Art Basel Miami Beach, 15th Edition, 2016 December 17, 2016

The 15th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach was held December 1-4, 2016 and featured 269 galleries from 29 countries. The works presented ranged from Modern masterpieces to contemporary paintings, films, sculptures and installations from established and emerging artists. Considering the socio-economical situation presently in this country, and frankly around the world, the galleries announced good sales even if buyers took longer to close the deals. Artwork being sold in the first 15 minutes of the fair being open was not the case this year where more than one gallery claimed sales on the last day with art buyers less impulsive. The highest-priced sale reported was Lee Crasher's Another Storm (1963) for $6 million at Paul Kasmin Gallery.

Miami Art Week is what this week is now referred to so it includes all satellite fairs and special events that occur during Art Basel. That's a relief for us who cover these events since their first year and had to use long sentences to describe all additions each year.

The film library sector of the main show was hidden behind the magazine stands but a happy surprise in the quality of the films and the room's setup. Some of the artists whose work was shown include Maggie Lee, Gabriel Lester, and Shelly Nadashi.

 By: Carmen Ferreira & Kanae Maeda | Photos: Esteban Terenzio

Design Miami

Flotsam & Jetsam, by SHoP Architects

The Design Visionary this year was awarded to SHoP Architects for their employment of next-generation fabrication and delivery techniques. who created this is the pavilion they created at the entrance of Design Miami, which serves as public plaza.

Streetscapes by PlusDesign created a "promenade of peculiar installations" including hand-painted Colombian stereo systems and MM (French design duo) installation of old fashioned looking sci-fi eyes staring back at you with strangeness and humor. 

 Piranha Nerina by Porky Hefer at Southern Guild (Cape Town, South Africa)

Handcrafted wood sculptures by Ernst Gamperi at Sarah Myerscough Gallery (London). The artist turns wood while it's wet to create the forms, curves, bulges, and indentions which emerge out of the natural deformations of wood. These pieces have such intensity and grace when seen in person! Sarah emailed my after the fair saying she sold out! I do understand, since hers was one of the best booths.

 Furniture made of Pequi Vinagreiro by Hugo França

 Colorful, fun furniture at Chamber Gallery (New York)

Airbnb / Sobremesa, by Pedro&Juana (Mexico) which "is a concept deeply rooted in Mexican culture. It refers to indeterminate amount of time people spend together after a meal, relaxing, enjoying casual conversation. In Mexico, these shared, lingering moments are as important, if not more so, than the food itself".

Lighting at The Future Perfect Gallery (New York/San Francisco)

Main show, Art Basel Miami Beach, at the Convention Center.

 Abstract Composition by Francis Picabia at Francis Naumann (New York)

 Planos em Superfície Modulada by Lygia Clark at Dan Gallery (São Paulo)

Untitled by Robert Motherwell at Paul Kasmin Gallery (New York)

0-9 by Jasper Johns at Universal Limited Art Editions (New York) 

MMA Pillars by Josef Albers at Alan Cristea Gallery 

 Small Glass Series by James Turrell

Jardin de Concreto Uno by Los Carpinteros 

T estampada by Antoni Tapies 

 Twirling Gig (Runts) by Robert Rauschenberg

Fondation Beyeler's installation Toilet Paper, a collaboration between the the Swiss museum and Italian artists Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari. It was probably the most Instagrammed booth of the fair.

 Constellation Yellow-Blue-Violet by Leon Polk Smith

 Untitled by Louise Bourgeois

T Estampada, by Antoni Tapies

Conversation between artist Julio Le Parc and Dr. Estellita B. Brodsky, guest curator of his first exhibition in the United States, Julio Le Parc: Form into Action, on show at Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). The octogenarian spoke of his early years in art school in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his move to Paris and his love of art that interacts. When asked what advice he would give to young artists he, at first hesitated, saying they should not follow advice but their own hearts and curiosity. But he did finally say that they should beware of working just for the money and it's dangers to the final outcome of their body of work.

Obama by Elizabeth Peyton at Gladstone Gallery

 Palette (Vincent and Theo) by John Baldessari at Michetll-Innes & Nash Gallery (New York)

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA) presented One Day on Success Street by Thomas Bayrle, a major survey and the first American museum presentation dedicated to the German artist. It featured works from the 1960s through now, tracing his profound observations of human civilization, particularly through developments in technology and our environments, of the the course of a 50-year career.

Pulse Miami, a fair we hadn't visited in a long time, had few good surprises!

