Art Basel | Art Basel Miami | 2010
Art Basel | Art Basel Miami | 2010
By Alberto Noriega
Basel has always been one of the biggest cultural capitals of Europe. For this reason, and since 1970, the Swiss city becomes the focus of contemporary art enthusiasts. Art Basel is evidence that the art market’s health is monitored closely by this great fair, hence in its latest edition we have seen how the art-world is recovering from the global crisis.
While opening its own path abroad, Art Basel has established itself as the most prestigious show, the best which combines diversity and quality in each of the formats presented. The health of this 41° edition has been a breath of fresh air that fulfilled with optimism the lungs of the market of modern and contemporary art. It’s a positive affirmation about the change of trend, thus Art Basel every year has a greater economical impact, which is reflected in the positive comments of the visitors.
Art Basel comes-out from very difficult years. Despite the poor sales and a particularly difficult times, especially for galleries that closed their doors or artists returning unsold ... Today, we have the certainty that we have witnessed an adaptation in the form of promoting and selling modern and contemporary art. The organization takes care of every small detail of logistic, as it’s all about breaking the attendance and sale figures in each of its editions.
For second consecutive year, we can see that recession is coming to its end. The artists and galleries perceive how confidence is regenerating within the art market. As stressed by Rachel Lehmann, of Lehmann Maupin New York: "The fair brings together a diverse audience and connects collectors worldwide. It's amazing how many of our artists have been selected during the week.” Precisely this positive trend of news, comments and congratulations to the organization from the main gallery owners and artists is what has marked the mood of all who came to Basel in this edition. Next one promises not to leave anyone indifferent; fortunately, we would not have to wait that long, as for nine years Art Basel has its twin sister fair: Art Basel Miami Beach 2010, from 2 to 5 of December.
By Alberto Noriega
Basel has always been one of the biggest cultural capitals of Europe. For this reason, and since 1970, the Swiss city becomes the focus of contemporary art enthusiasts. Art Basel is evidence that the art market’s health is monitored closely by this great fair, hence in its latest edition we have seen how the art-world is recovering from the global crisis.
While opening its own path abroad, Art Basel has established itself as the most prestigious show, the best which combines diversity and quality in each of the formats presented. The health of this 41° edition has been a breath of fresh air that fulfilled with optimism the lungs of the market of modern and contemporary art. It’s a positive affirmation about the change of trend, thus Art Basel every year has a greater economical impact, which is reflected in the positive comments of the visitors.
Art Basel comes-out from very difficult years. Despite the poor sales and a particularly difficult times, especially for galleries that closed their doors or artists returning unsold ... Today, we have the certainty that we have witnessed an adaptation in the form of promoting and selling modern and contemporary art. The organization takes care of every small detail of logistic, as it’s all about breaking the attendance and sale figures in each of its editions.
For second consecutive year, we can see that recession is coming to its end. The artists and galleries perceive how confidence is regenerating within the art market. As stressed by Rachel Lehmann, of Lehmann Maupin New York: "The fair brings together a diverse audience and connects collectors worldwide. It's amazing how many of our artists have been selected during the week.” Precisely this positive trend of news, comments and congratulations to the organization from the main gallery owners and artists is what has marked the mood of all who came to Basel in this edition. Next one promises not to leave anyone indifferent; fortunately, we would not have to wait that long, as for nine years Art Basel has its twin sister fair: Art Basel Miami Beach 2010, from 2 to 5 of December.
The city and art
To give an idea of the extent of the fair, is sufficient to mention that over 300 leading galleries applied from over 37 countries. The public was in front of the works of over 2,500 artists. Furthermore, it was not unusual to see the work of emerging artists, with very reasonable and affordable prices, bordering with works by acclaimed and recognized artists.
The fair this year was divided into several events that cover the entire spectrum of art. On that account, Art Unlimited was able to present 56 ambitious projects; Art Public has presented14 in the central Messeplatz. Also, this year, they‘ve
created Art Parcours, an event that involved a variety of the city’s locations
with artworks presented in many innovative ways.
To give an idea of the extent of the fair, is sufficient to mention that over 300 leading galleries applied from over 37 countries. The public was in front of the works of over 2,500 artists. Furthermore, it was not unusual to see the work of emerging artists, with very reasonable and affordable prices, bordering with works by acclaimed and recognized artists.
The fair this year was divided into several events that cover the entire spectrum of art. On that account, Art Unlimited was able to present 56 ambitious projects; Art Public has presented
Art Parcours
is a new project to showcase performances and works designed specifically for
its display on different sites. On the streets you could see exhibiting artists like John
Bock, Angela Bulloch, Daniel Buren, Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, Aurélien
Froment, Ryan Gander, Damián Ortega, Martha Rosler and Cerith Wyn Evans. They were commissioned to transform a large number of Basel
locations: the historical center, the Münster, the university, the city hall
and the harbor. These monumental pieces were selected by the curator of San
Francisco, Jens Hoffmann, director of the CCA Wattis Institute.
