MIAMI ART

This past December Art Basel celebrated its 20th-anniversary in Miami Beach with 283 premier galleries, the largest show in Miami Beach to date. More than half of this year’s galleries have principal gallery locations in North and South America, joined by exhibitors from Africa, Asia, and Europe.

This is one of the premier global fairs in the world and it’s the main attraction of Miami Art Week. The show presented an exceptional overview of artists, galleries, and new perspectives from around the world, but it is not the only game in town during its week-long run. In addition to the main fair, there are also several alternative fairs and pop-up events that take place throughout Miami during the same time. These events offer a more intimate and alternative experience for those looking for something different from the main attraction.

The Texas attendance in Florida was modest this year with only a few galleries and a handful of artists representing our vibrant and diverse art scene during Art Basel Miami 2022. Leading the way with a myriad of monumental artists, wrapped in the history of exceptional exhibitions, Sicardi Ayers Bacino was the only Lone Star State anchor at Art Basel Miami Beach 2022. One of the hallmarks of this gallery’s exhibitions is their focus on conceptual and process-driven works, often pushing the boundaries of traditional mediums and techniques. “Art Basel provides a venue to showcase some of our artist’s best work to an audience that may otherwise not have the opportunity to experience it in person.” states Allison Ayers, Partner and Gallery Director.

This year’s showing at Art Basel included nothing less than spectacular with the full roster of artists including Mercedes Pardo, Jesus Rafael Soto, Julio Le Parc, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Fanny Sanín, Francisco Sobrino, Fanny Sanín, Gego, León Ferrari, Xul Solar, and Willem de Kooning. The steady stream of viewers rotated around an array of vibrant color and well orchestrated composition throughout the fair. Sicardi Ayers Bacino’s showcase echoed the theme of Art Basel Miami Beach 2022 with the process-driven and conceptual works, providing a fresh and innovative look at the ever-evolving field of contemporary art.

In addition to the main fair in town, there were also several pop-up events and more than a dozen of additional fairs that took place during Art Basel Miami. These events include gallery shows, artist talks, and other special events that are organized by individuals and groups outside of Art Basel. With the emphasis on the new and emerging, these events offered art lovers a great way to experience the Miami art scene and discover new and emerging artists.

One of the most popular alternative fairs during the comprehensive week is Art Miami and Context in which longtime Houston art scene staple Laura Rathe brought an array of art from popular artists amongst their patrons: Michael Laube. The booths at each event showcase mixed media paintings and sculptures by leading artists who exemplify innovative artistic expression such as Michael Laube, Zhuang Hong Yi, and Stallman Studio, among others.

Art Miami is a highly curated competitive art fair and being selected as a participant is extremely prestigious…”, says Laura Rathe. “It is the second best fair under Art Basel and to be chosen for the second year from hundreds of galleries across the world to be a participant. I consider it to be one of my most important accomplishments in 25 years as a gallerist.

Not only did we show in Art Miami, but we also simultaneously exhibited in their sister fair Context. We are a small team and the execution of delivering, installing, manning the booths, delivering and installing sold art, de-installing the booth and successfully making sure all the remaining art arrived back to Houston safely is one of the most challenging tasks I have ever put in front of myself and my team. On top of these mountains of accomplishments we simultaneously ran three galleries in Texas and crossed the finish line in the green…It was a crazy ending to 2022. Thankfully it’s over and we came out on top.”

Art Basel Miami week also featured another companion fair with SATELLITE. This offering featured an international roster including over 30 immersive installations, outdoor sculptures, AR/VR activations and live performances. In celebration of their roots as an artist-run fair, selected exhibitors represented seminal artist-run initiatives from organizations like Tiger Strikes Asteroid, SaveArtSpace, Franklin Furnace and House of Yes.

This year, Houston based artist Chu Okoli exhibited “Pillow Talk” as an installation inside a container on the beach. This unique display featured two lovers with one human and the other a human creation having a pillow talk. This visual narrative balanced the notions of romanticism paired with the rapid transformation of the subject in the 21st Century. From robots to holograms, tech and touch, Okoli examined the competition for attention towards the things and the people that we love.

At the Spectrum art fair another Houston based artist had a showing of her signature works from her Inversion Series. Angela Fabbri brought a sample of these pieces where the value of time is a common theme, including the letter’s being backwards. The viewer must focus more intently to decode the messages both repeated and hidden at first glance. In a handful of pieces, Fabbri added an additional layer of augmented reality/3D experience viewable with your smartphone, echoing the web3 motion and popularity of the crypto world within Miami.

Lastly, in our Miami wrap up we look at inspired visionary “MrD 1987” Sebastien Boileau who brought his masterful murals to the Miami Beach hotel art circuit. The Sagamore South Beach, Miami Beach’s historic art deco hotel known for its year-round art programming and museum-quality exhibitions, once again celebrated Miami Art Week with a series of interactive activations and events. This year’s theme was “Into the Wild (Future) with the Sagamore as the stage for a five-day Art Week takeover featuring hotel-wide displays, immersive audiovisual experiences, and mural artists such as “MrD 1987” Sebastien Boileau.

This celebrated Houston artist combined his American Pop Art and Graffiti movement of the 60s, 70s, and 80s with his signature “Canpressionism“ a neo-impressionist style primarily done with spray paint and street art techniques. He created, in collaboration with Houston floral artist Karla Modesto, a mural full of color, floral, and visually stunning layouts of multiple cultures that meld and make Miami the happening place so many flock to, especially in the winter months for picturesque beaches and even more impressionable art. Overall, Houston’s presence was felt in all the fantastic ways allowing our city to shine on a global scale by the sea.