Art Basel Miami Beach 2024, " Great Art has the power to inspire everyone"

THE GREAT ELEPHANT MIGRATION was displayed at South Beach in Miami Art Week 2024

    I attended the Art Basel Miami 2024 as I do every year.  My travel with art fairs began in New York City in 2013, and for the last seven years, I’ve been coming to Art Basel Miami. Over time, I've developed a strong sense of where to focus my attention and gain inspiration.

Regarding Art Fairs and their location Experiences, I don’t think anything is necessarily better than another—it depends on the individual. For example, while waiting in line to grab a bun at the Hong Kong Cafe at Art Basel Miami 2024, I overheard a conversation between a Chinese art dealer and her client. It was the first time the Hong Kong Cafe had opened at the event, so there was quite a line. The dealer shared that she had worked at the Gagosian Gallery for several years before starting her own business.  She had attended all the Art Basel events and shared that Paris was her favorite, thanks to the fantastic restaurants and performances. However, she wasn't as fond of Basel, citing its small-town feel. As for me, while I do love Paris, Basel is still my top choice. It might not be a big city, but it offers a rare blend of contemporary and medieval art that you can experience together. After traveling to many places, I can't think of many cities where the old and the new coexist so seamlessly.  An old master dealer once mentioned that Basel has many excellent restaurants and food.  However, with my limited background in European culture, it was a bit overwhelming for me, and I’m sure many others might feel the same. But, being a visual person, I thoroughly enjoyed simply walking around the town, taking in the blend of old and new. It was incredibly beautiful.

There's a saying that you can only truly see things as deeply as you understand them—and that’s just as true for art.

If you’re looking to buy art for yourself, the first step is educating yourself by attending numerous art fairs and exhibitions. This will help you develop your style as a collector.

1. The Art Basel Miami at the Convention Center has a vast array of galleries and artists, making it a fantastic place to shop and see the trend.  However, if you’re simply buying for your own space, it’s important to choose something that resonates with you on a more intimate level.

  Miami Print Art Fair 2024

2. The Miami Print Fair, the venue, located in a perfect old-style beach vacation hotel, offered a more intimate setting, with each gallery having its own space in a hotel room. This made it easier for people to connect with the artwork and imagine it within their environment, offering a clear sense of how it would fit into real-life settings.

3. The Rubell Museum Miami, while it’s not a large space, its collection is truly impressive. If you want to see work from the most trendy and hot artists, this is the place to go. Having attended many large gallery shows in New York City, I’m always amazed by the incredible pieces they acquire each year.

4. Another great spot to visit during Miami Art Week is the Perez Art Museum Miami. It’s an excellent venue that features contemporary art in the latest styles. The artists often talk about their work in Miami Art Week, which adds an extra layer of depth to the experience—it's truly fascinating. This year, their highlighted shows were; "Away with Tides" by #CalidaRawles and "Homecoming" by #JoseParla.

#CalidaRawles @Pamm  

5. The Untitled Miami is the perfect spot to enjoy both the beach and art simultaneously.  The view of the beach from their lounge area is absolutely stunning. Since NADA isn’t located in South Beach, visiting Untitled Miami is a great choice if you’re only in Miami for a short time. 

I always come across incredible artwork there.

If you have some extra time, visiting the NADA and Art Miami in Downtown Miami is highly recommended.

    This year, I revisited the Miami Design District after seven years, and it was fantastic. You can find all the major luxury brands there, from clothing and shoes to furniture. I realized that Miami is the perfect spot for an end-of-year vacation. You can shop for both art for your space and gifts for the holidays. One of the new hotspots is the Cote Miami, a trendy Korean barbecue restaurant located in the heart of the Miami Design District. It’s been all the talk, but getting in without a reservation is nearly impossible.  The Cartier hosted a "Trinity 100" exhibition, opening a VIP party for their show,

and it was the event everyone wanted to attend. I was so excited to be there, especially seeing the crowds gathered outside hoping to get in. They served beautifully presented finger foods and drinks, left image, which were absolutely amazing. The venue itself was lovely, but the exhibition didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Kohler showcased their Cold Plunge, Remedy at the Edition Hotel, and while the venue itself was stunning, I wasn’t able to gather much information about the product. The Robb Report held an excellent three-day event, House of Robb, at the Faena Penthouse, and the venue was absolutely gorgeous.  The artists' talks and the products they presented were impressive, as well as below the left, and the Faena Art had a showcase of Nicholas Galanin's "'SELETEGA' on Faena Beach, which is below right.  

    

    There was a large public art installation called "THE GREAT ELEPHANT MIGRATION" (https://thegreatelephantmigration.org/), displayed in mid-Miami Beach. After visiting Untitled Miami, I took a bus to see the installation. On the bus, there was a group of seniors who seemed to know where they were going. Once we arrived in Mid Beach, the driver asked, "Who’s ready to see the elephants?" and everyone responded enthusiastically, creating an interesting moment that felt like a school bus driver taking kids to the zoo. The elephants were incredibly detailed and massive, creating a stunning scene. From the Faena Penthouse, the view was breathtaking, and even though I couldn’t capture a perfect video, the experience was unforgettable. I believe that great art has the power to inspire everyone.

Mid Summer trip to Hampton

    For summer, the Hamptons is my best destination. Since accommodation is so expensive, I couldn’t make a long trip; I had only two days in the Hamptons, but it was festive, and I had great memories.

                                                              George Condo  & Joan Mitchell

    First, I stopped by the Hampton Fine Art Fair. It was smaller than when I was there in 2022, but it had good exhibitors and many international galleries from London, Mexico City, Colombia, Italy, Chile, the Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, and Japan. I saw #Basquiat, #JoanMitchell, and #GeorgeCondo’s original works at the Omer Tiroche Gallery. It was great to discover interesting art by George Morton-Clark and Mersuko Dopazo at the Eternity Gallery.

