The new edition of Art Basel's American fair highlighted a copious and revitalized program, marking a tipping point in the significant increase in participants. Zoom in.

This 22nd iteration of Art Basel Miami Beach, directed for the first time by Bridget Finn, American art dealer and gallerist, saw bigger things than in previous years. In all, some 290 galleries were represented, from 38 countries and territories, most of them in North and South America. Some thirty new exhibitors made their debut, some of them directly in the main section, such as Gallery Baton (Seoul), Pearl Lam Galleries (Hong Kong, Shanghai), Gallery Wendi Norris (San Francisco) and Tim Van Laere Gallery (Antwerp, Rome). For Bridget Finn, this is "the biggest cohort of newcomers" in sixteen years, whether from the Americas, Europe or Asia.

Since its creation in 2002, this American fair has reaffirmed its place in the Art Basel galaxy, for a week rich in exhibitions, events, performances and special projects in Miami and South Florida.

PLACE FOR MONUMENTALITY

Perhaps the biggest change at this year's U.S. edition was the "Meridians" section, which reinvented the traditional art fair stand. Until now, this section, devoted to large-scale works, was set up in a partitioned area of the Miami Beach Convention Center. This year, it was at the heart of the action, in dialogue with two other sections. The strategy was led by new curator Yasmil Raymond, formerly director of the Portikus Frankfurt gallery, rector of the Städelschule art university and curator of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others.

In Miami, it highlighted 18 projects whose ambition is to change art through art. Its edition, entitled "State of Becoming", probed "the unexpected contingencies of democracy and the anxiety unabated by climate change". A number of internationally renowned artists, including Alice Aycock, Rachel Feinstein and Franz West, shared their vision. Peruvian artist Roberto Huarcaya's installation, already exhibited at the 60th Venice Biennale (Acumen no. 45), with its large photo-sensitive rollers displaying images of the Amazon rainforest, was also on view. Just like the sprawling work of Zhu Jinshi, who was part of the Chinese delegation. His work, presented by Pearl Lam Galleries, consists of 16,000 sheets of paper suspended above a bamboo and cotton frame.

Also of note is Vietnamese artist Danh Vo's immense sculpture, an American flag made of stacked, painted logs, supported by White Cube. The same goes for the gigantic, hand-sewn embroidery by Argentine collective Chiachio & Giannone. This piece, shown by Ruth Benzacar Galeria de Arte, pays homage to the LGBTQIA+ community and the indigenous Guarani culture. All the works in this section were destined for public collections.

AT THE HEART OF THE SHOW

As usual, "Galleries", the main sector of Art Basel Miami Beach, set the bar high with over 200 modern, contemporary and post-war art dealers from the Americas and beyond. Several exhibitors presented works by nearly 4,000 artists in four other sectors of the fair. Helly Nahmad Gallery featured 20th-century masters such as Kandinsky, Basquiat, Calder, Dubuffet, Picasso, Ernst, Léger, Fontana and Miró.

For its part, the Martos Gallery highlighted the work of six artists from the 1980s, who marked "a political, social and cultural turning point". These included Keith Haring, a pioneer of street art, Michel Auder, an experimental photographer and filmmaker associated with Warhol's Factory, and Kathleen White, a member of the downtown scene and friend and muse of Nan Goldin.

Also worth mentioning are the paintings by Paul Cadmus, presented by DC Moore Gallery - this 20th-century New York artist used Renaissance techniques to create his avant-garde male nudes - and those by Judith Eisler, based on her photographs of frozen film scenes, cropped and recontextualized.

THEMATIC PRESENTATIONS

In line with this, the "Kabinett" section was devoted to thematic group exhibitions, art history and personal presentations. More than twenty exhibitions were presented. Hirschl & Adler Modern highlighted the 1940s paintings and works on paper by American abstract expressionist Franz Kline, in a rare glimpse into his basic process. Galerie Lelong & Co showed little-known marble and bronze sculptures by Zilia Sánchez, a singular figure of Latin American modernism and geometric abstraction. As for Sies + Höke, the gallery featured the abstract landscape installation by Costa Rican artist Federico Herrero. Created for the fair and inspired by the urban structures of his native San José, it is composed of wall canvases and a floor painting.

EMERGING ARTISTS AND YOUNG GALLERIES

The "Nova" space, dedicated to young galleries exhibiting works created within the last three years, was not devoid of fine propositions. Gallery Vacancy, for example, defends the voices of young talent. Its name already spells out its ambition: a space "awaiting completion by artists in a cross-media approach".

Henry Curchod illustrates this with his monumental paintings and story-driven sculptural installations. The same goes for Michael Ho, who works with myths. This Dutch-born immigrant of Chinese origin probes notions of diaspora by using archival images as the basis for his works. His dense jungle scenes occupy the surface of the canvas, superimposed with motifs drawn from his experiences and cultural heritage.

The "Positions" section, dedicated to galleries and emerging artists, was equally well chosen. Take, for example, the paintings by Mayan Cakchiquel artist Paula Nicho Cúmez, already exhibited at the 60th Venice Biennale. Her works, promoted by the Proyectos Ultravioleta gallery, are inspired by her dreams and make reference to her heritage and memory. These are natural landscapes populated by female figures whose Mayan motifs on their clothing become their skin.

Also worthy of mention is Julieta Tarraubella's installation The Secret Life of Flowers, which bases its practice on the methodologies of audiovisual production between video, photography, sculpture and performance. This series is based on the principle of monitoring flowers using a closed circuit of security cameras. The Argentinian artist investigates the dialogue and relationship between the life of flowers, the space they inhabit and the reflection with the beings that surround them.

For its part, Galeria Estação has chosen to host a diverse range of artists with varied educational backgrounds, such as Salvadoran artist Aurelino dos Santos, who, without knowing how to read or write, tells the world in his paintings.

CURATORIAL INVESTIGATIONS

We conclude with the "Survey" section, focusing on works created before the year 2000, with the aim of broadening our understanding of the conventional art-historical canon. Two exhibitors showcased the work of French Surrealist women artists: first with an exhibition of paintings by the little-known Jacqueline Lamba at Galerie Weinstein, then with a theatrical presentation of original photographs and books by Claude Cahun at Galerie Alberta Pane.

Galerie Eric Mouchet presented works by South African artist Kendell Geers, who addresses the social violence and inhumanity of apartheid. Linda Kohen's work also captured our attention. This Uruguayan painter of Italian origin, who emigrated to Montevideo
via Buenos Aires after fleeing Jewish persecution in Italy, showed a series of constantly evolving drawn reflections on her life's work.

ART INVADES MIAMI

In conjunction with this 22nd edition, art spread to South Florida through Miami Art Week, satellite fairs, museums and private collections. In Wynwood, the street art district, the Margulies Collection presented major works by Roy Lichtenstein, Louise Nevelson and Isamu Noguchi. The NSU Art Museum in Fort Lauderdale also exhibited works by numerous artists, including 1,800 recently acquired photographs by Joel Meyerowitz.

Another interesting event was PhotoMIAMI. This brand-new international fair is the only one focused on contemporary photography, and spread its selection over two days during Miami Art Week.

For its part, Design Miami continues to showcase the unlimited potential of innovation, furniture and collectibles. The same goes for Untitled Art, located on South Beach, which challenges traditional notions of creativity through the lens of contemporary art.
We extend this Floridian artistic richness a little further by closing with the "Complete" competition, which transforms hotels into contemporary art showcases, inviting the public to immerse themselves in in situ installations by local artists.

ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2024
DECEMBER 4 TO 8, 2024
ARTBASEL.COM