Art Basel brings record 282 galleries

Marking its 20th anniversary in Miami Beach, Art Basel reveals a line-up of 282 leading galleries, the fair’s largest edition to date.

Running from Dec. 1-3, along with 38 countries and territories exhibiting this year, Art Basel is promising to reinforce its position as the premier global fair in the Americas at the Miami Beach Convention Center at 1901 Convention Center Dr.

The 20th anniversary edition marks two decades of growth and impact by Art Basel as a cultural cornerstone in South Florida, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe, said Marc Spiegler, Art Basel’s global director.

“Over the last two decades our show has not only reinforced its pivotal position in the region but also played a galvanizing role in the city’s profound cultural transformation,” he said. “The increasingly diverse range of galleries and artistic voices represented will make our show richer in discoveries than ever before.’

The fair’s main sector, Galleries, will feature 212 of the world’s leading galleries, exhibiting works across all mediums and representing the highest quality of paintings, sculptures and installations. Several exhibitors will return to the fair following a hiatus, including Galeria Raquel Arnaud from São Paulo, Karma International from Zurich, and Galerie Barbara Thumm from Berlin.

Presenting solo exhibitions by emerging international artists, this year’s Positions sector will feature 19 solo presentations and welcomes 11 new participants. Highlights from the sector include new paintings by Tonia Nneji that continue her series “Uncommon Lands, Common Grounds,’ which investigates the role of commemorative religious fabrics in unfamiliar contexts and first-time participant “And Now’s” presentation of materially abstract paintings by Leslie Martinez, who is bridging queerness and border politics.

Dedicated to galleries presenting new work by up to three artists, the Nova sector will feature 22 presentations from 23 galleries. Highlights include a solo presentation of new photographs and sculptures by John Edmonds, which continues his inquiry into human form and African art at Company Gallery and newcomer Yavuz Gallery’s exhibition of work by Pinaree Sanpitak.

Featuring work created before 2000, the Survey sector includes 17 galleries, including nine newcomers to Art Basel Miami Beach. Exhibits include a historical presentation of rare wood, marble, and bronze sculptures and works on paper by Cuban artist Agustín Cárdenas at Galerie Mitterrand and the second overseas solo exhibition of work by Japanese artist Ei-Q, including newly discovered photo-dessin and photo-collages.

The Edition sector will consist of 11 exhibitors, exemplifying the field of prints and editioned works. Exhibitors include Cristea Roberts Gallery, Crown Point Press and Carolina Nitsch.

The Meridians sector invites exhibitors to showcase monumental works, which extend beyond the standard art fair format. Magalí Arriola, director of Museo Tamayo in Mexico City, will curate the sector for the third consecutive year.

This year, an immersive visual environment by Cauleen Smith including the film “Sojourner” will be on display. “Let The Mermaids Flirt with Me,” a presentation of a new suite of stained-glass paintings in lightboxes by Christopher Myers will also be on exhibit.

“Sculpted bodies, sexualized bodies, performing and singing bodies – brown, black, and white bodies – have made themselves present in this new edition of Meridians,” Mr. Arriola said, “which is challenging art historical canons and their relationship with the representation of power, opening new perspectives for art’s activism around gender and race and infusing optimism and hope to how we might envision our future.”

The Kabinett sector will feature 29 participants, including a presentation of new works by Alberta Whittle specifically made for the fair and new works by Izumi Kato, whose animated paintings and sculptures allow subjects to exist between the physical and the spiritual realms.

The Conversation platform series is set to feature 35 speakers across nine panels, who will exchange ideas on topics concerning the global contemporary art scene. Participants in this edition will include artist Agnieszka Kurant, cultural strategy advisor András Szántó, collectors Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, and collector and Design Miami’s Craig Robins.

After being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the 2021 edition of Art Basel Miami Beach featured 253 leading galleries from around the globe, which included galleries from 36 countries and territories spanning five continents. The show also welcomed 43 first-time exhibitors. In 2019, the art fair brought 269 galleries to Miami Beach.

Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages premier art shows for modern and contemporary art in Basel, Miami Beach, Paris and Hong Kong. Art Basel’s engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through new digital platforms and a number of new initiatives such as the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report and the BMW Art Journey.

Art Basel Miami Beach debuted in 2002 after being postponed due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The show reflected Miami’s multicultural identity, presenting a diversity of work from the galleries and artists of the region. The fair has established itself as the premier show in the Americas. The first edition featured about 160 galleries from 23 countries.

“20 years of Art Basel has shown us the very best version of our community,” said Dan Gelber, Miami Beach’s mayor. “So much of our investment in our cultural assets and amenities is a result of Art Basel’s example.”