Mersuko Dopazo

    Next, we checked the most trendy croissants—Kimchi Cheddar Croissants—at Carissa’s Bakery in East Hampton. It tasted like a kimchi pancake in pastry, which wasn’t impressive, but they have beautiful, tasty selection of pastries and cakes.

    In the evening, I attended the East Hampton Antique and Design Show VIP opening. I was last there in 2013. It has grown so much. I could tell why after speaking with Lynn Stefanelli, the PR representative.  She said the show had been changed from an antique show to an antique and design show. She was a very friendly and energetic person. After she had been with the show in 2014, I believe that is one of the reasons.  Many great designers attended the VIP opening night. James Huniford, who is the founder of Design on A Dime, was behind me entering the show. I met him briefly when I attended Design on A Dime as one of the participating designers a few years ago.  They did a great job decorating the space with beautiful flowers at the Mulford Farm. It was a great place to discover mid-century outdoor decoration items that are not easy to find in NY.  It is worth visiting if you are in the Hamptons area. My friend Cynthia Murphy, who is an antique textile pillow designer, was in booth A27, which was nice. It was also good to see New York journalist Wendy Moore at the show. So many great people and the nice summer barn atmosphere made me relax as well. 

 The highlight of the day was the Midsummer Dance event at the Parrish Art Museum.

    The museum was designed by world-famous Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. When I had a show at the Volta Art Fair Basel in 2021, I stopped by the Stadtcasino Basel. I loved how gorgeous their interior was, which was done by Herzog & de Meuron. That’s how I learned about them. Of course, not all their projects are good, since I wasn’t impressed by the Songeun Art Space in Seoul, Korea. But the Parrish Art Museum is one of my favorites, with its location and aesthetics. Spending an evening in the space made me truly fall in love with it.The Midsummer Dance event is their annual benefit. They did a great job decorating and organizing the event. Everything was so good; it was a magical night. Stunning flower-decorated chandeliers by Ovando in NY, beautiful lights, great music by the Angel + Dren DJ set, and a special performance by Anna of the North, beautiful light, great music by Angel + Dren DJ set, and a special Performance by Anna of the North.  A wonderful night of dancing, drinks, and delicious hors d’oeuvres. One of the best events of the year so far. I had so much fun and had a memorable night.

Miami Art Week 2023

    After starting my art consulting business, I have attended Art Basel Miami Beach every year except Covid 2020.  On my first visit, I went to all twelve shows happening in Miami Beach.  But in the last few years, I have visited more art museums in Miami than smaller shows. There are a few shows that I always attend: Art Basel with Design Miami, Untitled Art, Art Miami, and Nada.  Some years, the Art Basel is amazing, and some years the Design Miami is better or the Untitled Art. The Art Miami is always of decent quality with many various styles of art and galleries.  This year, my favorite peak was Untitled Art and Design Miami.  
Since the Untitled Art is located in South Beach and next to the ocean, I always thought it's a great location for an Art show in South Beach.  I could see various galleries from all over the world with many different styles of great artworks. Art Basel is too big, and sometimes it shows art that I have already seen in New York.  So, I really liked the Untitled Art this year.
Also, Design Miami has been changed.  They used to show more vintage furniture.  Last few years, they have been showing more one-of-a-kind contemporary design art pieces.  When I was in graduate school in Seoul, Korea, with my professor and artist, Byoung Hoon Choi, he always talked about art furniture.  Now, I am not sure if some of the pieces that galleries presented can work as functional furniture.  But they were amazing sculpture pieces.  Also, the price is like a famous Sculptor's work.  
Since there are amazing design and art galleries nowadays, I could see many great artworks being sold at amazing prices.  For example, I used to like Nacho Carbonell's Floor and table Lamp from one of the galleries in Design Miami.  It was an interesting lamp at a good price.

His 2020 Floor Lamp 

Carbonell's Floor Lamp in the back
@Carpenterworkgalery booth at May 2022 Tefaf show 

#NachoCarbonells' Floor Lamp #CarpenterWorkShopGallery
#DesignMiami2023

The Carpenter Workshop Gallery showed his work, more like a sculpture floor lamp, in May 2022 at Tefaf.  

In Miami 2023, they showed a bigger version of Carbonell's floor sculpture lamp, which was stunning.  The retail price was more than $500,000.00, which was amazing.  I know it is one of a kind and a big-scale floor lamp, but I could see how the market has changed.  A few years back, R and Company gallery showed Katie Stout's works in bigger scale.  It made her a lot bigger artist.  This time, the Carpenter workshop Gallery did the same. Since the piece was stunning and remarkable at the show, he got his name out, and the gallery could sell more of his work.

The Untitled Art showed various works from various galleries all over the world, which was very nice; Africa, the Middle East, Northern and Southern, Western Europe, East Asia,  and Northern, Southern American Galleries.  It was so nice to see something new and refreshing in art.  See my Instagram @curatedbyyounghye to see more images and videos.

Peretz, Rubell, and Bass museum shows were very nice. I was especially impressed by Rubell's collection last year.  This year, I felt their collection is one of the most updated contemporary art collection in the world.  Haven't checked Peretz Collection since after Covid, it was so nice to see Garry Simmons: Public Enemy Show. Bass Musem's Namjun Park and Hernan Bas's show.
Especially, I saw Hernan Bas work  last year in Art Basel Miami Beach.  I thought it was nice one.  Then saw his exhibition @BassMusuem in this year was so great. 

Art Basel Miami Beach 2022

Bass Museum Show 2023