In 2002, the first fully realized edition of Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) was launched. The New York Times’ Amei Wallach wrote: “The five-day fair brought together 160 dealers and several thousand high-powered collectors and curators of modern and contemporary art from around the world,
who thronged the city’s museums, galleries, and restaurants.
They dined in exclusive art-studded villas…and drank a seemingly endless supply of sticky sweet green apple martinis.” One decade later, the throngs have surged and the parties have multiplied. ABMB is a sibling to Art Basel Switzerland, one of Europe’s foremost modern art shows. Basel sought westward expansion, and Miami Beach won the bid. Although the affiliation is at first puzzling, Basel sought an avenue into the American market
and Miami Beach offered the attributes desired. ABMB attracts big names
and big money and does not in any way attempt to stifle frivolous behavior of the nouveau riche. It is common knowledge that the US art industry
is largely housed in New York City; with a departure to Miami Beach, celebrities and socialites are beckoned to see and be seen. Celebrity glorification is a staple of American culture, one that is quite acute
in Miami Beach. Be that as it may, art culture imported during this fleeting week is brewed, steeped and ready for consumption.
If one choses to do so, it is indeed possible to bypass the fluff
and focus on the substance.

A host of satellite fairs set up temporary orbit in Miami Beach hotels
and on the mainland in sprawling white tents during Art Basel week.
Art Miami, Scope Miami, Pulse, The New Art Dealers Alliance, Aqua Art,
INK and BURST all piggyback on the buzz created by ABMB.

Art Miami and other satellite fairs were favorable to ABMB in certain, specific ways. Artists are present, and interact with the public- with prospective buyers as well as those who just showed an active interest
in their work. The environment was more intimate, and ultimately,
just more friendly. During my maiden waltz through Art Miami,
the first gallery at which I paused was Schuebbe Projects, Düsseldorf.
It was here that I met Per Adolfsen, an artist born and based
in Odense, Denmark.

Will Ryman (Desumblimation of the Rose)

Where do you believe the next art bubble will be, once Berlin deflates
a bit?

Right now, I think that the scene is big in Berlin and in London.
I see a lot of cultural influences colliding in London.
It is so unpredictable.

In comparison to the United States, how is modern art received
in Scandinavia?

The scene is different where I come from, the European culture is much
more ancient than that of the American. Therefore, its almost as if Americans have only ever known modern or contemporary art. A good example is the manner in which Americans worship Andy Warhol. People love Andy’s art, but they also love the lifestyle he led and the circle of celebrities who surrounded him. Artists are not often treated in this manner in Europe. If they gain attention, it is for their work, not for their social status. It is not such a priority to achieve celebrity status in Europe, especially Scandinavia. Fame is not the point. Europeans are very critical of art,
and they can be skeptical of new things.

Do you believe that Denmark is an appropriate place to create?

Yes, I do. But I believe that it is good to abroad to create as well-
you need to see both sides. An artist needs to create in a space that
is comfortable, where the days elapse and blur together and you have
no notion of time. However, creating art in a foreign environment can
most certainly be a catalyst.

Per Adolsen

What about creating in New York City?

In New York City, yes, but Brooklyn is where I really mean.
The pulse in New York makes me feel alive. The energy is so high,
there is always so much going on. It inspires me to create and to be productive. Of course New York is known for the Chelsea galleries,
but there is much more beyond that. The society is such a diverse mixture, whatever you are looking for, its probably there. The reason I prefer Brooklyn is because I am surrounded by like-minded people in
a liberating space.

You have shown multiple times in Asia, do you enjoy the atmosphere there?

I like to go, I like the energy, it’s a big hub of activity.
The modern art scene there provides a certain type of release.
The culture is much different than what you will find in Europe or America.
It is similar to what we were talking about before, about creating
in different, foreign spaces- it can be very necessary to escape.
Also, given the culture, I am treated much differently there than
I am any other place that I have been.

Carmen Spera (Guns and Roses)

In addition to the 260 galleries showing work by more than 2,000 artists within the Miami Beach Convention Center, the event features a multitude
of other ways to stimulate an artistic appetite.
Art Basel Conversations is a forum ranging from single artists to larger panels providing an opportunity for dynamic dialog. Since the Art Basel Conversations program began, a highlight has been the Premiere Artist Talk – an event that is meant to set the stage for all that is to come.
This year, the honoree was the Mexican-born artist Gabriel Orozco.
Michelle Kuo, Editor at large, ARTFORUM was the moderator
for the discussion.

The notes that I took while sitting front row:

-Moderator | Hans Ulrich Obrist, Karl Holmqvist, Artist, Poet and Performer, Gerry Bibby, Artist, Tracey Emin, Artist, Olivier Garbay, Artist, Jonas Mekas, Writer, Curator and Filmmaker

The final Conversation of ABMB was ‘The Future of Artistic Practice,
The Artist as Poet.’ The panel included Gerry Bibby, Tracey Emin, Olivier Garbay, Karl Holmqvist, Jonas Mekas and moderator Hans Ulrich Obrist.
Each artist performed a personally penned poem as sound poetry.
Sound poetry is essentially an artistic expression in which the voice,
both spoken and written, plays a fundamental role. It is an aesthetic
that cannot be neatly categorized, but greatly appreciated. Poetry exists within the ethos - like music, you cannot grasp it physically
and the process is never concluded.
As the five artists vocalized their pieces, impact was immediate,
and indeed fleeting. For, unlike a painting that can be examined and reexamined, every word bespoke was meant for that moment and none other.
During the concluding question and answer portion of the Conversation,
a member of the audience raised their hand with a request for Jonas Mekas:

“give us an anecdote about Harry Smith.”

By Elizabeth Katharine James

Robert Indiana

Nick Cave

Robert Indiana

Jenny Holzer

Nicolas Saint Gregoire

Miami

Zhuang Hong YI

Todd Murphy

Zhang Dali

Elmgreen & Dragset

Per Adolsen