This week, Miami is the center of the (Art & Design) world, with a full slate of must-see fairs and must-attend events. Besides the much-awaited Art Basel Miami Beach, we will discover two satellite fairs – Untitled Art and Art Miami – alongside the well-established Design Miami.
As expected, collectors from all over the world will fly in to enjoy the city’s sunny, festive mood and discover some outstanding artworks and designs.
All the major art galleries are attending and will showcase attention-worthy pieces. However, the big conversation starters are to be found at Meridians, Art Basel in Miami Beach’s unique platform for large-scale projects. Set in the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) and curated by Magalí Arriola, Director of Museo Tamayo, Mexico City, Meridians will host 16 large-scale projects including the spectacular, thought provoking Moving Up’ (2021) by Yinka Shonibare, CBE, an installation presented by James Cohan Gallery capturing the vertical move of six million African Americans from rural Southern states to the cities of the North, Midwest, and West from 1916 to 1970, known today as the Great Migration.
For design aficionados who love a bit of fashion there will be some exciting shows including the traveling Dior exhibition “Dior Medallion Chair” – the Louis XVI-style chair reimagined by contemporary designers and a spectacular installation celebrating 100 years of Chanel No. 5. This collaborative project by British artist/designer Esmeralda “Es” Devlin and Chanel’s perfumer Olivier Polge, is staged in the Jungle Plaza exceptionally turned into a forest of 1000 plants and trees surrounding a giant, multi-sensorial labyrinth.
Speaking about wow-effect, there is another must-see installation worth the detour at Superblue by Amsterdam-based studio DRIFT. The newly opened space harbors dozens of mechanical, colourful flowers hanging from the ceiling that open and close. And there is more: more flowers in the immersive installation by teamLAB, a myriad of suspend mirrors by Es Devlin, and an unmistakable light work by James Turrell.
For something totally different, the Margulies Collection at the Warehouse presents a selection of fascinating, never before seen Arte Povera masterpieces. Featuring works by Alighiero Boetti, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, and Giulio Paolini we discover a particularly important art movement from postwar Italy that brought disruption to the way art is conceived: bling canceled with a bang.
If you’re wondering where the great women artists are, wonder no more. At Nina Johnson (one of Miami’s star galleries) there is a wonderful exhibition by feminist artist Judy Chicago – yes, the author of the monumental The Dinner Party- introducing her latest work. Barbara Kruger, another icon of feminist art is on show at David Zwirner, and the ineffable Yayoi Kusama has two “Infinity Rooms” in the permanent collection of the Rubell Museum alongside selected works by Kara Walker.
Enjoy!
