Guide to Art Basel Miami 2013
‘Tis the season to Basel.
The largest art show in the country returns to Miami for its 12th edition from Dec. 2 – 8, 2013. More than 250 galleries from every corner of the world converge at the Miami Beach Convention Center to display historical work from the masters of modern and contemporary art, as well as new pieces by up-and-coming stars. The show is divided into diverse sectors – Galleries, Nova, Positions, Edition, Kabinett, Public, Film, Magazines, Talks – and each has its own rigorous process for selecting participants.
The bonanza doesn’t stop there. ABMB attracts countless satellite fairs, glitzy parties, and the crème de la crème. Busy Baselers find it hard to close their eyes; it’s arguably the most stimulating week of the year in Miami. Needless to say, it’s tough to pick the must-see’s. To help you out, here’s the de facto guide to the best that the whole of Miami has to offer during Art Basel.
What to see in South Beach:
Local Galleries to Watch: This year, look for Wynwood-based Spinello Projects within ABMB’s Nova sector, an advanced subdivision devoted to never-before-seen pieces fresh from artists’ studios. For Gravitywell, Anthony Spinello curated a selection of unorthodox works by three artists: Sinisa Kukec (Miami), Naama Tsabar (New York), and Agustina Woodgate (Miami). Spinello is only the third Miami-based gallery to be included in Nova in the fair’s history.
Agustina Woodgate, Hemispheres Destiny, Found dart board, clock, rotation motor, 15″ x 35″ x 3″, 2013
DesignMiami/
Celebrate design culture and commerce with museum-quality exhibitions of 20th – 21st century furniture, lighting and diverse pieces of art. This high-end design fair is located in an impressive pop-up tent adjacent to the Convention Center (where ABMB takes place). This year, New York-based architecture practiceformlessfinder designed the entrance to the fair. The “Tent Pile” pavilion will be a dramatic aluminum roof balanced on the apex of a pyramid of loose sand. Milled aluminum benches offer resting space in the shade, where the cool air naturally generated by the structure fans visitors.
SCOPE
SCOPE, one of the largest satellite fairs held during ABMB, is moving from Midtown to the sands of Ocean Drive at 10th Street in Miami Beach. The 70,000-square-foot pavilion will feature an outdoor beach lounge with views of the ocean along with 100 international exhibitors and 15 Breeder Program galleries (program that introduces new contemporary art galleries to the market). Don’t miss the Official VH1 + SCOPE Party on Dec. 6, featuring a live performance by sister-duo Tegan and Sara.
Art Basel Public Sector, Collins Park
Meander through Collins Park on the east side of the Bass Museum of Art in for an al fresco oasis. Nicholas Baume, director and chief curator of New York’s Public Art Fund, will transform the sprawling lawn into an exhibition space during Art Basel with large-scale sculptures, video, installation and live performances.
AQUA
Dive in to the emerging art scene at the Aqua Hotel on Miami Beach. The focus is on young dealers and galleries with a strong emphasis on emerging and early-to-mid career artists. The vibe is casual and relaxed, a hassle-free retreat from the mania.
What to see in Downtown Miami:
(formerly Miami Art Museum)
Miami’s new museum opens to the public with a bang during Basel, featuring a highly anticipated exhibition by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. According to What? is the first major international survey of this notorious artist’s complex body of work. The construction of PAMM, a billion-dollar museum, represents the growth of Miami as a legitimate player in arts and culture. It’s the first building to rise in the downtown’s new Museum Park (formerly Bicentennial Park). Simply a must-see.
Primary Projects
Several blocks away from PAMM, sits Primary Projects’ stunning new gallery. The 5,000-square-foot space, opening its doors to the public for the first time during Art Basel, is devoted to showcasing what’s next in contemporary art. Partners Booksllll “Books” Bischof, Typoe, and Cristina Gonzalez are at the helm and their track record is stellar – in galleries and on the streets. Primary Flight is their work of genius. It’s a world-renowned mural installation project that transforms the walls of Wynwood — from barren to brazen – each year.
