People look at U.S. artist Will Rymans 65th Street sculpture featuring bugs on giant roses reaching 22-feet high, behind Sagamore hotel on Miami Beach, Florida December 1, 2011. The display is part of Art Basel Miami Beach 2011. REUTERS/Hans Deryk
The 10th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach closed on Sunday, December 4, 2011, with many galleries reporting strong sales. More than 260 leading galleries from 30 countries across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa exhibited works by over 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The show attracted a record of 50,000 visitors, which included 150 museum and institution groups from across the world. Renowned collectors from the Americas, Europe and emerging markets returned, and were joined by a new generation of collectors from around the globe.
Art Basel Miami Beach confirmed that high-quality work remains in strong demand, with steady sales throughout the week. In many cases, these works were commissioned especially for the show or held back to be presented at Art Basel Miami Beach. In addition, presentations at Art Nova, Art Positions, Art Kabinett, Art Public and Art Video made the 10th edition a truly extraordinary experience.
Tim Yarger of Yarger Fine Art stands next to a sculpture by artist Yossi Govrin at Scope Miami art fair Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Miami. AP Photo/ Lynne Sladky
This year’s Art Kabinett was well-received by the show’s visitors. The 30 separately delineated spaces within the booths presented art-historical showcases and solo shows for rising stars. Work by artists such as Ai Weiwei (Galerie Urs Meile), Francis Alÿs (Galerie Peter Kilchmann), Tiago Carbeiro da Cunha (Galeria Fortes Vilaça), Angela de la Cruz (Galerie Krinzinger), Elmgreen & Dragset (Galería Helga de Alvear) and Nancy Spero (Galerie Lelong) were on display while curated shows titled ‘The Two of Us’ (Adler & Conkright) and ‘Repetitions – Art Works in Plural’ (Kicken Berlin) became talking points of the show.
With 42 emerging and established galleries from 17 countries presenting new works by either two or three artists, this year’s edition of Art Nova proved to be more concise than in the years past, which further heightened the quality of works on display. Artists featured included Yael Bartana, Marc Camille Chaimowicz, Philippe Decrauzat, Ida Ekblad, Omer Fast, Claire Fontaine, Ryan Gander, Ragnar Kjartansson, Wilfredo Prieto, Kateřina Sedá, Edwin Sánchez Santiago Sierra and Zhou Tao. Again, the sector provided an ideal opportunity to discover the newest artistic tendencies.
A man walks past a bronze sculpture by the artist Robert St. Croix at Scope Miami art fair Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Miami. AP Photo/ Lynne Sladky
For many art lovers Art Positions proved a highlight. Showing one project from an emerging artist, the sector included diverse work from installations to video, sculpture and painting. The sector presented a record number of Latin American galleries, whose influence was felt on the show floor. 16 young galleries from nine different countries showcased cutting-edge projects by the artists Emily Sundblad (Algus Greenspon, New York), Rosana Ricalde (Baró Galeria, São Paulo), Icaro Zorbar (Casas Riegner, Bogotá), Cinthia Marcelle (Silvia Cintra + Box 4, Rio de Janeiro), Jessica Warboys (Gaudel de Stampa, Paris), Theaster Gates (Kavi Gupta, Chicago/Berlin), Carissa Rodriguez (Karma International, Zurich), Alexandra Bircken (Kimmerich Gallery, New York), Sven Johne (Klemm’s, Berlin), Jorge Satorre (LABOR, Mexico City), Paulo Nazareth (Mendes Wood, São Paulo), Mandla Reuter (Francesca Minini, Milan), Cesar Cornejo (Galeria Lucia de la Puente, Lima), Otavio Schipper (Anita Schwartz Galeria de Arte, Rio de Janeiro), Analia Saban (Thomas Solomon Gallery, Los Angeles) and Marco Rountree (Travesía Cuatro, Madrid).
Art Basel Miami Beach Art Fair – official website
ARTINFO – Collector’s Diary: A Day at Art Basel Miami Beach With Amy Phelan
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