MIAMI, FLORIDA.- The second edition of the international art show Art Basel Miami Beach takes place from December 4 to 7, 2003. Art Basel Miami Beach is a new form of art event which combines an art show with an exciting program of special exhibitions, visits to private and public art collections and crossover events with music (Lenny Kravitz), film (Kathryn Bigelow, Ralph Fiennes), sports (Muhammad Ali and Jeff Koons), and design. In the "Art Basel Conversations", leading private collectors, curators, and architects such as Glenn Lowry (The Museum of Modern Art, New York) and Steven Learner (Steven Learner Studio, New York) will be discussing the art of collecting art, architecture for art collections, and private art collections in public. The focal point is composed of 175 leading galleries from North and Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia showing the art of the 20th and 21st centuries. In the new sector "Art Nova", emerging galleries will be showing only the latest works by their artists. There will also be one-person presentations by young artists, as well as a video lounge. For cutting-edge galleries, shipping containers converted into mobile exhibition spaces have been set up on the beach. Its prominent line-up makes Art Basel Miami Beach the most high-caliber art show for contemporary art in America.
For second time, art collectors, gallery owners, artists, critics, curators and art lovers from around the world will gather at Art Basel Miami Beach this December. 175 leading galleries (www.ArtBasel.com) from the world’s premier art capitals have been picked by the Selection Committee from over 500 applicants. They are showing about 5,000 works by 1,000 of the most respected and most interesting artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Of the galleries, 43% are from the USA and Canada, 43% from Europe, 9% from Latin America, 4% from Asia and one gallery from South Africa. All the media (paintings, sculptures, installations, photography, editions, performances, digital and video art) on show are for sale. Prices start at a few hundred dollars for multiples and works by young artists, with museum-quality masterpieces bearing price tags in the millions.
For the second edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, the Show Management and the Selection Committee are launching the yellow-dot campaign, which was already carried out in Basel with great success. The yellow-dot sticker signalizes to visitors that an exhibited work of art costs less than 5,000 dollars, thus aiding price transparency.
With the newly launched sector "Art Nova", Art Basel Miami Beach underlines its commitment to the promotion of the latest work in art. In "Art Nova", galleries can benefit from reduced rates for showing their artists’ latest works. This lets visitors not only experience exciting encounters with works coming fresh from studios around the globe, but it also makes "Art Nova" the perfect platform for seeking out new trends in art.
The "Art Statements" sector will introduce 17 artists to a broad international public in the form of one-person exhibitions. Many stars of today’s art scene, such as Elizabeth Peyton, Jorge Pardo, William Kentridge, Mariko Mori, Ernesto Neto and many more, took part in the "Art Statements" program at the beginning of their careers. Art Basel Miami Beach provides the most favorably-priced form of presentation, "Art Positions", to young galleries who were as yet unable to exhibit at international art shows for reasons of cost. These are able to present their cutting-edge program in shipping containers which have been converted into exhibition spaces and set up on South Beach. In Collins Park in the Rotunda of the Miami Beach Public Library a comprehensive program of the very latest in video art is being shown. The futuristically designed Art Video Lounge offers visitors not only a novel experience in video appreciation, but also a unique architectural ambience. The "Art Video Lounge" has been designed and built by the young architect-duo LOT/EK of New York. The "Art Video Lounge" is curated by Chrissie Iles of the renowned Whitney Museum in New York. Art Basel Miami Beach is also organizing a full program of museum receptions, visits to private collections, and a daily happy hour with international DJs on the beach.
Under the title "Art Loves…", Art Basel Miami Beach is organizing crossover events with films, sports, design and music. In "Art Loves Film", Kathryn Bigelow and Ralph Fiennes are showing the movie "Strange Days", while "Art Loves Music" presents an evening with Lenny Kravitz, and "Art Loves Sport" is the American book launch of "Goat" (published by Taschen Verlag) on the life of Muhammad Ali. The Greatest of all Time and Jeff Koons, who contributed a multiple for the book, will be present. In "Art Loves Design", the large party in the Design District of Miami, there will be many art and design exhibitions, including the exhibition by famous curator Hans-Ulrich Obrist at the Moore Space, as well as a new joint project by John Baldessari, Lawrence Weiner and Julião Samento, and a performance of the artist Rirkrit Tiravanija.
The "Art Basel Conversations" in the "Art Collectors Lounge", leading curators, private collectors and architects such as Cuauthémoc Medina (Associate Curator Latin American Art Collections-Tate, UK, Researcher IEE, UNAM, Mexico), Glenn Lowry (Director, The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA, New York), Barbara Bloemink (Curatorial Director of the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, New York), Steven Learner (Architect, Steven Learner Studio, New York), Beatrice Trussardi (President, Fondazione Nicola Trussardi, Italy), Rafael A Romero D (Director, Colección Cisneros - Venezuela) will be discussing the art of collecting, architecture for art collections, and private art collections in public.
Art Basel Miami Beach thanks the main sponsor UBS, which has been supporting Art Basel for ten years, BMW for providing cars for the VIP car service, The Setai, Net Jets and Diageo.
Art Basel Miami Beach is expanding its services. In addition to the daily Guided Tours in English and Spanish, and the newly launched "Art Kids" kindergarten for kids aged 4 to 12. Both services organized in collaboration with the Art magazine Art Nexus.
Art Basel Miami Beach is the favorite winter meeting place of the international art world. High quality and international scope are the trademarks of Art Basel Miami Beach, which will encourage the communication of art between Latin and North America and Europe. This is where experts are able to discover sought-after works and new talents; compare prices and scent out trends. To the artists themselves, the show serves as a first-class platform with worldwide influence. The mild December weather and the intimate atmosphere of Miami Beach, with its lively art scene, contribute to its appeal. Special exhibitions and events in the museums of South Florida constitute additional meeting places and further points of attraction.
Art Basel Miami Beach is open daily from noon to 8 p.m. from December 4 to 7, 2003. Closing day from noon to 6 p.m. The Vernissage for invited guests takes place on December 3, 2003. Day tickets cost US $17 (permanent passes: US $45), students and senior citizens pay US $10. From 5 p.m., an evening ticket can be purchased for US $10. Guided school classes (per student and accompanying adult)
US $5, groups of 10 or more US $10. Admission is free for children under 16 when accompanied by an adult.
An attractive catalog has been prepared for Art Basel Miami Beach. This publication offers a comprehensive overview of all that the international art market has to offer and gives extensive information on this new art event.
