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Elena Cestero The famous Art Basel international contemporary art fair began in Basel, Switzerland in 1970 founded by gallerists Balz Hilt, Trudy Bruckner, and Ernest Beyeler. The event brings together art, artists, galleries, and dealers from around the world and quickly became the largest such show in the world. Art Basel Miami Beach, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, is fast gaining attention that may even surpass that of the Switzerland show. It is clear that the popularity of the Art Basel Miami Beach event has rapidly increased as more than 60,000 people now attend, many of whom are elites and celebrities. The event has become a major signaling event for the wealthy. Guy Trebay of the New York Times writes that,"...the fair has stealthily evolved from a simple trade fair into a holy gathering on the annual pilgrimage route of the super-rich, " and is now an "art fair slash millionaire mosh pit slash cross-platform branding frenzy..." This signaling of wealth and power could easily be compared to that of Renaissance Italy. For the city of Miami the event is a welcome economic boost since, "...nearly a third of the population lives below the poverty line...(Trebay)." Local restaurants, shops, businesses, and artists all benefit greatly from the temporary influx of wealth and spending. Interestingly, it is also noted in Trebay's article that this year much of the art sold was to American patrons which is change from previous years and I do not doubt that this is attributable to the Miami location. An artist who caught my attention at this year's Art Basel Miami Beach is Wilfredo Prieto who had two separate exhibitions represented by the Annet Gelink Gallery of Amsterdam and Nogueras Blanchard of Barcelona in the Art Nova category. Prieto is a Cuban conceptual artist who has gained international recognition for his unusual work. His medium is constantly changing but his work is, as described by Susan Welsh in W Magazine, "...accessible...while retaining a disquieting ability to leave the viewer questioning his or her assumptions about reality." One of Prieto's most famous installments, "Apolítico", is a series of thirty national flags devoid of color (image below). Prieto also won the Cartier Award 2008 which is awarded to an emerging artist from outside the UK and enables them to produce a major project for the Frieze Art Fair for which Prieto created a "flag of celebrity" made of a red carpet extending from a flagpole (image below).
The location the Art Basel Miami Beach should be particularly beneficial for Prieto due to the fact that he is Cuban and there is a notably large Cuban population in Miami that may be particularly interested in his work. Miami is also an advantageous location for any artist from the Americas as it can be assumed that the galleries and patrons from the Americas will be especially well represented because of their proximity to the event. In general, Art Basel Miami Beach helps both artists and galleries (especially those not located in the Americas) by increasing their visibility in the global market and potentially attracting new audiences and patrons. Below are the images of Prieto's work that was displayed at Art Basel Miami Beach 2012: Annet Gelink Gallery
Wilfredo Prieto Wilfredo Prieto
Nogueras Blanchard
Wilfredo Prieto Garden, 2011 dress |
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