Artist to Watch: LA artist Kenton Parker inaugurates the new Primary Projects space with Contender, a solo show dedicated to self-portraiture through sculpture, painting, installation and photography. Through the use of universal scenarios like fighting, purging, nudity and apathy, Parker invites guests to explore their memories in the “safe space” he’s created.
Pop-up Public Art
Miami-Dade Country Art in Public Places debuts its first temporary public art commission with a four-night installation that’s designed to serve as the backdrop for the “most exclusive VIP party of Art Basel,” according to Brandi Reddick, curator for Art in Public Places. Local artists Jim Drain and Bhakti Baxter created M|/\M|M/\X to celebrate the completion of their respective projects at PortMiami. Visible from I-395 and Government Cut in downtown Miami, the “secret” party will take place nightly from Dec. 4 – 7 in the cargo containers located on the waterfront. Visit miamidadepublicart.org for details if the organizers decide to release them.
Pulse Contemporary Art Fair
Nestled deep within downtown Miami is the art fair Pulse, a progressive blend of acclaimed and innovative contemporary artists presented in tandem with special event programming throughout the week.
What to see in Midtown:
Art Miami
A stroll through this substantial art fair is arguably on every Baseler’s to-do list. Featuring more than 125 international galleries in a chic setting, Art Miami is the longest-running contemporary art fair in Miami. It anchors Art Basel in the Midtown neighborhood of Miami proper and welcomes about 60,000 visitors each year.
CONTEXT
CONTEXT, the sister fair to Art Miami, provides a platform for 65 international galleries to showcase cutting-edge and emerging talent in an open atmosphere. Now in its second year, the fair will take place in a standalone 45,000-square-foot pavilion directly adjacent to the Art Miami Pavilion joined by an outdoor café, lounge and curated outdoor art exhibition.
Red Dot Art Fair
Red Dot is also located next to Art Miami in Midtown. While this fair is a bit smaller, it prides itself on showing a diverse selection of paintings, sculptures, photography and fine-art objects from nearly 60 galleries.
What to see in Wynwood:
There are more than 60 art galleries in Wynwood along with restaurants, bars, and shops for uncommon goods. The streets of the arts district, a fairly condensed area, come alive during Basel as each business presents special programming to honor Art Basel.
Bakehouse Art Complex
There’s an incubator of creativity in a quiet part of Wynwood called the Bakehouse Art Complex. It’s home to about 70 working artist studios. Roam through the halls of the 30,000-square-foot facility to see incredible yet affordable art by local artists. The BAC’s special Basel exhibition Together We Fly, by curator Ananda DeMello,inspired the artists to go beyond their usual medium as they transformed utilitarian objects into works of art.
Artist to Watch: BAC resident artist Ernesto Kunde takes an abstract approach to painting iconic Miami scenes and mangroves with cues from the street. He typically paints striking scenes on found wood and corrugated aluminum in black and white with streaks of bright neon colors.
Rubell Family Collection
The Rubell Family Collection is one of the world’s largest, privately owned contemporary art collections. Its founders, Mera and Don Rubell, are pioneers and their Basel exhibitions never disappoint. This year, they unveil 28 Chinese. It’s a culmination of their five research trips to China in which they visited 100 hundred artists’ studios in Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, and Shanghai from 2001 – 2012. They acquired work from 28 artists and this exhibition marks the first U.S. showing for many of them.
Li Shurui, Inner Rainbow, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 70 7/8 x 94 1/2 in. (180 x 240 cm) 李姝睿, 室内彩虹, 2011, 布面丙烯, 70 7/8 x 94 1/2 寸 (180 x 240 厘米)
Inside Look at SCOPE | Miami 2012
By JOSH LEWIS
SCOPE Miami 2012 Vernissage in Midtown is moving full steam ahead with the first view. Over a 100 galleries featured international contemporary artists, proving a real challenge for the art-enthusiast to see it all. Every year, SCOPE has grown exponentially at Art Basel. When the doors opened at 4pm, everyone from collectors, dealers, general VIPs, and press took to the floors to get a glimpse of the absolute best in fine arts today. SCOPE is also recognized for exhibiting emerging artists with fresh voices.
