Art Basel, Miami Beach 2019 - Miami Art Week
Highlights, installations, and works on display at the 2019 edition of the Art Basel Miami Beach during Miami Art Week.
As one of the most internationally recognised and prominent art fairs, Art Basel is a brand that showcases works from galleries and artists around the world at three destinations a year; Basel in Switzerland, Hong Kong and Miami Beach in Florida. Now in its eighteenth year at Miami Beach, the show has pulled through a record number of visitors nationally and internationally and with it, a vast amount of publicity and news coverage from some unique works of art. Exhibiting works from 269 galleries that span 29 countries; discover a select few highlights and a video tour from this mammoth art fair below.
Alison Jacques Gallery
London-based Alison Jacques Gallery, specialising in contemporary arts, mesmerised the crowds with its vibrant array of artworks, containing everything from ceramics and textile to photography and paintings. It was the experimental weavings and sculptural textile art by Sheila Hicksthat stopped passers-by in their tracks, enticing them in to discover more. Using bound linen, cotton and wool in a rich and vibrant collection of hues, each piece immediately grabbed attention with its luscious layering and impressive textures.
Helly Nahmad Gallery
Exhibiting an elegant curation of works, New York-based Helly Nahmad Gallery paired vivid sculptures with painted canvases and mobiles in its beautiful show space. Stand-out pieces included four sculptural mobiles by Alexander Calder, one suspended from the ceiling, softly moving and spinning with the movement of the crowds below. 'Ciseaux I' the 1966 acrylic on canvas by French Artist and Sculptor Jean Dubuffet was a firm favourite, depicting a pair of scissors, the piece forms part of the more extensive 'Ustensiles Utopiques' collection that celebrates everyday objects.
Perrotin Gallery
It was undoubtedly the Perrotin Gallery that received the most publicity from this year's art fair as it displayed Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian', more commonly known as the 'Art Basel Banana' went viral on several social media platforms and received international news coverage before and after performance artist David Datuna ate it. Banana aside, the gallery played host to many other artists' works including the sculptural piece 'Blue Calcified Crystal Venus de Milo' by Daniel Arsham and a 1962 canvas by French abstract painter Georges Mathieu (featured).
neugerriemschneider
The weird, wonderful and intriguing - Berlin-based gallery neugerriemschneider; established by Tim Neuger and Burkhard Riemschneider, exhibited works by internationally recognised artists such as Olafur Eliasson, Ai Weiwei and Michel Majerus to name a few. Inviting visitors to peer into a new kaleidoscopic world, Eliasson's 'Your Vanishing' sculpture resembled a futuristic set of binoculars. Eliasson's work even provided unique views of Ai Weiwei's latest creation 'strength'; a large iron sculpture cast from the roots of a tree positioned in the centre of the gallery space.
Pilar Corrias
While many artists and galleries direct attention towards canvases on the walls or sculptures at eye level, London-based gallery Pilar Corrias uses the work of Philippe Parreno to draw attention upwards with the artist's orange-coloured speech bubble balloons on the ceiling. A beautiful colour theme of orange, purple and pinks run across the central gallery space, paired with canvas works such as Elizabeth Neel's abstract depictions of observations and still life as well as Cui Jie's unique geometric representation of the architecture of Chinese cityscapes.
Art Basel is the staple of Miami Art Week attracting art collectors and lovers from all over the world. It is a must-visit for all serious art lovers but can be quite overwhelming, especially on your first visit. The art fair is vast in scale and can take a full day (sometimes more) to see everything. The show primarily exhibits contemporary works and covers almost every medium one could possibly imagine, ensuring there is something for everyone.
