Alexander Hankin Debriefs On The Best Of Art Basel

If you were in Miami this week, hitting up branded party after branded party, maybe carving out some spare change time to stroll through one or two booths, that’s not 'Art Basel.' 

But I digress...

I can't lie, this year was not the most exciting or ground breaking year for the art fair to date. Perhaps with the possible global recession looming, and the tense politically correct climate gallerists chose to play it safe? Hard to say. I must however note though that this year there was a refreshing breadth of artists that I'd never seen represented at the fair before, which is a welcome development.

So, curious which galleries piqued my interest the most after days of walking around this here-one-minute-gone-the-next art world Mecca?

White Cube Gallery – E8
This London based gallery always delivers, with a great range of works on display by contemporary artists that are current, thought provoking and whimsical. 

This year had great works by, Liu Wei, Gunther Forg, Damien Hirst, Robert Irwin Mark Bradford and Theaster Gates. The focal point of the booth though is the 'Bowl of Eggs (yellow)' by Jeff Koons. It’s having varied reactions, but honestly it brought me a lot of joy.

Acquavella – B4
Acquavella is nothing short of a powerhouse. This year they brought a great array of modern masters and contemporary artists. Works by Warhol, Lucio Fontana, Calder, Miro - it was a must see booth at the fair. I in particular loved the 'Dolly Parton' by Warhol and 'Tom Sachs Federal Express.'

Marianne Boesky Gallery – B-12
The quality and craftsmanship of the art at Marianne Boesky is always of the highest quality. I love the variety of materials, textures, and subject matter that can be found in the work of the artists on their  roster. The piece de resistance of the Gallery has to by far be Gina Beavers 'Drama Queen Lip,' a giant acrylic. 

The work is so detailed you want to give them a kiss - but remember, don’t touch the art!

Matthew Marks – B5
Matthew Marks always delivers wonderful works by contemporary artists. The works on display this year were bright and colorful, with the main highlights for me being the two works by Alex Da Corte. 'Les Fleures du Mal' is a fabulous giant neoprene upholstery flower vase, while 'Double Rainbow' is a neon work which gives off Mariah Carey’s Rainbow album vibes.

Meredith Rosen – S14
This has to have been my favorite booth at the fair. Guillaume Bijl created an entirely
immersive casino experience inside Meredith Rosen’s booth. 

The presentation re-staged Bijl's 1984 installation at S.M.A.K. Ghent of a working casino. Bijl is known for his large-scale installations and visual realism. He has had a role in pioneering the resurgence of the ready- made. 

Because the work was placed in the fair, it's appreciated as sculpture and the players are the performers. 

Everything was fabricated down to the Dutch masters on the wall! 

Design Miami
Design Miami was a complete, wonderful, brilliant sensory overload. When visiting Art
Basel Miami Beach it's always worth walking next door. Maybe I've just become a design junkie, but I think Design Miami was the highlight of all the fairs. With great installations by Gallery All from LA, R & Compnay, Dolce and Gabba Alta Moda, Rademakers Gallery, Fendi Casa, Gufram, Kohler, and Bottega Veneta’s Gaetano Pesce which has everyone a buzz. Design really was overflowing with creativity. Plus it was great to see new works by my dear friends and design superstars Harry Nurive and the Haas Brothers.