After skipping a year due to the pandemic, the third edition of Frieze Los Angeles is back and has a new venue called “The Tent” in Beverly Hills. It’s designed by LA-based architect Kulapat Yantrasast, a darling of the art world. Also, the fair has a new director, Christine Messineo. It’s always nice to see a woman at the helm. One of the highlights of the fair is a participatory installation “Dreamer's Folly” (2010) at Gagosian. It’s designed by the late L.A. artist Chris Burden and consists of three joined cast-iron gazebos covered in lace. A separate exhibition BIPOC EXCHANGE is curated by LA-based artist Tanya Aguiñiga and showcases ten local non-profits.
Tag: art fair
Art Basel Miami 2021
After a skipped year due to the pandemic, Art Basel Miami is back. It's December in Florida, in the high 70s☀️, and it's Miami Art Week here. There are several smaller shows happening simultaneously, including Art Miami and Context Art Miami, art events and installations at Faena Art Forum. It's impossible to be everywhere (I'm a one-woman band after all), but here is my (limited) take on it. Like in Basel earlier this year, masks and wristbands are required (I got a nice pink one). Despite the pandemic, the show attracted about 60,000 visitors, lots of first-timers - both among the visitors and exhibitors. I heard that the entry requirements are more lenient this year, and some art is quite perplexing (I left it out 🤷🏻♀️ but I am no expert), and the rumor goes that some old-timers are not happy...The poster child of the art world, NFTs are ubiquitous (I covered NFTs last year in one of my posts). After three years of schlepping around art fairs, I finally can recognize same artists and galleries, and the experience is not a complete vertigo, but still overwhelming especially carrying all my equipment like a sherpa. But I wouldn't do it any other way, and the best thing about shows, is meeting new interesting people. I just wish I could do more and better... Whoever is watching, if only one person, enjoy and thank you! Plain Jane 😘
Art Basel 2021 | Basel, Switzerland
After a Covid-forced hiatus, the most anticipated art show is back. Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland, is taking place in September this year, which is different from the usual time in June. They're celebrating its 50th-anniversary now, because last year the show was canceled. Art Basel started in 1970. It's worth mentioning that it was a woman, who came up with the idea of founding the fair, a Swiss gallerist, Trudl Bruckner. Another thing that's new this year is COVID certification wristbands that everyone is supposed to get (a bit of a headache since my American test did not qualify contrary to their website announcement). Other than that, it was nice to travel abroad for for the first time since the pandemic, and to be able to see art in person. That's what I hear a lot from everyone at the show. I always make an effort to cover women in art. So this year, I've picked a few galleries with either female owners, or mainly run by women, or those who represent women-artists. It's been a pleasant surprise to meet show's veteran Elena Buchmann of Buchmann Galerie (Lugano, Switzerland), who has participated in Art Basel for the last 40 years! It's refreshing to hear millennial voices from Eastern Europe, like Lilian Hiob of Temnikova & Kasela gallery from Tallinn (the Baltic blonde is over 6-ft tall with her legs in an upside-down "V" to level with me, and I'm like a gnome on tiptoes, that's left behind the scene ). It's the only Estonian gallery at the show (its co-owner just having had a baby, congrats!) Some galleries took a leap of faith coming to the show, like a small gallery from East London, The approach. To alleviate financial burden, they're splitting the booth with another gallery, Kate MacGarry. By the way, the organizers set up a CHF 1.5 million fund to help those galleries that wouldn't make any sales, and made a pledge to cover their hotel fees. Of course, I had to stop by the familiar American galleries, such as Paula Cooper and Marian Goodman (New York, USA) and chat with a newest partner at the latter, Rose Lord. There is a striking live performance "Tears" happening daily on the Messeplatz (the show's main ground) staged by British artist Monster Chetwynd (b. Alalia Chetwynd) with dancers gliding in large zorbs around the square. Lastly, Pace Gallery from New York has an installation outside of the Unlimited sector with a strong LGBTQ message. The general vibe at the show is, Hiob said, "slower and humbler," and Lord summed it up: "Basel is the best fair," and "it was great to be here despite the difficult circumstances." I can't agree more. Special thanks to the women at the Press desk, especially to Annina!!! Until the next show, I am Jane Greaves
Palm Beach Show 2021
Despite unique challenges the 18th Annual Palm Beach Show is live and in-person this year. The event is a bit smaller but well attended, with safety protocols in place. A few highlights – a rediscovered painting by Lawrence Alma-Tadema, a rare Stradivarius, the most expensive COVID mask in the world, and a Paraiba tourmaline necklace. Old friends, new friends, and so much more... The show runs February 11 - 16, 2021.
Greaves Productions 