As a young man, Ernesto Kunde worked on his father’s farm in Rio Grande de Sul, Brazil near to where he sold his first painting of bananas hanging upside down. He says that his work is tied to the earth, using sustainable materials when he paints, such as pieces of scrap wood, which he then treats and burns with old phone books, to give the wood a black, scorched texture. Painting with the natural grain is important in his art; it brings to life a course movement as though one could count the rings on a chopped tree. His works also tend to comment on political and social upheaval, focusing on the subject of disenfranchisement of invisible people leading up to full-scale culture wars. Ernesto Kunde’s wood paintings have also been featured in the Boca Raton museum and he now lives in Miami Shores. www.kundeart.com.
http://artmiami.tv/articles-2/inside-look-at-scope-miami-2012/
IRREVERSIBLE INSIDE OUT
IRREVERSIBLE INSIDE OUT images courtesy ofNatasha Kertes
Ernesto Kunde
http://irreversiblemagazine.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/irreversible-inside-out-behind-the-scenes-abmb-2012/
Ernesto Kunde's cigarette breaks
Brazilian-born artist switches it up -- from buildings and mangroves to unemployment and homelessness.
September 6, 2012|By Colleen Dougher, Correspondent
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-09-06/entertainment/fl-artist-profile-ernesto-kunde-090912-20120906_1_mangroves-bakehouse-art-complex-homelessness
Ernesto Kunde in his studio. (Ernesto Kunde/Courtesy )
Some artists are very concerned with developing one signature style. Ernesto Kunde has several very distinctstyles and uses them to stay balanced.
When creating works for "Nostalgic," a series that depicts iconic Miami buildings and streets, Kunde typically paints on canvas using black-and-white acrylics and adds vibrant colors to depict sunlight and sky. Recently, he's also been painting images of mangroves.
In his darker mixed-media works, the Brazilian-born artist addresses subjects such as revolution, homelessness and unemployment, using black-and-white charcoal, pastels, paint and sometimes objects such as mesh or nails on panels of found wood. When displaying them in a gallery, he stacks 25 themed 11-inch wood panels in cylindrical sculptures or atop one another against a wall.
After doing darker works, he transitions back to mangroves and Miami buildings. Kunde likens these shifts to a cigarette break. "It's good to have that balance," he says. "I don't smoke, but it's like smoking to switch to the brighter stuff."
Kunde seems to be bursting with more ideas than usual since moving to the Bakehouse Art Complex in Miami nine months ago. "It's the first time I'm really sharing a place with 70 other artists of totally different ages and characters," he says.
This has led to even more connections and exhibition opportunities. Already this month, his works have been included in three Miami shows, and three more group shows are on the agenda.
"From Blonde to Brunette But Still Curly," a 23-artist exhibition highlighting old techniques in contemporary art, opens Friday at Bakehouse Art Complex and includes "Anticipation," the painting Kunde says marks the transition from his old approach to his new style. He will also exhibit the "Homeless and Jobless" series at "Made in the U.S.A.," which will be on display at Mano Fine Art in Miami during the Sept. 15 Bird Road Art Walk.
Then, Kunde will be gearing up for "Yo Momma in the House," the Sept. 19 show that Miami artist and art supporter Myra Wexler is curating at 12345 W. Dixie Studio and Gallery in North Miami. For that show, Kunde and dozens of other artists have created portraits of Wexler.
"I'm excited about this next month," Kunde says. "The sky's the limit."
The artist, who began painting landscapes and still-life images in 1990, says he's influenced by what surrounds him. In 2008, after he and his wife moved to Miami to start a family, Kunde started producing brightly colored acrylic paintings of teddy bears, rubber ducks and ladybugs, while continuing to do other works. Last year, he moved on to his Miami- and mangrove-inspired paintings and the works on wood.
