Tiermetabolismus V (Katzchen) by Jonathan Meese at Bortolami Gallery, Art Basel Main Fair, Hall B, Booth I-09.
Art Observed will be on site as of today for the ninth edition of the America’s biggest contemporary art fair: Art Basel Miami Beach which will open to the public on Thursday December 2 and will run through Sunday, December 5.
The main section of the fair will house over 180 galleries and over 40,000 are expected following the December 2nd opening. Annette Schönholzer and Marc Spiegler are the main fair organizers alongside its main sponsor UBS with Cartier, NetJets and AXA Art as the associate sponsors. While Art Basel is still the main draw, the NADA Fair (the New Art Dealers Alliance) up the road at the Dauville Beach Resort will open to the public Thursday December 2. It will run through Sunday December 5 and also should not be missed.
Untitled (Art Fair Floor) by Ryan Reggiani. Kate Werble Gallery at Nada Art Fair, booth 312.
The fair week is notable for its bridging of the Latin American buyers with American and British art centers as well as its uniquely intense amalgamation of social, media, fashion and other spheres of influence into the business of selling art.
The global art market seems to have stabilized this year and the main fair, along with its very significant satellites, should be met with lively buying this round. Beyond this, all around Miami, the social calendar will be infused with events to the point where there is little chance to avoid regretfully missing something.
A view of an installation by Terrence Koh at The Island, an event during the week (see bel0w).
More text and related links after the jump… .
The Soho Beach House, a newly opened venture of the Soho House chain, will feature an impressive array of private events during the days of the fair.
Centers of Gravity:
Art Basel – The Main Fair: Still the focal point for the week and the gate through which just about everyone will pass. The amount of world class art within these walls is difficult to process in one visit.
NADA Art Fair – The Deauville Beach Resort – If the main fair is blue chip, this art fair brings a bit of art’s edge to the week. NADA is up on the beach but the character of this fair is bit more more downtown. Last year this fair brought many great works and energy and this year will likely be even more robust.
Soho House Beach Club: This newcomer brings a solid list of events to the week and serves as an anchor the Northern reaches of the fair. It may not be not as big as the monolithic Fontainebleau next door, but it brings the energy of the global Soho House brand, which recently opened lauded clubs in Los Angeles and Berlin. This hotel will host events for Nadja Swarovski and Craig Robbins; Jay Joplings’s London gallery White Cube; Blum & Poe Gallery; Victoria Miro Gallery; a Chloe fashion show; and W Magazine Event (hosted by Stefano Tonchi & Daphne Guinness).
W Hotel: Its lobby boasts museum-grade art from the likes of Damien Hirst, Christopher Wool and Tom Sachs and, in Mr. Chow’s, a restaurant with a strong art pedigree. As a major collector, Aby Rosen seems to have built a hotel made for Art Basel Miami Beach. This venue will host events for Larry Gagosian, Cecilia Dean’s V magazine, Aby Rosen, Vito Schnabel, Alex Dellal & Stavros Niarchos, and a reading by Steve Martin from his new book Object of Beauty.
The Raleigh: Chef John DeLucie of newly opened The Lion in New York City opens a restaurant at The Raleigh this week that should help to keep this classically beautiful hotel in focus after the departure of Andre Balazs. This year the hotel will host a Vogue Lounge cocktail reception and Jeffrey Deitch will also reprise his Art Basel Miami Beach party under the aegis of MOCA Los Angeles with performance by LCD Soundsystem.
The Mondrian Hotel: The Mondrian, though on the bay side, is a huge resort with great views and a steady roster of events for the week, including those from Charlotte Ronson (with music by Alexander Dexter-Jones) and a Paper Magazine event for Shepard Fairey.
The Standard: The impact of Andre Balazs’s new Standard in New York on the scene is unquestionable and its sister property in Miami Beach, the Standard Hotel and Spa, keeps the momentum going during Art Basel Miami Beach. This property will support some of the most exclusive and significant events of the week within its expansive grounds such as the US sea launch of The Aquariva by Marc Newson and a party thrown by Marina Abramovic and Another Magazine’s Jefferson Hack.
The Delano: The godfather of the Miami boutique hotel movement will host parties for MoMA PS1 and Interview Magazine as well as late night revelry from André Sarraiva’s Miami outpost of Le Baron in the Florida Room in collaboration with the Misshapes and Jalouse.
Birch Cube (2010) by Anthony James. Exhibited by Patrick Painter Gallery at the Art Basel, booth B20.
