Art Basel Miami Beach 2023 returns to the Magic City for its 21st edition. The Miami Beach Convention Center is hosting 277 galleries. It's the largest art fair in North America. In the Galleries sector, I see lots of mirrors this year. Take the work "He Ram" by Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar at Goodman Gallery. It’s a reflection on the seven Social Sins outlined by Mahatma Gandhi: “Politics without principles, wealth without toil,’ it’s sold for $2.5m. Or, the double-mirrored work at Gladstone by Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija from 2023. Mega-galleries such as David Zwirner, Gagosian, Pace, Hauser & Writh have group presentations, which is always a safe bet. One of the highlights here is painting “Schoolboys” by South African artist Marlene Dumas, which is sold for $9 million! And of course, there is a big presence of Latin American art here. There’s a pair of Brazilian galleries - Mendes Wood DM and Nara Roesler, and a gallery from Mexico, Travesía Cuatro. Claudia Llanza, the gallery director, gives a short introduction to their booth. At the Meridians sector, which is dedicated to large-scale installations, the theme this year is Saving the Planet. There are 19 projects presented. In the VIP lounge, LA-based artist Alex Israel has AI installation called “REMEMBR.” It uses visitors’ smartphone videos to create an immersive experience. The event is sponsored by BMW which presents an all-electric BMW i5. At Casa Dragones, the Mexican tequila brand is hosting cocktail hour in a Tasting Room designed by Gloria Cortina Studio. Who is tending the bar? Artist Miles Greenberg and former director of Art Basel Marc Spiegler. One of the attendees, Danish collector Morten Aagaard, is thrilled to see what has happened to Miami over the past 25 years that he has lived here. Before leaving the venue, check out LVMH’s display in the lobby. A new limited-edition collection of handbags presented here is a collaboration with architect Frank Gehry. And if you are leaving via Collins Avenue, it's hard to miss gigantic sculpture “R-Evolution” by Marco Cochrane which arrived from Burning Man site. The 47-feet-tall, 32,000-pound-sculpture is on view through April 2024. Miami Beach, FL December 7, 2023
Tag: exhibition
Annie Watt | Photography Exhibition 2023
Society photographer Annie Watt had her annual exhibition at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. The event was a fundraiser for the Palm Beach Police Department, and Iris Apfel was the guest of honor. Over 200 guests attended the party, among them, her friends from New York and Palm Beach. Their black and white portraits in the Solarium were offered in exchange for donations to the PBPD. The Wetenhalls, current owners of the Colony Hotel provided wine and appetizers for the party, which was hosted by famed restaurateur Robert Caravaggi of the Swifty's. Ukrainian artist Tatyana Horoshko from Brooklyn, NY, hand-delivered her painting of Iris Apfel to the honoree. April 18, 2023 Palm Beach, Fla.
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 😘
Ole Aakjaer | Alter Ego
Meet Danish watercolor artist Ole Aakjaer. After two years of Covid-related restrictions, he finally travels to the U.S. for his third solo exhibition at Chase Contemporary gallery in Soho, New York. Find out how creativity helped him dealing with childhood trauma, the career path that took Aakjaer from streets of Czechoslovakia to the corporate world, and later to becoming a full-time artist while "being different from the correct people." And a little trivia: matreshka is known in Denmark as... Enjoy!
Exhibition “Future Is Female” | Palm Beach
On March 18, 2021, Palm Beach Showroom opens an art exhibition called "Future Is Female" to celebrate Women's History Month. It showcases artworks created by female artists from the 19th century up to today. It's on view until April 22, 2021.
Greaves Productions 