His latest works-on-wood collection is "Homeless and Jobless." He began the series shortly after the economy took a dive, but then became immersed in works he describes as more commercial. This year — after observing even more people sleeping on the street or asking for money than a few years ago — he got back to the series. He hopes his art reminds others that homelessness remains a growing problem.
"We pass by these people every day and nobody does anything for them," he says.
Artist Spotlight
City: Miami, FL
Birthplace: Paraiso do Sul, BRAZIL
Artistic Medium: Painting and Mixed Media
How did you get started? I have always had a passion for art. Growing up in Rio Grande do Sul, I was inspired by the scenic, pastoral surroundings and used whatever resources I could find to paint. Since then I have pursued my interest in painting everywhere I have lived. It is only in the last few years, however, that I have pursued opportunities to show my work professionally.
Who or what are your influences? I am a self-taught artist, so I have innumerable influences. Because I am self-taught I always like to try different techniques. As a result, my influences have changed over the years. Early on I was drawn to the work of the masters like Cezanne, Van Gogh and Monet. More recently, I have really connected with the work of Wolf Kahn and Whitfield Lovell. I am always evolving as an artist and trying to merge different techniques.
What inspires your work? More than anything, I am inspired by my surroundings. I tend to notice details. The light and changing colors of the day and seasons affect my way of painting. I tend to paint my surroundings. The subject of my paintings often reflects places in which I have lived. I am also inspired by history, current events and moments in my own life. Right now, I am working on a series about Miami. The buildings I am painting are current, but one day they will be history and I am trying to capture them before they are gone. Recently, I completed another series on found wood, entitled Revolution Narrative. This series was influenced by current events, namely the revolutions going on in Egypt and Libya. The themes present in this series, though, reflect themes that have been present in wartime situations throughout history.
How does Miami/South Florida influence your work?Miami has a unique energy and way with light that are reflected in my recent work. As I mentioned earlier, I am currently working on a series as a tribute to this great city.
How would you describe your work? My work has really evolved over time. I used to paint primarily landscape and abstract paintings. Now both my subject matter and my techniques are more varied. My pieces on wood tend to be provocative and dark. In contrast, my pieces on canvas tend to be more vibrant and have more splashes of color.
What has been the most unusual reaction to your work from the public? My most unusual response came from an individual who was colorblind. He fell in love with one of my pieces with orange and a lot of black and white contrast, because in his words, "he could actually see it!" In general, though, the reactions are varied and I think reveal as much about the viewers as about the works of art.
What would you like to achieve as an artist? On a professional level, I hope to achieve more exposure and recognition. Recently, I have been showing my work primarily in Ft. Lauderdale, Pompano and Boca Raton. I'd like to break into the Miami scene more deeply and from there pursue opportunities to show my work in other places. From a personal standpoint, my goal as an artist is to continue evolving. I have no idea what I will be doing with my art in five or ten years from now. One step builds on another, but the end result is unpredictable and there are no rules. That is what I love about it.
Upcoming shows:
NOSTALGIA a Solo Show at Rossetti Fine Art Gallery, October 7-17
Where is your work available?
Rossetti Fine Art Gallery
132 S.W. 15th Street (McNab Road), Pompano Beach, FL
954.247.9580
Galerie Jenner
1310 S.W. Second Court, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
954.609.7009
Miami Art League
9709 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, FL
305.904.2253
My personal website: www.kundeart.com
All Florida Competition and Exhibition
60th Annual All Florida Juried Competition and Exhibition
June 29 - September 11, 2011
As the state’s oldest annual juried competition, over the years, the Museum’s All Florida has introduced the work of thousands of Florida artists working in all media – emerging, under recognized, and established younger and mid-career artists. The Exhibition reinforces the Museum’s commitment to Florida artists, provides professional exhibition opportunities for emerging artists, and reveals a provocative glimpse – through Florida artists’ eyes – of the state-of-the-art today through 101 paintings, sculpture, photography, video and installations.