Life Clusters, by Hiroshi Shinno at Yod Gallery (Osaka, Japan)

The Market, by Abade Glover at Christopher Moller Gallery (South Africa)

Aqua Art Fair, which used to feature Northwestern galleries, wasn't memorable but for the Haas&Hahn gallery, from Amsterdam. They showed work derived from their public projects which interfere in several urban spaces and deprived spaces transforming them into inspiring artworks of monumental size. Here they had a cut-out carousel and a puzzle of of some of the projects. 

De La Cruz Collection

Rosa and Carlos De La Cruz who have been married since 1966, have collected art for decades and assembled on of Miami's finest collection. The year we were was invited to their home which left us mesmerized. It was one of the most pleasant morning's spent in this hurried art week. Some of our favorites were assume vivid astro focus installation X1, a multimedia installation, and the patio and garden where the breeze made us all smile.

Art In Public Spaces

Miami Mountain, by Ugo Rondinone, five brightly painted stacked boulders commissioned by the Bass Museum which is permanently installed at Collins Park. It "refers to the natural world, romanticism and existentialism, encapsulating a mental trinity that has underpinned the artist's work for more than 20 years."

10 Standing Figures, by Magdalena Abakanowicz, "these sculptures are at once beautiful and unsettling reminders of the fragile nature of the human condition." 

 Looking From The top Of The Acacia (MIRAGE), by Jean-Marie Appriou. "Each figure is carved from wax, covered in plaster, then cast in aluminum. Are, his life-sized camels are presented outdoors in the unfamiliar tropical habitat of Collins Park, each standing atop its mirror-image reflection. By sharing his intricate experimentations he highlights the poignancy of a manual approach in the current technological age."

Big Disobedience, by Erwin Wurm. "The artist often uses absurd and comic elements of contemporary society, particularly in relation to the human body. In his sculpture, he has repeatedly extended the fragile boundary defining a visible form from inside and outside, fundamentally challenging the viewer's perception of reality."

Invisible Man, by Glenn Kaino is a "monument to the forgotten and ignored. Its title is a reference to Ralph Ellison's classic novel about visibility and race. Contrary to the subjects of most public monuments, his pedestal supports a man with hands raised in surrender. Viewing the figure from behind and circling to the front, the figure disappears from sight by way of a mirrored surface, leaving the viewer with an empty pedestal."

Incomplete Open Cube, by Sol Lewitt. "Each structure is an open cube with between one and nine limbs removed, so that the structure remains three-dimensional and connected. The project was realized in several different forms, including drawings, small structures in wood and the large-scale aluminum variations included in this exhibition."

Naturaleza Urbana, by Yoan Capote. "... recreated and oversized pair of functioning handcuffs clasped around the bases of two trees; one mature, one a sapling. By literally harnessing the purest element of nature, this piece embodies the human need for power and control. While the trees stand fixed, they will grow until even the smaller tree is gripped tightly by the handcuff. 

Contemporary Art + Architecture Tour to make it's debut Oct. 10-14, 2016. September 30, 2016

Some photos of Sumi and Shu's opening night on January 29th February 09, 2016

Art Basel Miami Beach 2015 January 06, 2016

Michelle Weinberg's Passion for Painting Buildings! November 06, 2015

Maison&Objet Americas May 26, 2015

Art Meets Furniture for Music Lovers | State of Wonder & Atocha Design April 09, 2015

Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 December 19, 2014

Some Photos of Our Garden Soirée at The Standard Spa, Miami Beach | Friday, April 25th 2014 May 01, 2014

State of Wonder's Garden Soirée on Friday April 25th at The Standard Hotel in Miami Beach April 14, 2014

Rob Fischer in NY Times April 05, 2014

Friends we Love: Yuri Shimojo April 02, 2014

Prophet's of the Digital Age March 23, 2014

Kuhl & Leyton reviewed on the Huffinton Post: "Portraits Of Disgraced Billionaires Reveal The Shady Side Of White Collar Crimes March 15, 2014

The Sky, animation by Sara Woster January 17, 2014

2014 Year of the Wood Horse January 14, 2014

Artist Talk | Thanks Friends gathering Nov 29 Friday November 23, 2013

Opening Reception | Some Photos November 23, 2013

Our opening party was so much fun! Here are some photos!

Andrew Rawlinson's talk Saturday, Nov. 9th November 12, 2013

Conversation | The Gallery: What does it look like today? | Wednesday, October 23 October 22, 2013

Please join us for our first on site gallery show October 12, 2013

Beads On One String : Esoteric vs. Exoteric July 18, 2013

More Rob Fischer's deer single shot July 17, 2013

Rob Fischer's Deer Portrait single shot image July 17, 2013