review AT 10 Art Basel Miami Beach is now 10 years-old and still attracting a sizeable raft of institutions and collectors from the Americas and beyond. South Beach roared with parties and the fair showcased fantastic art. Myrna Ayad reports on the last leg of the 2011 art fair calendar. S ome say it started in the 1980s with the comeback of South Beach and the Art Deco area. Miami’s transformation into one – or probably, the – cultural hotspot of the Americas was a vision foreseen by some of the city’s top collectors. Among these was Norman Braman, who, along with fellow art visionaires in Europe, North and Latin America, sought to re-jig the city’s bad rep. In the 1990s, Miami’s drug industry brought in billions of dollars and with that came the cars, the condos, the clubs and of course, the crime. Before the arrival of Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB), the city polished itself up and, significantly, with the fair now a major catalyst, it has become one of the world’s class art acts. Its Wynwood area, formerly a decrepit depressed district, is now home to numerous art gal- leries; starchitect Frank Gehry’s New World Centre building, home to the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy, opened in early 2011; 1111 Lincoln Road is Herzog & de Meuron’s concrete shop- ping, dining, residential and parking spot (the Swiss firm is also designing the Miami Art Museum); and Facing page, clockwise: A detail shot of the interior of L&M fellow Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid recently won the bid on a parking garage in South gallery’s booth containing works by Andy Warhol. Beach. Let’s not forget that Design Miami was born in Miami too and its seventh edition boasted 28 A replica of the Barberni Faun, galleries and a record 29,000 visitors. part of Madrid’s Galería Helga Yet, however many rave reviews Miami spawns on its art scene, it is also the capital of Party. The city de Alvear’s Amigos installation by Elmgreen and Dragset. has got a magical way of squeezing out that last ounce of energy at the end of a frantic art fair calendar. Ulf Küster, Curator, Fondation It is a gruelling marathon – Frieze and FIAC in October, Abu Dhabi Art and Contemporary Istanbul in No- Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, Nancy Spector, Deputy Director and vember and the auctions in between, but Party is Miami’s modus operandi and no city does it better. But Chief Curator of the Solomon R art fairs are about art, aren’t they? ABMB’s 2011 edition marked the fair’s 10th anniversary with over 260 Guggenheim Museum, New York, artist Tracey Emin, and Louise participating galleries and a whopping 150 museum groups in attendance. And like its previous edition, Bourgeois’s longtime assistant Jerry Gorovoy. the Brazilians were back, pumped with cash from their economic boom. The two who stole the show were Warhol and Bourgeois. 46 It is practically im- possible to indulge in all of Miami’s cultural of- ferings in the first week of December. Aside from the mother fair, there were 17 ancillary fairs this year, with the galleries rolling out their shows and top-notch collectors opening up their homes and other spaces. Thankfully, apps can fill in some of the gaps, as can the ever-churning Miami rumour mill. The Showstoppers ABMB’s official press release reported a record 50,000 visitors. Like the last edition of its big sister fair, Art Basel, ABMB’s VIP vernissage was hampered by throngs of art groupies, much to the dismay of collectors. Just how many from the swarm- ing crowds were collectors anyway, remains a ti, Freud, Stella, Venet, Judd, Albers and Wesselman – a recreation of the atmosphere of a mythical mystery. The Art Newspaper reported that Art were all there, and then some. But the two who sauna in Denmark, which tackles the theme of Basel will double its invitation-only VIP days, but stole the show were Warhol and Bourgeois. homosexual culture during the height of the AIDS no change was noted on ABMB. But what a show Pieces by the Pop artist were scattered all epidemic in the 1980s. A locker room, a massage it was. Art dealer and director of Rove London, over the fair and his cows were wallpapered on room (with twin urinals), a sauna and a colour pho- Kenny Schachter, summed it up best in his article L&M’s exterior; its interior was also covered in his tograph of the Dioskouroi and Antinous sculpture for artnet.com – “Art fairs are like casinos, with no self-portrait and decked floor-to-ceiling with 160 superimposed with pink neon that blares the word outside light, and no sense of time or place.” Oh so works on paper and drawings by him from as far Amigos, comprise the installation. Mr B is in there true. In nano seconds, you’ve suddenly realised it’s back as 1958. This ‘salon-style’ installation took just too – the same figure floating face down at the 6pm and you haven’t seen a quarter of the show. over a day to set up and was intended to highlight Nordic Pavilion at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Lest Many an ABMB-goer will admit that the floor-plan “the under-explained area in Warhol’s career,” noted we forget the pièce de résistance: a replica of the became an unnecessary reference – blue chip and the gallery’s Begum Yeser. Works were priced from Barberini Faun – a blatant nod to eroticism – but other galleries have consistently demonstrated the as low as $12,000 to as high as $450,000; his Brillo hooked to a blood-filled intravenous drip, referec- art of territoriality in each fair edition. But they did, Box stood at $750,000. Another eye-catching solo ing AIDS. Shown at the gallery in January 2011, the however, pull out all the stops with the works they artist booth was Madrid’s Galería Helga de Alvear, installation