America’s largest art fair concluded on 10th of December, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Even though Art Basel is one of the most expected events of the year by collectors, galleries and art lovers, the fair did not meet the expectations of the galleries and collectors.
Related Articles: Unraveling the Silent Tapestry of Calligraphic Artistry with Zende, Photo Basel: the prestigious photography fair based in Switzerland, From Chaos to Creation: In-Depth with Celia Saldivia
Art Basel Miami Beach 2023, which is an astonishing showcase of art for the world, took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, from 8th to 10th of December 2023. The Nort America’s largest art fair registered around 79.000 visitors, featuring 277 galleries, positioning Art Basel 2023 as the second biggest edition of the fair to date.
This edition has been significant, because after a year characterized by uncertainty and volatility, Art Basel Miami Beach was also marked by a great enthusiasm, optimism, strong attendance of local and international collectors, and an extraordinary and unfaltering quality and ambition, making the energy palpable. Moreover, the enthusiasm and the good vibes that characterized this edition, appeared to tie together 2023 by setting an optimistic tone for the year ahead.
The art fair showed new emerging artists and newcomer galleries, from Cairo to Warsaw, concentrating them in the Nova and Positions sections of the fair. Among the newcomers, the more significant debut artists were the Polish Krzysztof Grzybacz, the Jamaican-born Nickola Pottinger, the Egyptian Basim Magdy, some Latinx artists from Luis De Jesus’ powerful booth, and the Sudanese-Canadian artist Azza El Siddique.
The 2023 edition registered a notable success, yielding also several seven-digit sales and several relevant museum acquisitions. For instance, Hauser & Wirth, the Swiss contemporary and modern art gallery, recorded the sale of the most expensive work, during the first hours of the fair opening: Painter at Night by Philip Guston, for $20 million.
On the other hand, concerning the opinion of the Italian galleries and collectors about the fair, the responses do not seem to be really optimistic. According to Matteo Novarese and Giovanni Scarzella, two Italian collectors, and other Italian galleries, Art Basel 2023 registered a drop in sales and it was characterized by slower rhythms and less frenzied transactions. However, Art Basel's American came to close a complex year, of corrections and adjustments to industry figures, of volatility and contraction for both auction houses and galleries.
Art Basel Miami Beach has always been a point of reference in the art world, displaying high quality artworks, giving the possibility to the newcomers to emerge and enter in this fabulous and deep universe and allowing the collectors to discover new artists and find precious artworks. According to the collectors, this art fair gives always a unique and invaluable offer, exhibiting new treasures for their own collections.
Cover Image: Stefano Perrone, How Many Grams Are in One Stick of Butter, 2023. Courtesy the artist and Ribot Gallery
Written by: Kooness
Stay Tuned on Kooness Art Magazine for more exciting news from the art world.