If the
artistic offer of the fair seems little, all the museums of the city
complemented it with great ambition. They contributed with its excelent programs of exhibitions,
which brought signatures really hard to ameliorate and very rare to view together
in the same city. These are some of the best consolidated artists of the
decade and those enthroned as masters.
We could see
Matthew Barney with 'Prayer Sheet with the Wound and the Nail' in the
Schaulager; and the acclaimed exhibition by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Felix
Gonzalez-Torres 'Specific Objects Without Specific Form' at the Beyeler
Foundation; also we saw Rodney Graham in 'Through the Forest' at the Museum für
Gegenwartskunst and 'Robot Dreams' at the Museum Tinguely; and of course,
Gabriel Orozco with 'Rosemarie Trockel - Drawings' at the Kunstmuseum Basel.
To carefully
dissect a fair of its kind is impossible, but we can offer an idea of its
quality just with the quick mention of the organized activities. New Art Feature curated with maximum detail the offered
exhibitions. Works by important artists such as Dan Flavin, Michelangelo
Pistoletto, Yona Friedman, Yoyoi Kusama; and simultaneously, presenting
emerging artists in process of consolidating, as for example: Latifa Echakhch,
Kader Attia, Urs Fischer and Mario García Torres.
Art
Statements is also an event that brings together an interesting sector: those
who seek to discover emerging artists with better projection. Remember that the best galleries are here. Exactly 26 new
projects, all designed specifically for its presentation at Art Statements. Since 1999, they bestow the Baloise Art Prize to two outstanding
projects, awarding the amount of 30,000 CHF (386,000 MXN, 29,500 USD) to each
artist. And the winning pieces are donated to the Hamburger Kunsthalle and
MUMOK, Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien. The winning artists this year are the performance artist
Simon Fujiwara, for Neue Alte Brücke, Frankfurt; and the painter Clare Hooper,
of Hollybush Gardens, London.
The
Messeplatz is located in front of the main halls that host Art Basel, the best
possible location to house Art Public. At the street, we could see works of 14
internationally renowned artists: Ai Weiwei, Micol Assael, Dora García, Eric Hattan, Hanspeter Hofmann, Thomas Houseago, Alicja Kwade,
Ernesto Neto, Bettina Pousttchi, Ugo Rondinone, Alberto Tadiello, Oscar Tuazon,
Lawrence Weiner and Heimo Zobernig ...
The talks,
called Art Basel Conversations, brought together prominent members of
international art as Paul McCarthy, Massimiliano Gioni, Klaus Biesenbach, Lynne
Cooke, Ann Goldstein, Irving Blum, Jeffrey Deitch, Emanuel Christ, Yona
Friedman, Christian Kerez, Farshid Moussavi, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Peter Plagens, among many others.
There’s
still to mention Art Film, which projected videos and movies on the Stadtkino
Basel, works selected by curator Marc Glöde. He presented, for example, 'Women Without Men' by Shirin
Neshat, who won the award for best director (2009) at the Venice Film Festival.
To conclude, just to superfitially mention that they had also Art Basel Weekend
and Art Saloon with book signings and discussions. We can add the parties and
many other crossover activities that make the sum of all events greater than
the whole.
A
technological breakthrough is the application made for the iPhone, Blackberry
or Smartphone, allowing us to explore, thanks to a 3D map, all the halls,
galleries, works, and artists. Granting direct access to information about the
pieces, images, and the option of saving works as favourites to avoid losing
anything from the most comprehensive art exhibition in Europe.
Art Basel
grows unabated, as an attestation suffices the success that has its sister
fair, Art Basel Miami Beach 2010, confirming the importance that Art Basel has
achieved in Europe and the Americas.
Her tan twin sister: Art Basel Miami Beach 2010
When the
founder gallerists of Art Basel began with the fair, they could not foresee
that at its forty-first edition would arrive to receive more than 60,000
visitors between artists, collectors, curators, museum directors and art
enthusiasts. Even less they could imagine that its sister event, Art Basel Miami Beach, which is in its
ninth edition, would offer, from 2 to 5 of December, a separate interesting
program of its own.
It will showcase
the most highlighted from the whole international art scene. Among the works and forms of artistic expression, Art Basel
Miami Beach will include paintings, drawings, books and various publications,
sculptures, installations, photography, performance, video art; and again, the
museums will program their best shows.
Art Basel Miami requires plenty of sunshine, optimism and tanned visitors closer to the powerful influence of a city like Miami. It also requires an economic upturn in the pockets of collectors. This is Miami, "the city where the neon retires and dies." There was no coincidence that Art Basel Miami has become, in just nine editions, the most ambitious American exhibition. If we recall when, in its 2008 edition, 48 hours before opening, the U.S. officially entered into recession. It was normal that the show will mistrust on its continuity.
