Art Miami 2019
Highlights, installations, and works on display at the 2019 edition of the Art Miami and its sister shows during Miami Art Week.
Now in its 31st year, Art Miami is one of America's leading fairs in the modern and contemporary art market. Hosted during Miami's renowned art week, alongside its sister shows 'CONTEXT' also in Downtown Miami and 'Aqua' in South Beach, each fair exhibits works from the world's leading galleries, artists, sculptors and designers. Over the duration of the week, almost 100,000 art lovers and design enthusiasts visit the city with the fair being a top priority to visit. Discover highlights below from the launch night of the 2019 edition.
Galerie Frederic GOT
Paris-based Galerie Frederic GOT exhibited a vibrant mixture of sculpture, photography and art. Stand-out pieces included Gill Bruvel's beautiful pixelated 'Bending the Lines' sculptural series, depicting faces and formations created from hundreds of brightly coloured wooden segments. Jacques le Bescond reinterprets the totem with the 'Trinidad' bronze sculpture; a minimalist piece that features three abstract faces, one of them looking the other way. The piece has a beautiful black patina that gives the sculpture a dramatic presence. Luring in visitors from afar with mesmerising swirls of colour, Stallman proved to be a popular choice during the show with several works on display, including 'Robot Heart' - work that blurs the boundaries between canvas and sculptural art with colourful edges of canvas material twisted into swirls and shapes.
Left to right - Gil Bruvel: 'Comet', Jacques le Bescond: 'Trinidad', Stallman: 'Robot Heart'.
Connect Contemporary
Exciting artworks that spark curiosity and intrigue showcased at the Connect Contemporary's show space. Taking inspiration from iconic works of art, J.P. Goncalves' 'Silhouette' series uses sculpture and light to cast shadows that complete renowned pieces of art. The show exhibited 'Magritte', 'Harring Love', 'Izabel' and 'Juliana'. Continuing the theme of mixed media, Phoria Pezhman's 'Rozo' combines a black and white photograph of a female figure, applying lace and wax to create a highly textured flowing gown. Several pieces by Californian artist Craig Alan feature in the gallery space, instantly recognisable by the hundreds of miniature figures that fill the canvases. Two favourites include 'Andy's Factory' - a polaroid camera taking capturing a self-portrait of Andy Warhol and several icons. Taking canvas work into the third dimension, Alan presents 'Echo' - a chrome sphere featuring thousands of hand-painted figures of the world.
Left to right - J.P. Goncalves: 'Silhouette', Craig Alan: 'Andy's Factory' Phoria Pezhman: 'Rozo', Craig Alan: 'Echo'.
Liquid Art System
Works that create conversation and challenge perception - international art gallery Liquid Art System or 'L.a.s.' stopped visitors in their tracks with sculptural and canvas works on display. Milan-based sculptor Marco Corninishowcased three lifelike bronze pieces titled 'Mi piaceva come mi guardavi', 'Divano rosso' and 'Ricordo di un momento'. Cornini's work often focuses on the human body, capturing a moment; posing in a chair or the shared emotions between one another. Artist and portraitist Paolo Medici exhibited several beautiful and emotional portraits, capturing the subject's physiognomy; such as the emotion through the eyes, the tightening of the lips and simple glances.
From left to right - Giacinto Bosco: 'Altalena Grande', Marco Cornini: 'Mi piaceva come mi guardavi', 'Divano rosso', 'Ricordo di un momento', Raffaele Minotto: 'Piccolo banchetto', 'Interno assolato', Paolo Medici: 'Mutazioni' series, Giuseppe Tirelli 'Angelo ebbro con jeans', Christian Verginer (unknown).
Galeria Casa Cuadrada
Textile artist Vanessa Barragão's enchanting work created much intrigue at the Galeria Casa Cuadrada stand. The large pieces are hand-made, using discarded wool and leftover yarns from local textile companies. The woollen canvases create garden, sea, and new world settings while promoting an ecological aspect that affects the worlds that Barragão recreates. 'Mao', a dramatic piece created by Martín Mancera took centre stage in the stand, depicting the founding father of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong. Created from thousands of hand-painted plastic toy soldiers, the portrait is a symbol of the army of followers he had during his reign and a representation of the actions that he took.
From left to right - Vanessa Barragão: 'New World Series', Martín Mancera: 'Mao'.
Eternity Gallery
A destination exhibiting fun, playful works that bring out your inner child - Eternity Gallery represents a vast range of contemporary and experimental artists both in the US and in Europe. George Morton-Clark brings back fond memories of iconic cartoon characters, often drawn in charcoal multiple times to represent the incredible talent and skill of animation. Explosions of colour and texture seen in Jason Hallman's works create 'sculptural canvases'. Hallman layers artwork on top of one another, each design concealed by its successor.
From left to right- Stallman: 'Crazy in Love', George Morton-Clark: 'Primary Mouse', '[Untitled] Felix the Cat', Jason Hallman: 'Speed of Thought', Gil Bruvel: 'Rain'.
Donghwa Odé Gallery
New York-based gallery Donghwa Odé showcases a beautiful play of material and texture. The represented artists create dramatic and eye-catching displays, many blurring the boundaries between sculpture and canvas art. Yong R. Kwon uses light to transform these fascinating works, often reflecting colours and patterns to produce mesmerising displays that evolve in the changing light of the environment. Continuing a theme of environmentally conscious design, Kyung Youl Yoon uses discarded metal waste such as aluminium food containers to create a new world of beauty; disorderly yet harmonious compositions that are reminiscent of cityscapes. Ilwha Kim's instantly recognisable designs use the process of dying hanji paper; a traditional hand-made paper from Korea. In the 'Seed Universe' series, each roll of colourful paper, known as a 'seed', represents a tiny microcosmic universe that forms part of a much larger story.
From top to bottom - Yong R. Kwon: 'The Eternal Flame - Light', Kyung Youl Yoon: 'Cubic Inception Series', Ilwha Kim: 'Seed Universe'.
Art Miami is a staple of Miami Art Week and the American art calendar. It is a must-visit for serious art collectors and art enthusiasts alike. People attend the fair in their thousands so a little research on locations, events and times can go a long way to ensure you avoid the bulk of the queues. It is also worth noting that the fair and its sister shows present at different locations in the city; CONTEXT is hosted adjacent to Art Miami off NE 14th Street while Aqua exhibits at 1530 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach.
