The last art exhibitions of the year is held in Miami. Until you’ve been there it’s a little mystery as to why but the moment you land, you get it. It’s impossible to walk 100 feet without walking into some spectacular and inspiring work of art. The art deco of South Beach is the perfect setting with hotels hosting artworks of varying styles and medium. From large scale “convicted” gummy bears at the SLS hotel to a Warhol and a Banksy at the Sagamore Hotel, it Is an immersive experience. Miami is the perfect host for eclectic collections of art. Art Basel Miami has also become the end of year social scene with pool parties at hotels, Drake and Lil Wayne taking stage in Downtown Miami and Phil Collins for the slightly more mature. But this begs the question as to whether people are there for the art or the entertainment around Art Basel Miami.
Over 11 different locations there are 20 fairs spanning genres and time. The main Miami Convention Center hosted the main Art Basel exhibition. I left feeling a little uninspired with the exception of the P.P.O.W gallery with works from Betty Tompkins. A feminist artist that spent several years retreating from the market following controversy when her works were seized by the French authorities during transportation to a fair for being too explicit for public viewing in 1974. Betty spent some 10 years collecting email addresses from random strangers she met. She would then email them to ask them for positive and negative words used to describe women. Betty then used these words to paint words over famous female painting prints such as the Mona Lisa, creating a series of word paintings. Obscuring them from the print altogether, representing the suppression of women. No exhibition would be complete without the works of Picassos and Yayoi Kasuma. I also really enjoyed Florida Lake by Milton Avery.
Sales for art in 2017 were stronger overall than that of 2016. Growth is expected to be slow but steady into 2018 and 2019 according to Mike Ryan – UBS Chief Investment Officer. Sales in the UHNW space have remained strong, with Lee Krasner’s Sun Woman 1 (1957) meeting its asking price of $7m, Yoshitomo Nara’s Young Mother (2012) for $2.9m and Mark Bradford’s Fly in the Buttermilk (2002) for $3m. Mid-tier, works by Sigmar Polke Transparent #8 (1988) sold for $1.75m as well as Alberto Burri’s Bianco Plastica B 1 (1967) for $1.5m. On the other spectrum, works by Michal Rovner sold for $140k and KAWS THE NEWS (2017) for $45k each.
In contrast, Art Miami and Context Miami were alive and bursting with inspiration. Focusing largely on the contemporary art world, a number of pieces took my eye. In Art Miami, photography from Ormand Gigli Girls in The Window (1960) for $45k which led to the inspiration for Tim Walkers -The Dress Lamp Tree (2004) were on display. Pieces from Stephen Wilkes Washington Square Park (Day to Night) (2009) were lovely to see. It was interesting to see how photographic art has evolved with technology. Invader’s original’s still in the affordable category at $15k a piece was sell out.
A stone’s throw from South Beach was the Untitled Artist fair displaying emerging artists. Some artists have been picked up for exhibitions at galleries such as MOMA New York. Romain Mader, a young photographer from Switzerland has exhibited at Tate Modern. One of my favourites was Keita Miyazaki who constructs art sculptures using old metal castings combined with origami flowers. The combination and contrast in materials and colours makes each piece unique. The works of Keita were a sell out at the show.
For those who are more practical, Design Miami was a great place to go and see how shearling armchairs by Pierre Yovanovitch are as much in fashion as shearling coats are on the runway. Or for the child in me, the Toco Toucan by Porky Hefer seemed like a great chair to be able to hide away in on a Sunday afternoon. More practical yet stunning designs were shelves by Joseph Walsh from the Enginum collection. Crafted from thin layers of wood glued and molded into shape.
Crossing the bridge into the mainland, street artists were shown in the Wynwood area with colourful graffiti works covering building after building on every street. The Wynwood Walls area showing the vivid and colourful skills of the artists along with their passions. Street artist, Ernesto Maranje, a Miami based artist used animal imagery to discuss the importance of preserving the environment.
Miami art week was a blast. It was a pleasure to see art in casual surroundings outside of a gallery. Wandering in the sun, I was able to ask the awkward questions I wouldn’t dare to ask, figuring out what I liked and disliked, taking a moment to see how a painting talked to me, and then enjoying a cocktail party at night. What’s not to like!