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
Tag: basel
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
Art Basel | Basel Edition 2022
Here is my overview of the Swiss edition of Art Basel 2022. The attendance and participation are close to pre-pandemic. A record-breaking sale is set on the opening date of Louise Bourgeois "Spider" for $40 million. As always, I get a closer look at a few galleries. This time there're three - Galerie Lelong from Paris, Buchmann Galerie (Berlin branch) and the Mayor Gallery from London. I also share several highlights of the Unlimited sector. Finally, there is a tribute to Lawrence Weiner, the late New York conceptual artist. Basel, Switzerland June 18, 2022
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
Greaves Productions 