Art Basel is back and reflecting a turbulent world

"Trapezpoid (Cyan Gold)," (2019), by Gisela Colón.
"Trapezpoid (Cyan Gold)," (2019), by Gisela Colón.

MIAMI BEACH — For those eager to see the world after the lockdowns and travel restrictions spurred by the coronavirus pandemic, Art Basel Miami Beach is back and bringing the world to our doorstep — the art world, that is.

The fair returns this week — after being canceled last year — for a full-scale, in-person plethora of artworks that touch on, among other things, the global turmoil and upheaval of recent times, including race, the environment, indigenous rights and womanhood.

Known as the premier art fair in the Americas, Art Basel will feature more than 250 galleries from 36 countries showing works from all media — from painting and sculpture to photography and digital works. Many of the galleries and artists are from the Americas.

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"Sumptuous Memories of Plundering Kings," by Todd Gray.
"Sumptuous Memories of Plundering Kings," by Todd Gray.

And since the world has become used to human interaction via computers, the fair is introducing Art Basel Live, a digital initiative that will broadcast gallery presentations to audiences worldwide. The digital option features online viewing rooms, virtual walkthroughs, livestreamed conversations and social media broadcasts.

The Palm Beach outposts of Acquavella Galleries, Ben Brown Fine Arts, Paula Cooper Gallery, Pace Gallery and Skarstedt will be exhibiting, as well as Gavlak Gallery, which opened in West Palm in 2005 and moved to the island in 2008.

“We are bringing a cohesive, focused group of artists and pieces with the focus on African diaspora, African-American artists and Latinx,” says Gavlak Gallery owner Sarah Gavlak. “Some are artists that are familiar to the area’s collectors, such as Jose Alvarez, who had a show last year at the Norton, but we are also including works by new artists April Bey and Gisela Colón.”

South Florida’s leading museums and private collections will be represented with shows by The Bass museum, the Wolfsonian at Florida International University, the Rubell Museum and the Espacio23/Jorge Pérez Collection.

For Bob Dylan fans, FIU's Frost Art Museum will present what is sure to be a crowd pleaser with "Bob Dylan: Retrospectrum," the most expansive and in-depth exhibition of the famed musician’s artwork ever staged in the United States. Spanning six decades, "Retrospectrum" features more than 180 paintings, drawings, ironwork and ephemera that outline Dylan’s visual practice in tandem with his musical and literary catalogs.

Given the size and sheer volume of the event, the fair provides an organized framework by dividing the exhibitions into six sections of interests and mediums.

“Galleries” is the main section of the fair and features 185 galleries presenting the highest quality of painting, sculpture, drawings, installation, photography, video and digital works.

“Positions” will showcase 19 solo presentations by emerging talents from across the globe, including first-time participant Afriart Gallery’s presentation of a series of four paintings by Sungi Mlengeya, on the lives of four Black women from East Africa and their views on womanhood.

"Play," (2021) by Sungi Mlengaya, at Afriart Gallery.
"Play," (2021) by Sungi Mlengaya, at Afriart Gallery.

The “Nova” section provides a platform for galleries to present new work by up to three artists, this year featuring 25 presentations with highlights including a solo exhibition of works by 2021 BMW Art Journey winner Julien Creuzet at Document; a group presentation of works by Patricia Belli, Mónica Bengoa and Catalina Swinburn, inspired by the artists’ local stories of gender inequality, geopolitical diasporas and the daily use of textiles in Latin America, at Galería Isabel Aninat; new works by Diedrick Brackens and Jessie Homer French, exploring themes ranging from climate justice to racial violence and historical memory, at Various Small Fires; a selection of never-before-seen works by Felipe Mujica; and an immersive installation by Ambera Wellmann on the politics of queer space and futurity at Company Gallery.

A work by the Chilean artist Felipe Mujica, jointly represented by Proyectos Ultravioleta and Von Bartha.
A work by the Chilean artist Felipe Mujica, jointly represented by Proyectos Ultravioleta and Von Bartha.

