Meet Imani Bilál, an abstract artist based in Jersey City, whose vibrant and colorful work contrasts with the deep pain and grief that inspire her practice. During a recent visit to her NJ studio, Bilál shared her journey of personal loss, the strength she draws from her faith, and her humble beginnings—painting in small spaces while caring for her children. She reflected on the people who helped her along the way, the moment she was discovered, and her aspirations for the future. Jersey City, NJ September 20, 2024
Author: Jane Greaves
Multimedia Journalist
Design Miami | Basel 2024
This year, Design Miami's 18th edition runs from June 10-16, coinciding with the Art Basel fair. More than 25 international galleries are participating, showcasing a blend of historical and contemporary design pieces. Noteworthy exhibitors include Galerie Patrick Seguin, Galerie kreo, Downtown-Laffanour, Lebreton, and Ketabi Bourdet Design. The show booths feature works by interior design luminaries such as Jean Prouvé, Gio Ponti, Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, and Philippe Starck. A special tribute is dedicated to the late Gaetano Pesce, who passed away in April. Swiss art gallery Eva Presenhuber makes its debut with a presentation of Franz West's furniture. My personal highlights include: 1. Galerie Meubles et Lumières (Paris, France) showcases Max Sauze's Cassiopée chandelier and Jean-Pierre Laporte's Anemone sofa, recipient of the Best Gallery Presentation Award. 2. Galerie Gastou (Paris, France) features Shiro Kuramata's “Ephemera” vases and Gaetano Pesce's "Senza Fine" armchair. 3. Angela Weber Möbel (Zürich, Switzerland) presents a furniture set by Gio Ponti from the 1930s. 4. Downtown+ gallery (affiliated with Downtown-Laffanour, under Luna Laffanour's ownership) highlights Japanese design in the Curio section. 5. Friedman Benda gallery (New York, NY) showcases the Rosa Tank Lamp by Enrico Marone Cinzano, made with real recovered tank prisms. Basel, Switzerland June 15, 2024
Art Basel 2024
This year, the flagship Art Basel fair has several new developments: a new director of the Swiss fair, Maike Cruse (a specially created role), the launch of its brand Art Basel store, and the Parcours section now moved closer to the fair. Here's my overview: On Day 1, I visited Messeplatz, the large square in front of the fair, which has been turned into a wheatfield as part of an art installation by Agnes Denes. I then explored the Galleries sector, where I spoke with Louis Kasmin from Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert (London) and Jordi Mayoral from Galeria Mayoral (Barcelona). On Day 2, I returned to the Galleries to talk with Valentina Volchkova from Pace gallery about Jean Dubuffet's Banc-Salon sculpture, which resembles a bench. Later, I walked through the Unlimited section, which its curator, Giovanni Carmine, described as “a little town of art.” On the last day, I explored Parcours, Art Basel’s public program. Basel, Switzerland, June 13-16, 2024
Pace Gallery | Art Basel 2024
Jean Dubuffet's Le Banc-Salon presentation in the center of the Pace gallery booth during the Art Basel 2024 fair is probably the most instagrammable sight and certainly the most comfortable. Valentina Volchkova, Senior Vice President of the Geneva location, shares the story behind the living room bench's creation. Basel, Switzerland, June 13, 2024
Galeria Mayoral | Art Basel 2024
Galeria Mayoral (Barcelona, Paris) is a first-time exhibitor in the flagship Art Basel fair. The Spanish gallery has some of the best examples of post-war Spanish art on display. One of the highlights of the presentation is a painting by Antoni Tàpies titled " Pintura amb manilles (Painting with Handcuffs)," 1970, says Jordi Mayoral, director of the family-run gallery. The work symbolizes the repression era of the Franco regime in Spain. Among other artists presented at the stand are Eduardo Chillida, Manolo Millares, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, and Antonio Saura. Basel, Switzerland June 12, 2024
Greaves Productions 