Art Basel Miami Beach is back for its first in-person event since 2019 — yep, that’s when Maurizo Cattelan’s duct-taped banana sold for a whopping $120,000 — and from 30 November-4 December the city will be buzzing with new shows, satellite fairs, preview events, dinners, parties and more parties.
At the fair you’ll find 253 of the world’s leading modern and contemporary galleries showcasing the very best paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, video and digital art on the market. Among the blue-chip booths, Pace presents Block Universe, a new NFT created by DRIFT artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta as part of their collaboration with the DJ and digital art pioneer Don Diablo. Hauser & Wirth, meanwhile, brings works by artists based in the United States including Rita Ackerman, Larry Bell, Nicole Eisenman, Christina Quarles, and Henry Taylor. Over at White Cube, look out for works by David Hockney, Isamu Noguchi and Mark Bradford.
Once you’ve explored the fair’s main section, head to Positions, which is dedicated to young galleries showcasing ambitious solo presentations by emerging artists. Also worthy of note is Meridians, the fair’s platform for large-scale projects curated by Magalí Arriola, director of Museo Tamayo in Mexico City. Look online for more detail on Conversations, the fair’s accompanying programme of talks and events.
There are plenty of satellite fairs to check out too: among the highlights are Design Miami, Art Miami and its sister fair, Context Art Miami. For emerging and mid-career artists, look to NADA, dedicated to new voices in contemporary art; Pinta, the leading fair for Latin American and Hispanic artists; and Untitled Art, featuring an ambitious new sector, Nest, to support emerging galleries, collectives and non-profits.
Other Miami Art Week must-sees include the multi-disciplinary art project DAISIES at The Standard and Es Devlin’s Five Echoes, a multisensory sculptural installation surrounded by a fleeting forest of over 1000 trees, plants and shrubs, conceived in collaboration with Chanel to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its iconic Chanel N°5 scent.
When it comes to museums and galleries, make a beeline for the Rubell in Allapattah, which is presenting works from three of its recent artists-in-residence: Otis Kwame, Kye Quaicoe and Kennedy Yanko. Superblue’s Miami outpost is showing immersive installations by James Turrell, Es Devlin and teamLab, while Wynwood Walls is set to unveil 13 new installations. Enjoy the art but be sure you save time for some sun, sea and sand. Oh, and poolside cocktails!