Presentations of work created before 2000 are grouped into “Survey,” which introduces five new galleries to the Miami Beach edition and includes the room-sized installation ‘Harlem Quilt,’ (1997) by June Clark, paintings and sculptures spanning nearly three decades by María Freire, and a selection of works by Tina Girouard from her early years in New York.

The “Edition” section selects five global leaders in the field of prints and editioned works and will feature Carolina Nitsch, Cristea Roberts Gallery, Polígrafa Obra Gràfica, Susan Sheehan Gallery and Two Palms.

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An acrylic-on-paper work by Uruguayan artist María Freire, which will be on display at Piero Atchugarry Gallery.
An acrylic-on-paper work by Uruguayan artist María Freire, which will be on display at Piero Atchugarry Gallery.

And after a successful debut at the fair in 2019, the “Meridians” sector, once again curated by Museo Tamayo Director Magalí Arriola, returns with a lineup of large-scale projects that challenge the boundaries of the traditional art fair layout. Additionally, the city of Miami Beach will unveil two new artworks acquired through its Legacy Purchase Program that will become a part of the city’s public art collection via a public vote. Those new acquisitions will be on view at a dedicated area in the Convention Center.

Jacqueline de Jong's “The Backside of Existence,'' as seen at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery from London. This piece will be in the "Meridians" sector curated by Museo Tamayo Director Magalí Arriola.
Jacqueline de Jong's “The Backside of Existence,'' as seen at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery from London. This piece will be in the "Meridians" sector curated by Museo Tamayo Director Magalí Arriola.

There will be 43 galleries joining the fair for the first time, including Mignoni from New York in the Galleries sector, as well as Broadway and Nicola Vassell, both from New York, in Nova.

"This will be the most diverse group of galleries in the Miami fair’s history," said Steven Henry, a senior partner at Paula Cooper Gallery who sits on the Art Basel selections committee. "We really wanted to make sure to broaden the experience for collectors and curators and to bring different and younger voices into the arena. We have much more diverse representation from both artists and gallery owners."

First-time exhibitors from the Americas showing in "Positions" include Pequod Co. from Mexico City and Helena Anrather and Housing, both from New York. In addition, the Daniel Faria Gallery of Toronto, the Fridman Gallery of New York, and Piero Atchugarry Gallery, with spaces in the Uruguayan city of Garzón and Miami, will exhibit for the first time in "Survey."

"Harlem Quilt," (1997) by June Clark, at Daniel Faria Gallery.
"Harlem Quilt," (1997) by June Clark, at Daniel Faria Gallery.

“Even though both Art Basel in Switzerland and Hong Kong happened this year, our committee is anticipating a very enthusiastically attended fair because there is a real pent-up energy and interest from people coming from all over the country, and even Europe and Latin America," Henry said. "Much of the world wasn’t able to travel to Basel or Hong Kong this year, so those ended up being more regional fairs.

"But now that vaccination rates are better and the U.S. recently lifted travel restrictions from Europe, it will be good to see so much art, and colleagues and friends, in person," he said.

For the full list for "Galleries," visit artbasel.com/miami-beach/galleries. Tickets can be purchased at ticket.artbasel.com.

Private view by invitation only Tuesday, Nov. 30, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Open to the public Wednesday, Dec. 1, 11a.m.– 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 2, 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 3, 11 a.m.–7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Admission is $65 per day with entry times available every hour between 11 a.m.-4 p.m. until fully booked. Student and seniors prices are $50 per day.

Visitors over 12 years of age will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test for entry, or visitors may opt to provide proof of a completed COVID-19 vaccination sequence or documentation of recent recovery from COVID-19. Wearing a mask will be mandatory inside the venue. More information is available at artbasel.com/covid-19.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Art Basel Miami Beach: world turmoil underlines the art fair's theme