Art Basel Miami Beach celebrates its 20th anniversary with a lineup of 282 leading galleries, the fair’s largest edition. With 38 countries and territories exhibiting this year, Art Basel promises to cement its position as the premier global fair in the Americas at the Miami Beach Convention Center from December 1-3, 2022.
“The 20th-anniversary edition commemorates Art Basel’s two decades of growth and impact as a cultural cornerstone in South Florida, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe,” states Marc Spiegler, the global director of Art Basel.
“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 primary sector of the fair, galleries, will feature 212 of the world’s leading galleries displaying works in all mediums and representing the highest quality of paintings, sculptures, and installations. Several exhibitors, including Galeria Raquel Arnaud from So Paulo, Karma International from Zurich, and Galerie Barbara Thumm from Berlin, will return to the fair after a hiatus.
This year’s Positions sector will feature 19 solo presentations by emerging international artists and will welcome 11 new participants. Tonia Nneji’s new paintings continue her series “Uncommon Lands, Common Grounds,” which investigates the role of commemorative religious fabrics in unfamiliar contexts. Leslie Martinez, a first-time participant in “And Now,” presents materially abstract paintings that bridge queerness and border politics.
The Nova sector, dedicated to galleries presenting new work by up to three artists, will feature 22 presentations from 23 galleries. Highlights include a solo exhibition of new photographs and sculptures by John Edmonds at Company Gallery, which continues his investigation into human form and African art, and an exhibition of work by Pinaree Sanpitak at newcomer Yavuz Gallery.
The Survey sector features work created before 2000 and includes 17 galleries, including nine newcomers to Art Basel Miami Beach. Agustin Cárdenas’s rare wood, marble, and bronze sculptures and works on paper will be on display at Galerie Mitterrand, as will the second overseas solo exhibition of work by Japanese artist Ei-Q, which will include newly discovered photo-dessin and photo-collages.
The Edition sector will feature 11 exhibitors showcasing prints and editioned works. Cristea Roberts Gallery, Crown Point Press, and Carolina Nitsch are among the exhibitors.
The Meridian Sector invites exhibitors to display monumental works beyond the traditional art fair format. Magal Arriola, director of Mexico City’s Museo Tamayo, will curate the sector for the third year.
This year, Cauleen Smith’s immersive visual environment, which includes the film “Sojourner,” will be on display. “Let The Mermaids Flirt with Me,” a presentation of Christopher Myers’ new suite of stained-glass paintings in lightboxes, will also be on display.
“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 made specifically for the fair by Alberta Whittle and new works by Izumi Kato, whose animated paintings and sculptures allow subjects to exist between the physical and spiritual realms.
The Conversation platform series will feature 35 speakers across nine panels who will share their perspectives on the global contemporary art scene. Artist Agnieszka Kurant, cultural strategy advisor András Szántó, collectors Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, and collector and Design Miami’s Craig Robins will participate in this edition.
Art Basel, founded in 1970 by Basel gallerists, now hosts premier art shows for modern and contemporary art in Basel, Miami Beach, Paris, and Hong Kong. Art Basel’s involvement has expanded beyond art fairs, thanks to new digital platforms and several initiatives, including the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report and the BMW Art Journey.
“20 years of Art Basel have shown us the best version of our community,” said Dan Gelber, Miami Beach’s mayor. “So much of our investment in our cultural assets and amenities results from Art Basel’s example.”
This spirit of community celebration will benefit a slew of host cities for this international exhibition this time.