ART FAIRS:Art Basel Miami 2021

The 2021 edition of Art Basel Miami features 253 leading galleries from around the globe presenting the highest quality of works across all media, from rare and historical masterpieces to new pieces by today’s emerging artistic voices. In addition to showcasing exceptional art within its Galleries, Positions, Nova, Survey and Edition sectors, the fair also presents 16 large-scale artworks in Meridians; 25 carefully curated exhibitions as part of the Kabinett sector; as well as 10 panels as part of the fair’s renowned Conversations series.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Art Basel Archive

Forty-three of the galleries participating this year are joining Art Basel Miami for the first time. The composition of dealers has shifted, in part by design. Fair organizers relaxed some of the qualifications for dealers who apply to participate, including the length of time galleries have been operating; now, there is no minimum gallery age. “We wanted to reflect society at large,” Marc Spiegler, Global Director of Art Basel,  said. “As a result of Black Lives Matter and other movements, there are new galleries opening run by people of color.” The result, Mr. Spiegler said, is “a more diverse group of gallery owners than we have had in the past”. He added, “It’s still not diverse enough, but we made real progress on this front.” He cited Afriart Gallery of Kampala, Uganda, as a debut of note. Another new gallery to the fair, Pequod Co. of Mexico City, was founded by Mau Galguera and his wife, María García Sainz, in February 2020; they started with digital content and opened a physical space in June of that year. The Detroit gallery Reyes | Finn, also making its debut in Art Basel, will devote its booth to a solo presentation of the artist Maya Stovall, who was featured in the 2017 Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Her featured neon works will include “A_____ That Defies Gravity, no. 40-49” (2021). Meridians, Art Basel in Miami Beach’s unique platform for large-scale projects, provides galleries the opportunity to showcase monumental works that push the boundaries of a traditional art fair layout, including large-scale sculptures and paintings, installations, video projections, and live performances. The sector, which will newly be staged in a dedicated space on the main show floor, will once again be curated by Mexico City-based Magalí Arriola, Director of Museo Tamayo. Providing galleries with an opportunity to present curated exhibitions in separately delineated spaces within their booths, this year’s Kabinett sector will include 25 presentations by established and emerging artists. Art Basel’s renowned Conversations series offers a platform for the exchange of ideas on topics concerning the global contemporary art scene. This year’s program features 10 panels bringing together leading artists, gallerists, collectors, art historians, curators, museum directors and critics from across the world discussing diverse issues from the rise of the NFT art market, to questions of resilience post-pandemic and the need to re-invent the museum. Conversations will be curated for the second time by Art Basel and private art dealer and author Edward Winkleman.The program is free to the public, running from Wednesday, December 1 to Saturday, December 4 in the Auditorium (Grand Ballroom). All panel discussions will be live-streamed on Facebook and recorded. For further information please visit artbasel.com/miami-beach/conversations.

Photo: Yinka Shonibare, Moving Up, 2021. Three fibreglass mannequins, Dutch wax printed cotton textile, bespoke hand-painted globes, brass, steel, silk, leather, cotton, hemp, felt, paper, wood, paint. © Yinka Shonibare CBE 2021. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan, New York. Photography: Stephen White & Co.

Info: Art Basel Miami, Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL, USA, Days & Hours: Thu & Fri (2-3/12/2021) 11:00-19:00, Sat (4/12/2021) 11:00-18:00, Admission: Day Ticket: USD 65, Reduced Day Ticket for students and seniors: USD 50, Students are individuals attending a college or university. Seniors are individuals aged 62 and over. Proof is required to purchase this ticket. Admission for one person, on one day between December 2-4, 2021, valid from chosen entry time to end of show day, Children age 12 and under: Free, Evening Ticket: (after 17:00 to end of show day): USD 50. Reduced Day Ticket for Miami Beach residents: USD 50, www.artbasel.com