ML - Michigan Avenue

2013 - Issue 7 - November

Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!

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ART FULL FROM LEFT: continued from page 80 have been following with great enthusiasm what he has been doing since joining PAF," says Marc Spiegler, director of the three Art Basel shows in Miami Beach, Switzerland, and now Hong Kong. "We think he will bring similar brilliance seen in his 'Tatzu Nishi: Discovering Columbus' project last year to Art Public in December." The Miami show is the culmination of a year of incredible excitement and growth for the Art Basel brand. "We launched our first show in Hong Kong in May 2013," Spiegler offers, "which was a moment the whole team had worked toward for the past three years.... It was very special seeing everything finally come together. And in Switzerland in June we were able for the first time to make use of the new exhibition halls designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the renowned Basel architects. Now we are looking forward to Miami; it will be an amazing show with a particularly strong lineup of galleries from the United States and Latin America, plus new galleries from Europe and Asia." This year, all eyes will be on the Pérez Art Museum (formerly the Miami Art Museum), which has been under construction for almost three years in Bicentennial Park. Also a Herzog & de Meuron design, the structure is — JAMES RONDEAU built on what look like stilts (a measure to protect against storm surges); its hotly anticipated grand reopening is set for December 4 and will feature exhibitions by several artists, among them Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei, whose "According to What?" showcases political and cultural issues and encompasses multiple art forms. Another attention grabber in December will be Miami's newest resident artist, notorious British bad-girl Tracey Emin, who will be celebrating her first US retrospective at North Miami's Museum of Contemporary Art. Emin, who currently splits her time between Florida and England, will show a collection of her renowned neon text-based pieces in "Angel Without You," also opening December 4. To honor the occasion, the hotel Fontainebleau Miami Beach has adorned its beach towels with the words KISS ME, KISS ME, COVER MY BODY IN LOVE, a message from one of her featured works. "Often good things happen down the road as a result of conversations at Art Basel." 82 Concetto Spaziale by Lucio Fontana and Perino & Vele's Boom appeared at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2012. BELOW: James Rondeau of the Art Institute considers ABMB a must-see event. BOTTOM: Chicago's Valerie Carberry Gallery will present Judith Rothschild's painting Untitled, among other works, at ABMB this year. For Rondeau, attending Art Basel Miami Beach is a vital part of his annual curatorial research and greater collector outreach. "It is important for all of us on the curatorial side of museums to always be looking at art and to understand the marketplace," he attests. "Visiting Art Basel helps on both counts. One of the best things that can happen is if we help steer a Chicagobased collector or Art Institute supporter toward a great purchase at the fair. Bringing great works of art to the city is a good thing in and of itself, but of course there is always the hope that someday the museum might benefit directly." Spiegler believes that attendees of this year's fair—particularly younger collectors—will be most intrigued by the newly added sector, Edition, which is dedicated to works presented by 13 galleries, mostly limited-edition pieces and prints that tend to be more moderately priced and represent an attractive entry point into the collecting market. Indeed, introducing new collectors to contemporary art is top of mind for the Basel team. "Art fairs, especially international ones like Art Basel, are definitely becoming more and more important in this context," states Spiegler. "They provide a global platform for galleries to meet new collectors from around the world, make new connections with museum directors and curators, and introduce artists to new audiences. Our shows do not become bigger because of a strong market—they become better." Art Basel Miami Beach is held December 5–8; 305-674-1292; artbasel.com MA MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 080-082_MA_SC_ArtFull_Nov13.indd 82 10/21/13 12:29 PM

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