ART MIAMI 2019 Report — Nipping at Art Basel’s Heels

Dubuffet, Braque, Rauschenberg…

 Regulars to Miami Art Week might assume that works by these icons of the art world would be spotted only at Art Basel Miami, North America’s largest art fair event.   However, this year especially, it jumped out that you also could have found works by these, and similar big names in contemporary art, at Art Miami. More, you too might agree that perhaps these iconic works were more noticeable because the overall quality of the art at this year’s Art Miami show was outstanding.

One imagines that from a gallerist’s point of view, this translates into a rising tides lifts all boats situation. From the art consumer point of view, it means that striding down the Art Miami 2019 aisles energized more this year, than others in memory. No doubt the very serious collectors in the crowd were purposely hitting every Miami Art Week show they could—and were well-served if Art Miami was on their short list when time demanded a triage. From the artists’ point of view, getting work shown at Art Miami and Art Basel simultaneously might have felt like winning the daily double.

Though the exhibiting galleries come from across the globe, Miami galleries really do have a tangible home town advantage, that you can’t help but feel on the opening VIP/Press night. Local galleries’ booths had quite the party buzz going on, seeming to attract crowds as soon as the doors opened.

More Chances to Meet the Artists at ART MIAMI

If you prefer to meet the artists who make the work you admire, it seems also that Art Miami affords you more opportunities than what seems to be the case in the formal (stuffy?) Art Basel halls in the Miami Convention Center. How fun to chat up Tarik Currimbhoy as he was polishing his sculpture with a white glove (LONG-SHARP GALLERY, Indianapolis), or to meet the warm and engaging Israeli artist Mira Maylor (ZOLLA/LIEBERMAN GALLERY, Chicago) who thoughtfully explained the duality in feelings and life she perceives, and her work reflects.