After successful runs in Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Paris, Art Basel closes out 2023 with its Miami Beach edition, but the gathering hasn’t lost any of its momentum. “Our Miami Beach show is absolutely singular,” says Vincenzo de Bellis, director of fairs and exhibition platforms. “It’s singular in its history and topography, in its character and spirit, and in the extraordinary community of Miami Beach that continues to shape this cultural experience of unparalleled quality.”
Bringing all this singularity to life will be 277 international galleries, including 24 first-time exhibitors that include newcomers from Egypt, Iceland, Philippines, and Poland. Also new is an enhanced show layout with five distinct plazas meant to improve visitor flow, as well as leisure and rest points, in the massive Miami Beach Convention Center.
As far as local flavor goes, four Miami-based galleries are part of the programming this year. On the main floor, stalwart Fredric Snitzer Gallery’s presentation will focus on established mid-career artists exploring ideas of abstraction, figuration, and the in-between through painting, works on paper, assemblage, sculpture, and video. Within Basel’s Survey sector (a section devoted to artistic practices of historical relevance), Piero Atchugarry Gallery will be dedicating its booth to Uruguayan artist Nelson Ramos “whose thought-provoking works represent a culmination of various art movements as a result of his curiosity and travels,” says the gallery’s namesake and director, Piero Atchugarry. In Positions, the sector that highlights solo shows by emerging artists, Spinello Projects is betting big on Esaí Alfredo and his Mundo Nocturno/Nocturnal World, a suite of night scene paintings that draw from the artist’s early exposure to pop culture while centering on the gay male figure. As of press time, Miami’s David Castillo Gallery (also part of the main floor) had not finalized its programming details.
“Having led our Miami Beach fair for six years, I know firsthand the galvanizing role our show plays within the creative ecosystem of Miami and the global arts community,” says Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz. “Our offering this year will yet again demonstrate our show as an engine in the world of art in the Americas and globally, and as a transformative cross-cultural experience.” Dec. 8-10, 2023
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Text by Luis R. Rigual
Photos courtesy of Art Basel Miami Beach and galleries
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