Art Basel 2024…. An immersion of the Art World and all its excesses
Art Basel, also known as Miami Art Week offers a combination of art fairs, museum exhibitions, satellite art programs, public art and murals seen through its many neighborhoods and commercial districts. There are over a dozen art fairs and it’s almost impossible to see them all. During this first week of December, the Art World in Miami is showcasing every form of art …. exhibitions, installations, performances, panel discussions and workshops representing every demographic and special interest group with plenty of parties, receptions and meetups. There was something here for everyone…..
Miami and Art Basel
A part of Miami’s renaissance and high cost of living can be tied to Art Basel, now 21 years old. Becoming an art mecca for all the world to visit has enabled Miami to compete with other major cities like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago who also have a strong arts presence. Every year, the city and the county continue to build glass towers, neglecting its transportation. Trying to get from Miami Beach to Downtown Miami is at least a 60-90+ minute drive. Traffic is a nightmare during big events and holiday seasons. All great cities have metro systems that connect to all parts of a city. Why doesn’t Miami have one that connects it to the beach? Clearly, part of a NIMBY position among the very rich and the lack of will among its politicians.
Art has also been a gentrifier worldwide impacting low-income communities. Many Miami low-income neighborhoods such as Wynwood, Allapattah and Overtown have been invaded by artists, art galleries and investors of private collection of art. There is both a good and bad side to what is known as “creative place-making” (using art and culture to revitalize and spur economic development in a targeted area). When it is only corporate or government leading this effort, low-income leaders and residents are generally excluded and the community is gradually forced out. The creative place-making process needs to be community driven to ensure fairness prevails among longtime residents and local businesses so that everyone benefits.
What About the Art?
I attended 5 art fairs and several smaller art venues including my involvement with a nonprofit where I am a board member to its arts affiliate. During the last five years, The Ten North Group has sponsored several art exhibitions each year (more on this later).
Starting with the Art Basel Convention Center, I found the artworks to be of every genre, although not as much photography as I would like. Plenty of sculpture pieces, both provocative and silly as well as many textiles and upcycling of material. As someone who attends many art fairs, I found a bit of repetition of works that I view as more traditional than risky. It could be that the cost of real estate to exhibit at the convention center forces galleries to present what they think their client base will buy. After all, the fair is not solely about gallery exposure as it is about selling. But enough with the straight lines that go nowhere and canvases painted in just one or two colors.
Best part about Art Basel for me is the Meridian section which supports the presentation of major art installations. Two artists and their sculpture pieces I enjoyed are highlighted below:
Alice Aycock’s Monumental Goya Exhibition draws you into what looks like a tornado made of white-coated aluminum sheets. This sculpture piece, named Goya after the Spanish painter is part of her Turbulence series exhibited in outdoor settings throughout the world. This work reflects the artist’s enchantment with tornados and the painter Fernando Goya. I especially love the feel of movement that you get from just watching this piece as if a gust of wind is about to take over the place. Alice lives in New York city. For more on her works, click here.
Portia Munson’s Bound Angel Exhibition represents a unique installation that is both provocative and gender based. Here we have a large dining table, covered with a tablecloth made of vintage wedding dresses. On top of the table are all these discarded figurines, lamps, and candles, many of them roped around with lamp cords. From far away, you don’t quite see this until you get closer to the table and are surprised. Portia’s interpretation represents the struggle of gender equality as seen in the figurines that are entangled with lamp cords. My photos offer both full view of the dining table and close ups. Portia lives in New York state. For more on her works, click here.
Two art fairs I most enjoyed and are situated on the beach are “Untitled” and “Scope”. Both also represent national and international galleries and artists. Scope in particular does a great job of presenting more nontraditional artists, specifically a higher number of African artists and other indigenous groups. I find the works to be more potent and riskier. The NADA art fair is another one that I like as it represents smaller galleries. Many of them are community oriented, nonprofit art groups, and People of Color. They too are more risk takers, and the artworks are both eclectic and less expensive.
There were at least 4-5 other art fairs and museum exhibitions I would have liked to attend but there was not enough time and too much traffic slowing you down. Leaving the immediate area to see artworks sponsored by local museums, galleries, community groups and nonprofits takes a good chunk of your time.
An outdoor exhibition that I attended the last day of its showing was The Great Migration of Elephants, held on the beach. We arrived at the beach at 6:30 am to avoid the crowds (so did a lot of other folks). This public art exhibition launched in July 2024 in Newport, Rhode Island, later migrated to New York City’s Meatpacking district. I missed it by a couple of days, determined to catch it in Miami. It has now moved to Houston, Texas, then to a reservation in Montana, later to Wyoming and a final stop in LA.
The sculptures are stunningly beautiful, made of native wood produced by several indigenous communities in India. These elephant sculptures are for sale as a way of continuing to provide employment to these groups and to support global conservation efforts.
However, what is missing in this art exhibition is the bleak story happening to elephants worldwide. Elephant habitats are rapidly shrinking due primarily to human population growth, poaching and climate change. According to the WWF, as of today, there are approximately 415,000 African elephants left and close to 50,000 Asian elephants.
Lastly, one thing to be aware of, every one of these art fairs and exhibitions has an admission fee from $20 to $95. There are a few that are free. The cost of food in and outside these fairs is quite high along with the cost of lodging, Ubers and parking. There is a lot of money being made in Miami this week by everyone. Be ready to budget more if you plan to visit next year.
Ten North Group Art Exhibition Series
As a community development consultant, I have worked with the CEO of Ten North Group for over 15 years using the concept of creative place-making in the city of Opa-locka, Miami as a destination place for art, culture and daily living. The city of Opa-locka, part of Miami Dade is 10 miles north of Miami Beach. This is mostly a Black and Brown community with a unique history of Moroccan architecture experiencing its own renaissance.
Every year, this organization presents several exhibitions that reflect on the African diaspora from countries as far as Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean and the US. This year, we sponsored exhibitions from Haiti, Jamaica and Africa.
This year’ theme/title was Black Aliveness and the Aesthetics of Being exploring black culture expressions and images in understanding identity and how we connect with each other to create spaces that lead to transformation, self-definition and resiliency. For more details Ten North Group art programs, click here
Final Note
My photos represent artworks from the various art fairs and exhibitions and those enchanting elephants. Most of the artwork I liked, some I was a bit curious or provoked to share. Photos of the two artists that I highlighted in this story are closer to the end, followed by the elephants and the exhibitions at Ten North Group. Always, remember to click the center of the photo for a full view of each photograph. For review and photos of Art Basel 2023, click here.
If you enjoyed this newsletter issue, help others discover it by sharing it with your friends. If you are not a subscriber for more stories and photos like these, please click here to subscribe!“
No Comments