Petrified Petrol Pump (2010) by Allora & Calzadilla. Shown by Lisson Gallery at Art Basel Main Fair, stand 101.
Other Selected Events:
Tuesday November 30:
– Miami Art Museum official groundbreaking of the new Herzog & de Meuron-designed facility in Downtown Miami’s 29-acre Museum Park.
РGalerie Perrotin opening featuring Daniel Arsham, Kaz Oshiro, Paola Pivi and Xavier Veilhan (of recent ch̢teau de Versailles installation).
By Nick Van Woert (2010). Yvon Lambert at Art Basel, booth L07.
Wednesday December 1
– Miami’s own OHWOW Gallery, in partnership with The Standard, Miami Beach opens its new store within the Standard including works by Scott Campbell, Dan Colen, KAWS, Terence Koh, José Parlá, Agathe Snow and others.
– The first major solo US exhibition of German artist Jonathan Meese opens at Miami’s MOCA.
Centri de pensiero by Alighiero e Boetti (1982). Gladstone Gallery at Art Basel Main Fair, booth H13.
Thursday December 2
– Miami’s OHWOW reprises It Ain’t Fair in a 6,000 square feet of gallery space featuring Scott Campbell, Dan Colen, André Ethier, FriendsWithYou, KAWS, Nate Lowman, Barry McGee, Neck Face, José Parlá, Aurel Schmidt and Lucien Marc Smith.
A mural by assume vivid astro focus.
– Soho New York’s The Hole Gallery presents the the completion of Phase I of Wynwood Walls with four new murals by Ryan McGinness, Ben Jones, Dearraindrop and assume vivid astro focus (seen above).
– Artists John Baldessari and Analia Saban in conversation moderated by Glenn Phillips of the Getty Research Institute, presented by Pacific Standard Time at the Rubell Family Collection.
– The Billboard Project launch: Reception for the artist Liam Gillick, who has been commissioned to produce artwork for billboards and bus shelters in and around Miami’s Design District and Miami Beach, at Locust Projects.
– SKINS Opening reception, curated by Alex Gartenfeld 81 NE 40th Street Miami Design District.
– New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA) party with Canyon Ranch at the The Deauville Beach Resort.
– BOFFO presents a night of music and performances by H.U.N.X.hosted by Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Arden Wohl, Casey Spooner, Johnny Misheff, Todd Eberle and others at the Lords South Beach Hotel.
Friday December 3
– The “Island”: a one night, site-specific exhibition on a small island not far off the Mondrian Hotel organized by Shamim M. Momin, and Al Moran and Aaron Bondaroff of OHWOW gallery featuring works by Terence Koh, Justin Lowe, Hanna Liden and others.
The Last Bird Runner by Jon Kessler (1994). Salon 94, Art Basel Main Fair, booth G-06.
Most of the Week:
– The Rubell Family Collection will host a serious of breakfasts that will not doubt continue the tradition of artistically abundant food styling.
– Creative Time will be presenting its Oceanfront Nights events beginning with its first theme, Detroit, on Wednesday night and will continuing on to Saturday with the themes Mexico City, Berlin and Glasgow respectively at the Oceanfront at Collins Park, between 21st and 22nd Streets. Turner Prize winning artist Martin Creed‘s band plays on Saturday.
– Broken Hearts Club: this Berlin-based ABMB newcomer takes a cue from Le Baron and sets up a pop-up party residence in the Townhouse Hotel through the week and into the late night featuring DJ sets by Peaches and nights hosted by the likes of Sam Keller.
Related links:
Art Basel Miami Art Fair Homepage
NADA Homepage
Thomas Struth, Drydock, DSME Shipyard, Geoje Island (2007). Marian Goodman Gallery, Art Basel Main Fair, booth J14.
News Summary:
Art Basel Miami: 10 party (and Art) Spots [NYTimes]
In Miami Beach, a More Daring Art Basel [WSJ]
Art Basel Miami Beach [Financial Times]
Art Basel Miami Beach 2010 Preview [ArtInfo]
Art Basel Miami Beach has boosted artists, collectors in Latin America [Miami Herald]
The Best Gems of Basel: Where You’ll Party This Week! [Art Ruby]
Basel’s Best Bashes: Part Two! [Art Ruby]
A Map and Itinerary For the Miami Fairs [Art Fag City]
Jeremy Dean’s CEO Stagecoach, courtesy of the 21c Museum Hotel Collection in Louisville, KY, which will circle the Wynwood section of Miami during fair week.
