Art Basel Miami Beach Experience 2008 recap

The following is a follow up to the Art Basel Miami Beach experience. The original week of posts was intended to alert friends , colleagues and my readers that the blog could be referenced for the week to see artworks from Art Basel Miami Beach and related art fairs. A number of the images posted in the links below appear as pictures but if you look closely they are video documentation of video work (among other things). In addition to what is posted here I have several dozen more videos documenting works on display in Art Basel Miami Beach and related art fairs that are shown in lecture at University or elsewhere. Of note, these works are for sale, have been sold, will likely sell or have the capacity to sell to collectors and institutions in the near future.

Here are the links to the works I displayed on the blog throughout the week in order from first to last. (If you are limited on time I recommend #5 , from Art Perform):

1) http://danielcosentino.blogspot.com/2008/11/art-basel-miami-beach.html
2) http://danielcosentino.blogspot.com/2008/12/art-basel-miami-beach-event-locations.html
3) http://danielcosentino.blogspot.com/2008/12/wynwood-galleries-and-art-miami.html
4) http://danielcosentino.blogspot.com/2008/12/art-positions-selections-from.html
5) http://danielcosentino.blogspot.com/2008/12/art-performance-dear-clem-jordan.html
6) http://danielcosentino.blogspot.com/2008/12/scope-miami.html
7) http://danielcosentino.blogspot.com/2008/12/art-basel-miami-beach.html
8) http://danielcosentino.blogspot.com/2008/12/brunch-at-sagamore.html

Here are some thoughts on what I’ve learned:
These are likely observations informed readers may have already made or may seem obvious but I find it helps to share them anyway and maybe get a dialogue going.

1) The “Art Basel” people are event coordinators. An ‘art fair’ in general is something like a trade show – intended to present product to a public in order to sell them and make money. Art Basel Miami Beach is the open market, direct capitalism. The more of these I go to, the more I feel like I’m shopping. This is not a judgment call.
2) Art Basel Miami Beach is a spectacle. The event is ‘spectacular’ and the excitement of it attracts viewers of spectacle regardless of what that spectacle is or may be.
3) ‘The market’ and ‘spectacle’ is not the best place to explore work of any individual artist in depth because context and presentation effects the experience of the work. (save for artists whose idea of the market is part of the work, like Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst). So as a direct consequence there is a lot of work that is good but gets passed over and conversely there are a lot of grand standers.

a) Museums and museum openings in the Miami Beach and surrounding areas also participate in the spectacle that surrounds the event for the month of December. Museums are where I would go to get away from ‘art for sale’ but some museums participated in the event. It is worth a debate as to why that may or may not be a good thing.
b) As the museums participate in some direct market practices this raises the question of who answers the question ‘what is the best place to experience art work?’ This of course changes how and why art is made because the context influences production.

4) I am grateful for what I learn from the market because it brings so much new and varied work to my attention.

a) On a side note, I know several very good artists who do not participate in the market including myself to date. This raises several questions:

a. Is the market the last word in success for active contemporary art?
b. Is being part of the spectacle an act?
c. Is participating in the act interesting goal for an artist?
d. Is becoming known in the market an end goal for artists attending art school.

5) In regards to the art on display and for sale at the event and satellite events, Who buys it? And Who funds it? The best answer I can get to this for now is from the gallery owners who interact with collectors. There are many uninformed or uneducated dealers and buyers. It makes sense that they would not have the background of an educated artist or art professional yet on the other hand they have a lot of power (economic power) and earning a living has been a very real issue for me of late so they remain of interest to me.
6) Despite the negatives of operating in the market and the very real problem of finding authentic work (work that is made for a more meaningful purpose than economic success) it is an enjoyable social experience. Being with people looking at and discussing art at all levels was relieving to me and I wish there were more of a dialogue and spectacle in more places and with more frequency.

The next art fair review of this sort will happen in March of this year at the NY Armory show and related art fairs. If you’d like to join in the experience and participate in the documentation email the pRose DC at prosedc@gmail.com and include a brief description of your intent and interests.