INTERFACE

REVIEW

Art Basel Miami Beach

Miami, USA
6-9 December

Reviewed by: Erlend Hammer

Art fairs are usually thought to represent the artworld at its most cynical, shamelessly showcasing art as commerce in the form of a big trade show that isn’t much different from every other kind of fair. Presenting Art Basel at Miami Beach is a stroke of genius and a school example of slimming by contrast. The place is a year-round playground for both those who can get into the champagne-soaked VIP clubs and college kids on school breaks. With this location next to some of the simultaneously most expensive and least sophisticated partying in the world, Art Basel Miami Beach effectively says “You think what we do is immoral and depraved? Well, have a look at these guys... ”

The up-and-coming galleries that are chosen to present at the Art Positions or Art Supernova have yet to become financial big hitters and the artists they represent are still establishing their careers. This means that you see more idealism and enthusiasm here than at the main fair, and more scepticism towards the sometimes hype-driven market. Still, however, all the galleries are picked out at least in part for their potential to do well financially and attempts at subverting the market-environment would appear rather feeble and are mostly avoided. The galleries that do well are the ones that combine sales with a level of approachability not found at the bigger galleries. These galleries show that they have the sense and the taste that will give them exactly the sort of credibility that makes collectors want to buy from them.

The most interesting themes within the artworld these days concern the relationship between public and private funding. Public art venues like museums and biennials are portrayed as providers of a grand service to an idealised public sphere that possibly no longer exists. Often they function more like tools in strategic attempts at city branding and gentrification. The fairs on the other hand, due to their combination of potentially unlimited funding and relative lack of bureaucracy, combine the commercial aspect with extensive programmes of lectures and panel discussions. This means that the most interesting contributions to the discourse often happen at fairs. In the world of publicly funded art institutions the idea of being ‘non-commercial’ is often just a smokescreen to avoid talking about quality. In the market, however, the idea of ‘quality’ is often just a semi-theoretical attempt at marketing strategy. Art Positions is a great location to study the tension between these different approaches.

UK participating galleries included:

Art Nova:
The Approach, London
Corvi-Mora, London
Thomas Dane Gallery
Alison Jacques Gallery
Modern Art
Vilma Gold

Art Supernova:
Herald St
IBID Projects
Max Wigram

Art Positions:
Sorcha Dallas
Hollybush Gardens
Kate MacGarry

Writer detail:
Erland Hammer

Venue detail:

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