More Than Niche, Asia Influences Art Basel Miami Beach

Art Notes from the Field on theWanderlister+ by Shana Beth Mason

Art Asia in Miami (via ARTBASELGUIDE)

The most concentrated collection of Asian artists and galleries during the visual onslaught that is Art Basel Miami Beach is Art Asia; a satellite fair sharing a pavilion in Midtown Miami with the 11-year old SCOPE Art Fair. Galleries from Moscow, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hanoi and Beijing were among those locales represented for an audience exceeding 10,000 visitors. International galleries Sundaram Tagore (with bases in New York, Beverly Hills and Hong Kong), Tally Beck (New York and Bangkok), Eli Klein Fine Art (New York and Beijing) and AiBo Fine Asian Art (New York and Hanoi) acted as a fulcrum to balance a diverse range of visitors who, very likely, have had limited exposure to a faithful representation of Asian art in Miami. Galleries with bases exclusive to Asia found themselves introducing their country and their general aesthetic before proceeding to their artists’ individual projects.

With the flurry of events between November 29th and December 4th, it was, at best, difficult to assess what were the fiercest contenders for sales and ‘eye traffic’ based on simply wandering through the booths. Press calls, artist talks and individual museum projects, gallery shows away from the nuclei of the art fairs and, of course, the parties were all potent distractions.

Some strong presentations at Art Asia Miami 2011 on the fly:

Quentin Shih / ‘Shanghai Dreamers, No. 2’ (2010) / C-print / 44” x 44”

Courtesy of Art Lexïng, Miami

Quentin Shih’s wide open spaces juxtaposed with traditional Chinese dress and school costumes had a distinctly French twist: Christian Dior. Originally presented at the Ullens Center of Contemporary Art in Beijing back in 2008, Shih was among 22 artists who had collaborated with the haute couture atelier. Unintentionally, the exhibition allowed questions of global outsourcing, slave labor and fashion’s vacillating criteria of physical beauty (pitted against pointedly Chinese impressions of political responsibility reflected through traditional dress) to bubble to the surface. Seeing the large-scale photographs, courtesy of Miami-based Art Lexing, at the front of the fair was, obviously, a crowd-reeling strategy, but somehow felt natural in its darkened booth as the fair’s entre nous.

Be Takerng Pattanopas / ‘Adrenaline Rush No. 3’ (2008) / Ink on paper / 1’ 3” x 1’ 10” / Courtesy of Tally Beck Contemporary, Bangkok/New York

One of Tally Beck’s artists stood out in particular in the form of Bangkok-based artist and architecture lecturer Be Takerng Pattanopas. Seeming to be little more than flutters or wisps of color onto linen-toned canvases, hints of red and black are ‘Hairscapes’; a reflection on the artist’s self-professed fetish with human hair, these poetic treatises drew more than a few eyes. Electing a series of gestures which backed away from aggressive political protest or submission to Western tastes, these ink drawings captured the ideal (but wholly perceivable) spirit of Thailand, itself: pure, non-cynical and light.

Asad Faulwell / ‘Mujahidat No. 8’ (2009) / Mixed media / 122 x 92 cm

Art Asia PRESENTS: Emerging Voices from Iran and the Iranian Diaspora

Courtesy of Galerie Kashya Hilderbrand, Zurich

As a general observation, the galleries tended to display wall-based works with minimal protrusions into three-dimensional space (forgivable, considering the distance they’ve traveled to display them, but also as to increase their chances of making the ‘smash-and-grab’ sale versus the considerably lengthier processes of selling massive installation or sculptural works).

Liu Bolin / ‘Hiding in the City - No. 65 Telephone Booth’ (2007) / C-print / 118 x 150 cm / Courtesy of Eli Klein Fine Art, Beijing/New York

Director Jeffrey Lawson reflected on the nature of Western visitors’  interaction to Asian art in Miami. ‘Our mission,’ says Lowden, ‘is to continue our focus on the promotion of established and emerging Asian art from the entire Asian diaspora. As for our growth, we continue to look for new opportunities to explore new methods and potential markets to promote the galleries and artists that work with and support ART ASIA.’

Art Asia at Art Basel Miami Beach 2011 ran from Nov 30 to Dec 4, 2011 http://www.artasiafair.com

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Shana Beth Mason is an art consultant and critic based in Miami. She holds a master of arts degree in the History of Art & Connoisseurship (Modern and Contemporary Art) from Christie’s Education London. Mason is the Miami editor of Whitehot Magazine, and regular contributions include 4x Magazine, ArtLurker, ArtPulse Magazine, Artlog, humble arts foundation | blog, Miami Art Guide, PODER Magazine (Miami), Sculpture, The Art Economist, Whitewall and Whitehot Magazine. She has contributed catalogue essays for Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, Salustiano, Oleg Tistol, Rick Falcon and Francesco Lo Castro. For more information on this and any other related item, email    shana@shanabethmason.com or contact her at http://www.shanabethmason.com

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