bentley
featuring a fashion show by Isa-Beles and Franciose Elizee along with a
showing of works by artist/muralist Stephen Gamson.
Plenty of
fringe events provided an interesting alternative to the ABMB hoity
toitiness. There was the Fuck Art Let's Dance Party at the Electric
Pickle and Nikki Beach hosted MSG Cartel's Graffiato to showcase live
creations of graffiti murals by popular graffiti artists from Miami,
NYC and Japan. Also, Nikki Beach hosted the NYC burlesque club, The
Box for a three day performance art spectacle, which was a captivating
and sexually charged burlesque show that seemed inspired by Cirque du
Soleil, a carnival freakshow, and the movie Shortbus.
For me, the
best of ABMB, was the preview showing of Jean-Michel Basquiat: The
Radiant Child, an upcoming documentary on the life and genius of
Jean-Michel Basquiat. Director Tamra Davis and producer David Koh
presented a rough cut of the film to be completed in 2010 and submitted
to Sundance. The film shows Basquiat's true artistic essence in never
before seen videotaped interviews between Davis and Basquiat captured
in the 80s. Also, the film traces Basquiat's rise to popularity and
cult status through interviews of those who befriended, helped and
critiqued Basquiat prior to his untimely death. Scenes of his infamous
paintings and other works are highlighted in the film. During the
preview's panel discussion, Fab 5 Freddy, a close friend of Basquiat
told T. Davis that he was quite pleased with her portrayal. "The film
is a good look at Jean at his best," said Freddy. The film opens with
the Langston Hughes poem Genius Child. Yes, Basquiat was that, a genius
gone too soon.
There were plenty of genius on display at Art
Basel Miami Beach. I look forward to seeing you there for the Art
Basel 2010. But before that, I may be headed to Basel, Switzerland for
Art Basel in June.
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