Art Basel in Miami Beach 2014; we have come a long way in 35,000 years. To be true we still have cavemen in Miami, lots of them. But most homosapiens have evolved in their form and artistry. The first recorded painting is believed to be a giant pig in an Indonesian cave. Fast forward a few eons and we arrive in Miami, the magnificence of Art Basel. It was founded in 1970 by Ernst Beyeler, Trudi Bruckner and Balz Hilt. It’s inaugural show attracted 16,300 visitors, too many to fit into one cave .
In 2014 , there will be 267 leading galleries in the spectacle, drawn from 31 countries to the shores of Miami. Miami has even a new cave to call its own, the Perez Art Museum. It holds an eclectic collections of artists within a building that is in itself a piece of art. Displays of Mario Garcia Torres will take center stage, alongside two simultaneous shows by Beatriz Milhazes and Geoffrey Farmer.
For those just catching up Mario is a Mexican artist whom utilizes a range of medial including photography, film, and performance art. He tells a story, engaging all our senses through his unique conception presentation. Basically, he rocks. He aint your daddy’s artist, he is part of the evolution.. the revolution .
There will also be performance such as that by Ryan McNamara: A story Ballet About the Internet. It will be given at Miami Grand Theater at Castle Beach Resort, the former playboy theater. No bunnies to chase on stage but in Miami always a few endowed creatures to admire during intermission.
This year will mark the debut of Survey, a new sector dedicated to precise art-historical projects. I am not even sure what all that means , but I am excited to explore a world that is intriguing , inspiring and a little bit wacky at times. Art has a way of making us question ideas and concepts that we took for granite , just moments before the artist captivated our attention.
This year I will enter the arena of Art Basel as Daedrian McNaughton , but thereafter from December 4- 7 I will transform into someone different. This is the promise of all good art to evolve us. You know those cave drawers from 35,000 years ago, just cavemen until they sketched a few pigs and deer on bedrock.
So join me and thousands of others for the show , you might become something more than what you have been . Cavemen welcome, just don’t stare at me.
Art Basel in Miami Beach runs December 4-7. For the latest updates on Art Basel in Miami Beach, visit artbasel.com,
Photo credits: Art Basel
By: Daedrian McNaughton
Contributing editor, Dr. Mark S. Goodman