A Guide to Art Basel Miami Beach 2019
New Virgil Abloh sculpture, Thom Browne’s first large-scale art installation and more.
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Prominent dealers, collectors, and artists will soon make their way to Miami Beach for the 2019’s Art Basel fair (December 5-8). A total of 269 gallerists are set to showcase their top roster of artists with the perennial convention hosting 20 new exhibitors to the lineup. Large-scale commissions by seminal artists like Theaster Gates, Adam Pendleton and more will go on display at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Running concurrently with Art Basel Miami Beach 2019 is Design Miami/, which focuses solely on modern furniture items by a number of top-tier designers and galleries including the famed Campana Brothers and London-founded Carpenters Workshop Gallery. Miami Design District also continues to boost its progressive programming, playing host to a number of site-specific installations including the collaborative presentation between evian® and Virgil Abloh, who have teamed up on a series of sustainable designs and collectible products.
While the aforementioned fairs have long since made their mark in the Floridian city, a number of newer satellite fairs, fashion shows, and installations will be also sprinkled throughout the beachy metropolis. Check out our guide below to help you navigate art week in Miami.
Virgil Abloh Dollar a Gallon III 2019 Sculpture
Virgil Abloh returns to the Miami Design District to unveil a never-before-seen sculpture of a sinking Sunoco beacon entitled ‘Dollar a Gallon.’ The large-scale outdoor work was inspired by a previous iteration that was on display at Abloh’s “PAY PER VIEW” solo exhibition at Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Tokyo. With this piece, the Louis Vuitton artistic director continues to shed light on the influence of advertising and mass communication in our culture.
Paseo Ponti
156 NE 39th St
“Yayoi Kusama: All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins” Exhibition
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami is currently hosting a momentous exhibition by Yayoi Kusama entitled “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins.” The legendary Japanese artist presents one of her signature Infinity Mirror Room installations for the first time in Miami. Inside the immersive installation, Kusama’s signature spotted pumpkins are observed inside a mirror-lined room illuminated with color-changing LED lights.
Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami
61 NE 41st St
Rubell Museum Opens to the Public
Seasoned art collectors Don and Mera Rubell are opening up their namesake museum in Miami this December. The couple’s collection encompasses over 7,200 works by over 1,000 artists and counting. They were one of the first to acquire pieces by acclaimed contemporary artists, providing support to Jean-Michel Basquiat, George Condo, Keith Haring, Rashid Johnson, Cindy Sherman, Yoshitomo Nara, and many more.
Highlighted works from the collection include Condo’s K-9 Explosion 1986 oil on canvas painting, Koons’ New Hoover Convertible 1980 vacuum cleaner sculpture, and Haring’s Untitled’ 1981 enamel on fiberboard piece portraying an illustration of Mickey Mouse inside a television screen. Roughly 80% of their collection will go on display at the 100,000-square-foot establishment.
Rubell Museum
1100 NW 23rd St.
Larry Gagosian and Jeffrey Deitch Present “The Extreme Present” Exhibition
Acclaimed art dealers Larry Gagosian and Jeffrey Deitch are once again teaming up to launch a thematic exhibition as part of this year’s Miami Design District programming. The presentation entitled “The Extreme Present” will feature diverse artworks inspired by the recent publication entitled The Age of Earthquakes: A Guide to the Extreme Present by authors Shumon Basar, Douglas Coupland, and Hans Ulrich Obrist.
Moore Building
191 NE 40th St
Thom Browne Palm Tree I Installation
Acclaimed fashion designer Thom Browne is set to display his first large-scale public artwork during Art Basel Miami Beach 2019. Entitled Palm Tree I (2019), the intricate piece is a 21-foot-tall palm tree made from yellow, green, and pink seersucker alongside pin cord and gingham oxford materials. With this piece, the brand owner explores the interiority of vacation experiences while injecting his signature design cues revolving around work and play.
“In this work, Browne summons the disembodied ensemble of Americans on holiday, investigating the disturbing similarities between the workplace and vacation with recognizable uniforms, tasks, and schedules on both ends,” as per a press statement.
Moore Atrium
4040 NE 2nd Ave
Versace’s South Beach Stories in Collaboration with Sasha Bikof
Versace has enlisted its longtime interior designer Sasha Bikoff to transform a series of rooms into vivid physical experiences packed with unique furniture pieces and art. The multi-space installation predominantly draws inspiration from the brand’s rich heritage. A total of three settings make up the exhibition that was initially presented at FuoriSalone during Milan Design Week 2019.
Palm Court
Event Space, 140 NE 39th St
White Cube Presents Off-Site Exhibition by Cerith Wyn Evans
International art dealer White Cube will present a new exhibition by acclaimed light artist Cerith Wyn Evans. The venue’s industrial interiors aptly complement the artist’s dynamic artworks encompassing sculpture and installation. One of the highlights includes his seminal, floating work entitled The Illuminating Gas… (after Oculist Witnesses) which the artist made back in 2015.
Address
3802 NE First Avenue
PRIZM Art Fair
PRIZM Art Fair will soon launch its seventh installment next month, displaying works by 39 artists across the globe alongside a themed exhibition titled “Love in the Time of Hysteria.” Led by PRIZM founder and curator, Mikhaile Solomon, the organization focuses on highlighting artists from the Caribbean-African diasporas while championing socio-political works that shed light on race, politics, as well as economic inequity. Participating artists in the exhibition include Andre Leon Gray, Clifton Henri, Latoya Hobbs, Zola Taylor and more.
PRIZM Art Fair
169 E Flagler St
PULSE Art Fair
Those seeking out diverse works by emerging artists in the secondary market should head to the satellite art fair, PULSE. The organization is currently in its 15th edition, showcasing a total of 64 exhibitors from around the world. One of the highlights includes a collaborative showcase at GR Gallery’s booth (415) by NYC-based artists Meguru Yamaguchi and Yoon Hyup. Moreover, San Francisco-based Chandran Gallery will display works by acclaimed French artist Jean Jullien.
PULSE Art Fair
India Beach Park
4601 Collins Ave
Institute of Contemporary Arts x Artek presents Untitled (Kiss) Stool 60 by Barbara Kruger
This past September, London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) connected with Finnish furniture brand Artek to produce a special edition of Alvar Aalto’s signature Stool 60 designed by famed artist Barbara Kruger. Dubbed Untitled (Kiss), the graphic stool is adorned with Kruger’s unmissable bold black type that reads “KISS” on the seat. Of course, the artist’s unmistakable black, white, and red palette completely emblazons the furniture item’s silhouette. The collaboration is the start of an ongoing series with Kruger’s edition arriving in a run of 300 units. The stool will go on display at Design Miami/ 2019.
Design Miami/
Meridian Avenue & 19th St
UNKNWN Opens New Miami Store with Basketball Court Mural Program
UNKNWN is a retail destination founded by LeBron James, Jaron Kanfer, and Frankie Walker Jr. The trio is set to open a new store in Miami next month to coincide with the Art Basel 2019 Miami Beach festivities. With John Margaritis of New York Sunshine leading its physical design, the 10,000-square-foot establishment will see a dynamic curation of artworks, multi-brand apparel, footwear, and accessories alongside the brand’s in-house label. Adjacent to the store is a multi-functional courtyard that will play host to mural installations by acclaimed artists.
UNKNWN
261 NW 26th St