The juror for the 60th Annual All Florida is Valerie Ann Leeds. Ms. Leeds is an independent scholar living in New Jersey. She serves as adjunct curator of American Art at the Flint Institute of Arts, Michigan, and prior to that held curatorial positions at the Orlando Museum of Art, the Tampa Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She earned her M.A. at Syracuse University, and her Ph.D. in American Art at the City University of New York. Dr. Leeds is an expert on the work of Robert Henri, and has organized exhibitions, lectured and written on various topics in American Art.
The Museum once again utilized the electronic online web-service, CaFÉ, www.callforentry.org to accept all applications. This year over 1,800 artworks by 600 artists were submitted for consideration. The final exhibition entries total 101 works by the following artists:
Aventura
Amalia Brujis
Boca Raton
Pat Bluestein
Wes Carson
Marcela Colina
Joel Cossrow
Gael Fernandez
Robin Genin
Laura Greenstein
Malcolm Gropper
Melanie Hurwitz
Francene Levinson
Gerardo Moran
Barry Rosson
Robert Schwartzman
Bonita Springs
Robert Sherry
Boynton Beach
Robert Blitz
Patricia Durr-Turo
Teresa Frazee
Miles Laventhall
Russell Levine
Krista Machovina
Carole Usdan
Dennis Usdan
Bradenton
Dan Strothers
Cocoa
Grace Leal
Coconut Creek
Marina Gonella
Coral Gables
Heidi Harum
Paul Morales
Bonnie Wolsk
Coral Springs
Candy Childrey
Jeff Olson
Elizabeth Reed
Deerfield Beach
Georgeta Fondos
Joy Goldkind
Delray Beach
David Gillman
Daniel McGavin
Chris O’Connell
Gary Schuitema
Roxene Sloate
Lemore Zausner
El Portal
P.J. Mills
Fort Lauderdale
Linda Fleishman
Nolan Haan
Gainesville
Lauren Lake
Melanie Peter
Kenneth Wilson
Gulf Stream
Gwen Gove
Hollywood
Virginia Fifield
Jacksonville
Virginia Cantore
Laurie Hitzig
Larry Wilson
Jensen Beach
Maria Aguirre
Juno Beach
Joanne Slattery
Jupiter
Jon Fernans
Sonya Gaskell
Lake Worth
Clarence Measelle
Lakeland
Kelly Sturhahn
Lake Worth
Rosemary Toulas
Lantana
Terre Rybovich
Sid Walesh
Maitland
Joshua Almond
Merritt Island
Susan Martin
Miami
Patricia Gutierrez
Hugo Moro
Marcia Ramos-Perello
Thomas Virgin
Miami Beach
Molly Bowen
Byron Byrd
Mira Lehr
Miami Shores
Ernesto Kunde
Naples
Joan Sonnenberg
Ocean Ridge
Simone Koffman
Okeechobee
Hilary Pulitzer
Orlando
Joshua Freeman
Ormond Beach
Rick Crawford
Palm Beach Gardens
Emalee Andre
Carin Wagner-Brown
Parkland
Ewa Wlodarczyk
Port Orange
Hillary Gross
St. Augustine
Eleanor Hughes
St. Petersburg
Kathleen Stroud
Sarasota
Larry Forgard
Southwest Ranches
N. Herkert
Sunrise
Janet Prycznski
Stuart
Petey Cox
Chris Kling
Sylvia Pattee
Alia Sanchez
Paula Rubino
Tamarac
Pierre Bland
Tampa
Stephen Holm
Noelle Mason
Tequesta
David Willison
Vero Beach
Ellen Fischer
Betsy McKean
The Villages
Roger Sherman
West Palm Beach
Deborah Bigeleisen
Alyssa di Edwardo
Brennan King
Weston
Michael Harris
Janet Onofrey
Art View
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/citylink/sfl-fresh-art-ernesto-kunde-20110608,0,3450526.story
After four winters of shoveling snow in Boston and a year of living inNew York,
and his wife moved to Miami in 2006 so they could soak up some sunshine and start a family. Two years later, Kunde, who’d been painting landscape and still-life images since 1990, began making children’s art. The brightly colored acrylic-on-canvas paintings, which depicted ladybugs, rubber ducks, teddy bears and other happy things, became one of his first ventures as a full-time artist.