caught the eye of a European institu- brought – Richter, Polke, Condo, Indiana, Giacomet- which showed Elmgreen and Dragset’s Amigos tion at the fair. 47 review Beautiful, varied works by Bourgeois were first exhibition in the Middle East, which will dotted around the fair. The Beyeler Foundation showcase multimedia works from 1947 to 2009 showcased the French-American artist’s seminal from this month up until June. Cell (12 Oval Mirrors) which, stunning as it is, also belies – in trademark Bourgeois confessional style – sub-layers addressing issues of confron- The Expected and the tation and communication. The abundance of Extraordinary works by ‘Spiderwoman’, as Bourgeois has been Speaking of Western artists vis à vis the Middle East, dubbed, was complemented by a panel dis- Russian artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakov’s Ship of Tol- cussion, Remembering Louise Bourgeois, which erance docked in Miami; one of its previous desti- included the artist’s long-time assistant Jerry nations was Sharjah during the emirate’s last bien- Gorovoy, the Guggenheim’s Nancy Spector, the nial. And then of course, there were Stella’s works Beyeler Foundation’s Ulf Küster and artist Tracey inspired by the Middle East; one of which, Kufa Sadly, Middle Emin, who all recounted precious memories of the late artist. “I was petrified of her! But she Gate, was shown at New York’s Loretta Howard Gallery/Nyehaus, alongside pieces by Flavin, de Eastern art liked me a lot and there was vulnerability there,” smiled Emin; “I was holding hands with history Kooning and Rosenquist. It would be hard for one not to become enraptured by Stella’s phenomenal presence and working with her gave me some humility.” Incidentally, the Qatar Museums Authority will Khurasan Gate Variation III at Edward Tyler Nahem. At $2.8 million, the 310.8 x 914.4 cm work is part of was slightly stage Conscious and Unconscious, Bourgeois’s the American artist’s Protractor series (one of which diluted at ABMB – not that it has been particularly robust in previous editions, but one always hopes to see a new Middle Eastern face on the ABMB circuit. 48 review Facing page: Nabil Nahas. Cockatoo. 2000. cuit. No Iranian art was exhibited and only a handful regional representation at the fair, New York’s Acrylic on canvas. 116.8 x 116.8 cm. Image courtesy Sperone Westwater, New York. of collectors from the region were present. Pieces Alexander Gray Associates exhibited a 1983 work Above: by Middle Eastern ‘usual suspects’ at Art Basel fairs by Hassan Sharif – most likely the first time an Emi- Left: Hassan Sharif. Trees – Walham Grow Road – London. 1983. Photographs on were on show – Ghada Amer, Walid Raad, Latifa rati artist has shown at an Art Basel fair. In March Cardboard. 83.99 x 59.5 cm. Image courtesy Echakhch, Mona Hatoum and Kader Attia; the ma- 2011, the gallery’s Alexander Gray had visited Dubai Alexander Gray Associates, New York. Right: Mona Hatoum. (Detail) Conversation jority of which were exhibited at more than one and was “blown away by Art Dubai and taken by Piece II. 2011. Chairs, wires, glass and beads. Variable dimensions. gallery. A stellar installation by Hatoum, Conversa- complete surprise!” One thing led to another, and All photography by Myrna Ayad unless tion Piece II, was on display at Galeria Continua; it is the gallery signed Sharif onto their roster; his first otherwise specified. the same work exhibited at Hatoum’s show, Interior solo show at the New York space begins on 5 Janu- Landscape, at the Fondazione Querini Stampalia ary and the gallery will participate at Art Dubai for is showcased on page 114). “In his mind, he reflect- during the 2009 Venice Biennale. At $300,000, Con- the first time this year with pieces by Sharif and Luis ed geometric forms of each city though shapes,” versation Piece II features six chairs connected by a Camnitzer. “We want multiple spheres of influence,” said the gallery’s Paloma Martin Ilopis of the work web of crystals and speaks of fragile relations and added Gray, “and our reason for opening this gallery which caught the eye of an American institution. crystallised conversations between people. The is to focus on underpublicised and underrepresent- The gallery had shown a similar piece during its work is dated 2011, however, because the chairs ed artists.” Gray’s sentiments are echoed by many a participation at Abu Dhabi Art in 2010 and which have been replaced by antique versions. ABMB Middle Eastern art practitioner. We all seek greater was reportedly sold to a private entity in the UAE wasn’t the first time Sperone Westwater brought a publicity for our prized regional art arena. The good capital. Also on display was Calder’s Bent Propeller, fractal work by Lebanese artist Nabil Nahas. Cocka- news is that two of Dubai’s galleries – Green Art and which was exhibited at Abu Dhabi Art’s last edition too was on hold to an American buyer for $95,000 Isabelle van den Eynde – will be among those who as was a Picasso at Acquavella Galleries. at the time of press. When asked why the gallery will hold the torch for the Middle East through their Sadly, Middle Eastern art presence was slightly doesn’t showcase pieces from Nahas’s trees paint- first-time participation at Art Basel this year. And so, diluted at ABMB – not that it has been particularly ings, Sperone Westwater’s Maryse Brand smiled, new chapters in the ever-expanding tome of re- robust in previous editions, but one always hopes “because there aren’t any available!” gional art will be added. Patience and perseverance to see a new Middle Eastern face on the ABMB cir- Alas, like a bolt of optimism in the face of scant are the rules of the game. 49
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