Art Basel Miami requires plenty of sunshine, optimism and tanned visitors closer to the powerful influence of a city like Miami. It also requires an economic upturn in the pockets of collectors. This is Miami, "the city where the neon retires and dies." There was no coincidence that Art Basel Miami has become, in just nine editions, the most ambitious American exhibition. If we recall when, in its 2008 edition, 48 hours before opening, the U.S. officially entered into recession. It was normal that the show will mistrust on its continuity.
Within this context
we can understand the words of Marc Splieger: "We have been surprised if
they (our gallerists) say, 'We have bitten-off more than that we could chew.’"
As stated by one of the founders of Art Basel that fateful year for Western
economy.
Art Basel closed this year one of its more positive editions in terms of sales, quality and variety in their galleries, artists and events. The same happened with the previous edition, Art Basel Miami Beach 2009. After a sloppy year, galleries reported juicy figures and calculated an overall 15% increase in sales. Consequently achieving its major objective and returning back the optimism to the international art market. This is why the organizers bear a hunch that this year will be huge, and it will keep growing until exceeding last year's figures and consolidating as the most important fair of the United States.
Art Basel Miami Beach is an event worthy of witnessing because of the mixture of high and emergent art, the true diversity of galleries and collectors. As a curiosity of last’s year, we could see the neoexpressionist painter, Sylvester Stallone, negotiating with another private collector, Calvin Klein. Nonetheless, we could also see the Mexican emerging artist Karmelo Bermejo with the Gallery Maisterravalbuena closing a deal for $100,000 for his bronze sculpture with two skeletons, 'The Triumph of Painting.'
Latin-American, New Yorkers and Californian collectors are not absent, but quite the opposite. Mexico is represented by three galleries. Jose Kuri of Kurimanzutto stresses: "We have sold well, we are not anxious to close deals as quickly as possible." Latin-American art is simply the best in Miami, its Latin side is clearly visible from both sides, visitors and artists. For example, Bass Museum of Art presented, for the first time in the United States, the entire Jumex collection. Which is claimed to be the largest private collection of Latin-America. With its blend of Pop Art, elements of the cosmogony of Mexico City, and pieces of the international collection’s of artists such as Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset. Mexico, once more, was well-situated on the international scene.
Gave much to talk-about the Rubell Family Collection, which presented the expo ‘Beg, Borrow and Steal,' which explains how the phenomenon of appropriation of art has evolved for generations. Here, for instance, the installation made with cans of beer by Cady Noland gets to know its direct descendants: Rachel Harrison and Guyton/Walker. As in art the exclusive appropriation of an idea is something very strange.
Art Basel closed this year one of its more positive editions in terms of sales, quality and variety in their galleries, artists and events. The same happened with the previous edition, Art Basel Miami Beach 2009. After a sloppy year, galleries reported juicy figures and calculated an overall 15% increase in sales. Consequently achieving its major objective and returning back the optimism to the international art market. This is why the organizers bear a hunch that this year will be huge, and it will keep growing until exceeding last year's figures and consolidating as the most important fair of the United States.
Art Basel Miami Beach is an event worthy of witnessing because of the mixture of high and emergent art, the true diversity of galleries and collectors. As a curiosity of last’s year, we could see the neoexpressionist painter, Sylvester Stallone, negotiating with another private collector, Calvin Klein. Nonetheless, we could also see the Mexican emerging artist Karmelo Bermejo with the Gallery Maisterravalbuena closing a deal for $100,000 for his bronze sculpture with two skeletons, 'The Triumph of Painting.'
Latin-American, New Yorkers and Californian collectors are not absent, but quite the opposite. Mexico is represented by three galleries. Jose Kuri of Kurimanzutto stresses: "We have sold well, we are not anxious to close deals as quickly as possible." Latin-American art is simply the best in Miami, its Latin side is clearly visible from both sides, visitors and artists. For example, Bass Museum of Art presented, for the first time in the United States, the entire Jumex collection. Which is claimed to be the largest private collection of Latin-America. With its blend of Pop Art, elements of the cosmogony of Mexico City, and pieces of the international collection’s of artists such as Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset. Mexico, once more, was well-situated on the international scene.
Gave much to talk-about the Rubell Family Collection, which presented the expo ‘Beg, Borrow and Steal,' which explains how the phenomenon of appropriation of art has evolved for generations. Here, for instance, the installation made with cans of beer by Cady Noland gets to know its direct descendants: Rachel Harrison and Guyton/Walker. As in art the exclusive appropriation of an idea is something very strange.
Matters only
that this Art Basel 2010 winter edition will display a corrected and expanded
show. Full of surprises that will bring good and unique news, of which we’ll
inform you with all detail on the next issue. Good contemporary
art near-by Mexico, and all from one of the most charismatic and Latin cities in
the United States ... Taxi is the indicated vehicle if you do not want to miss
it. Next destination: Art Basel Miami Beach 2010.
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