![]() The attendant claimed it was already sold, the gentleman asked how much it sold for and the attendant said nonchalantly «Two Million». I dont remember the name of the artist but it was monochromatic and pretty dull from the 1950’s. In all seriousness, when can you get three (or more) Alexander Calder mobiles hanging up close and personal next to a couple of Miros and a Picasso? Calder is one of my favorite artists ever, I was SO HAPPY! We actually were standing in front of a painting of vases that measured about 1 foot by 1 foot, a pretty boring painting actually and heard someone ask the attendant how much was it selling for. I realized then and there you can cover dog poo in crystals and dog poo would look fantastic! What? A couple of hundreds of thousands of dollars for the pile? I will take it! My house needs bling. Ok, so I admit that some of the art left me scratching my head confused hoping to find the artist knowing that sometimes it just takes understanding the thought process behind it. Just like that tarp they forgot to take off the wall… no WAIT that really was art. Come see half filled bottles of beer that are ART! Oh wait that really was a half full bottle of beer someone left laying around. The crowd in front of Kris Martin For Whom….Step out of your boring life in all different shades of grey and step into the wonderful world of ART! The heart and soul of Art Basel this is the premier expo that has the who’s who of art, art collectors and art afficionados. Spectator in front of Tracey Emin I Felt You And I Know You Loved Me Lehmann Maupin VIP spectators and half-empty champagne glasses mingling opening night Yan Pei-Ming Obama 2008 David Zwirner Gallery (back) Red on red Thukarl + Tagra Artificial Straw Bose PaciaĪ younger crowd in front of Doug Aitken Start Swimming 303 Gallery Jeffrey Deitch (in black suit) with Deitch Projects team at their booth Vernissage crowd in front of Ryan McGuinness Only A Thief Thinks Everybody Steals 2008 Deitch Projects Regardless, Sean Kelly reported on Thursday “everyone just feels a sense of relief it hasn’t been this catastrophic storm of the art market.” In other words, the glass is still half-full of champagne here at Miami Basel. In addition, if more established artists are selling at Art Basel, it may be the less established artists at Basel and the smaller satellite fairs in Wynwood that bear the brunt of the art recession. Thus, while the first few days have been brighter than the dismal forecast, time (and final sale numbers) will tell a more complete tale. Unlike other fairs, buyers at Miami Art Basel have been known to purchase after Vernissage and even up to the closing days. Thus, for next few days, steady sales will be imperative here to justify such optimism in Miami’s convention center. Vanessa Beecroft, Blonde Figure Lying, 2008 (front) Vladimir Dubossarsky & Alexander Vinogradov The Beatles 2008 (back) Deitch Gallery ![]() Alfons Klosterfelde at Klosterfelde was most direct: “People are asking more questions and really want to know the details,” but he said pointedly as of Thursday, “there have been less sales” and Klosterfelde remarked the pieces sold were from the gallery’s more known artists. However, it’s important to note while the larger known artists have been selling strong, some galleries have reported some difficulty selling lesser known artist pieces. Margherita Belaief of Peres Projects had the same confidence, “It’s hard to say so early but in general, Dash Snow’s pieces are selling strong.” While hesitant to disclose precise numbers, the overall sentiment of the top galleries was optimistic. On Thursday afternoon, Douglas Baxter, President of Pace Wildenstein professed “We’ve met expectations.” Also on Thursday, when asked his feelings on sales from the night before, a representative at Cheim & Read insisted his artists have been selling well, pointing to Jack Pierson sculpture and a pile of William Eggleston’s photos. More importantly, buyers were in attendance, asking questions and indeed, according to most of the galleries interviewed for this article, buying. The night of December 2nd, Vernissage attendees glittered and Piper Heidsieck champagne flowed. Frankly, people are expressing more confidence in the art market than the government or Wall Street right now,” said Sean Kelly of Sean Kelly Gallery. “The surprise is the business we are doing. Grayson Perry Entrance To The Forest 2002 Victoria Miro Gallery London -Photos by ArtObserved ![]()
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