Art Basel is Everything and Anything and It’s Too Much
By Cara Ober
By now you’ve heard about the Xacto knife attack at Art Basel this year, where one woman stabbed another and patrons thought it was performance art. I just want you to know that I had nothing to do with it. Although art fairs can make me aggro, I only stab people with art criticism.
This year at Miami’s Art Basel, also known as “The Big Fair,” I saw no celebrities and no actual violence. I did see way too many Alex Katz paintings, which I consider violence against my eyes, horrible horrible text art, and a lot of schlocky art fair art that was high on spectacle and low on substance. For overwhelming gigantastic scale and proximity to museum (and wannabe) museum quality art work, you can’t beat Basel. At this point the fair is so well established, so powerful, that it’s hard to believe Art Basel Miami Beach has only existed since 2002 (an offshoot of the Swiss based Art Basel founded in 1970).
Housed in the enormous Miami Beach Convention Center, Art Basel was surrounded by throngs of people, expensive valet parking, and a fleet of dark Art Basel sedans with the pink logo on the door ferrying VIP’s (so many VIPS!) who knows where. The traffic in South Beach was crushing, however the people still showed up for Basel’s 267 “leading galleries” divided into different sections according to global rank, age of the artist, and a few curatorial filters applied– like film, editioned works, thematic, or historical.
Film at Art Basel
Basel offered its most interesting works in the Nova section, where 34 galleries presented works created within the last three years by one, two, or three artists they represent. Although smaller, these exhibits felt cohesive and almost personal, taking risks without demanding your attention, which was a welcome respite from the gallery grandstanding happening elsewhere. Outside, Basel featured over 25 outdoor sculptures which looked magical, lit up at night from the window of an Uber. The rain, monsoon-like deluges that appeared out of nowhere, kept us from visiting the outdoor area on foot, but in photos, it offered audiences the inspired art experience one seeks from the interior of the convention center but won’t find unless you’re one of the 1%.
Basel also offered a large Magazine sector, which was my favorite spot. The usual art monolith magazines were there, but also smaller ones, too. It was great to have an opportunity to talk to Andrew McClintock, the founder of SFAQ[Projects] and to check out new offerings from Artscope, Cabinet, and others listed here.
For galleries, my absolute favorite was the Jack Shainman Gallery from Chelsea featuring works by Hank Willis Thomas, Kerry James Marshall, Titus Kaphar, Carrie Mae Weems, and others. It offered a solid array of some of the best contemporary artists working today without overcrowding or resorting to all the shiny, glittery, ridiculous spectacles that most galleries used to grab your attention. This booth offered collectors a solid piece of art history in the making, and felt respectful to both the artists presented and visitors to the booth.
Here’s a vast array of works I liked, hated, and took the time to photograph in a scenario which is filled with women with lips that look like they’ve been stung by bees, teenagers carrying backpacks that cost more than my car, and artists who will say hello and sheepishly hand you a postcard of their work because you are wearing a press pass.
You’re welcome.
First Section: Bad Text Art 
Sam Durant
Indeed. At the Gavin Brown booth.
@ Elizabeth Dee, NY
Sadie Coles Gallery. Rug by Adriano Costa.
João Onofre at Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art
Pier Paolo Calzolari from Galleria Christian Stein Milano
Work that would have looked much better in a museum:
Frank Stella @Edward Tyler Nahem, NY
Keiichi Tanaami’s Last Supper (detail) and at top. @Sikkema Jenkins
Louise Bourgeoise, although the face painting next to it is pretty great !
Positions Section = Young Art. Mostly good!
Real Project, NY presented “faux” (really?) Marijuana sculptures by Andrei Koschmieder
He Xiangyu: I love this! Your golden teeth are amazing!
I felt bad for these fish at Romy Pocztaruk.
Thomas Wachholz at Raeber vonStenglin: I enjoy your publishing references.
Just watching some videos…
Grassy knoll centered in the Positions Area
Okay, back to the ‘big stuff’ …
Paola Pivi
Wangechi Mutu, detail and whole diptych below
secret back art closet at Elizabeth Dee would have made an amazing installation!
Best Use of Baloons: Perrotin Gallery
Best Use of Feathers: Beautiful Day by Paolo Pivi (white head to blue toe bear)
Worst framing job! Tupac by Marcel Odenbach
Jack Shainman booth featuring Hank Willis Thomas, …
Kerry James Marshall (wall)
Titus Kaphar
Carrie Mae Weems
Nick Cave
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
and Barkley Hendricks. Nice work, Jack Shainman!
At Galerie Thomas Schulte, hand lathed ash wood sculpture by Allan McCollum. Beautiful.
Works by Deana Lawson in the Kabinett Section full of mini-solo exhibitions
Bye, Art Basel. See you next year!
Photos by Cara Ober and Stewart Watson