Except for an occasional commission, the Brazilian-born artist no longer creates art for kids. Earlier this year, Kunde began producing considerably darker works, a shift he says was inspired by current events.
“Sin,” one of his first such paintings, was created for
The Black Heart
, an anti-Valentine’s Day exhibition at
in
, and became the brochure image for the show. The mostly black-and-white work, created on wood Kunde rescued from a Dumpster, depicts a man hanging from a noose. Kunde says the painting represents a family man who couldn’t afford to pay the bills.
“Revolution Narrative” is a mixed-media sculpture in which the artist used acrylic and black and white charcoal on 25 panels cut from found wood to explore the danger, fear, violence, cruelty and pain some people endure for freedom. “Most of the panels connect to the revolutions in Egypt and Libya,” Kunde says. “Several of the panels depict riots in the street, the confrontation between rebels and ‘official’ military.”
One of those 25 panels, “Afraid,” depicts a bald man leaning forward, head in hands. A piece of wire mesh is nailed over the image, giving the impression that the man is imprisoned, perhaps by his own fear. Kunde says the image is meant to capture the anxiety and insecurity of people who are afraid to participate in a revolution.
“He wants a better way of life, but fears the consequences of acting,” Kunde explains. “What if he fails? We only hear or read about people who have acted, but there must be others who are struggling internally with what to do.”
"Afraid"
“Revolution Narrative” captured Best in Show at Spectrum 2011, which closed May 19 at Rossetti Fine Art.
“When he sent me an image of ‘Revolution Narrative,’ I was very impressed,” says gallery owner Tom Rossetti. “I said, ‘Now that is the direction in which you should move.’ When I saw it in person, I knew that it was the best in show. Not only were the drawings sound and well-executed, but there were 25 of them drawn and painted on wood. There were nails, wire and mesh, all incorporated into the work. All of the pieces were politically charged with depictions of war and violence.
“Then, to top it all off, he assembled the pieces into a sculpture in the round,” Rossetti continues. “The piece stands over 5 feet tall and demands attention. This is what art is — pushing the limits of the medium, making a statement and taking risks.”
"Revolution Narrative"
While Kunde’s darker works are eliciting warm responses, the process of creating them can be intense.
“Though ‘Revolution Narrative’ was shown as one piece, I think of it as a series,” Kunde explains. “I worked on it full-time for about three months. If you add in research, gathering materials, sketching and painting, it probably took over 300 hours. While working on it, I felt inspired and excited by the fact that I was trying something new. At the same time, I felt a level of intensity [from] following the news nonstop on a daily basis.”
Kunde has lightened up a bit, at least temporarily, with Tribute, a series he began painting in April. It combines the sunny colors of his children’s and landscape works with the black-and-white palette of his gloomier paintings to depict scenes from the streets of Miami. After shooting photographs that serve as a guide, he painted works such as “Lincoln Road,” “Pennsylvania Avenue” and “Causeway.” Parts are painted in black and white, while other sections are depicted in vibrant colors that depict sunlight and blue skies.
Kunde says his friends and family seem to prefer these more-accessible works. “My friends in the art world, on the other hand, have shown more interest in the darker ones,” he adds. “I guess some people like what I call pretty paintings, and other people are more interested in ones that are thought-provoking.”
"Lincoln Road"
Kunde plans to continue making both. “I’m excited about this new series, not only because it’s my first time focusing on Miami as a subject, but because I’m blending new techniques with my old style and signature use of bold colors,” Kunde says. “It’s my way of giving back to this place which has given me so much joy.”
“Afraid” will be on view in the 60th Annual All Florida Juried Competition and Exhibition, which will open June 29 and run through Sept. 11 at Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real. Call 561-392-2500 or visitBocamuseum.org.