Whitewaller Miami 2019: Your Ultimate Fair Guide

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about Art Basel in Miami Beach, Design Miami/, and the other fairs happening this week.

Art Basel in Miami Beach
December 5–8
For the 18th edition of Art Basel in Miami Beach, the fair brings together 269 leading galleries from 33 different countries. This year, the fair has expanded its programming with a new sector, entitled Meridians, and it will also welcome 20 first-time presenters, including a strong roster of galleries from the Asian continent.

Curated by Magalí Arriola, director of Museo Tamayo, the new Meridians chapter invites galleries to debut a large-scale work that pushes the limits of the traditional art fair format. The first iteration of the sector will include the works of artists like John M. Armleder with Almine Rech; Adam Pendelton and Fred Wilson, each represented by Pace Gallery; and Theaster Gates, presented by White Cube, in cooperation with Richard Gray Gallery and Regen Projects.

Presenting in the main sector of the fair are 203 galleries, including 13 first-time presenters: Peter Blum Gallery, Ceysson & Bénétière, Clearing, Hanart TZ Gallery, High Art, hunt kastner, Gaga, Karma, Maisterravalbuena, Galeria Jaqueline Martins, Revolver Galería, Tyler Rollins Fine Art, and Société. Returning galleries include names like James Cohan Gallery, Lévy Gorvy, Mai 36 Galerie, Acquavella Galleries, Lisson Gallery, Galleria Franco Noero Skarstedt, blank projects, Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, Paragon, Galerie Mitterrand, and Perrotin.

Design Miami/
December 4–8
Returning for its 15th year, the 2019 iteration of Design Miami/ will include 33 galleries and 14 Curio presentations by some of world’s top gallerists, designers, and curators, featuring presentations surrounding the theme “Elements: Water.” Following Aric Chen’s debut role as curatorial director at Design Miami/ Basel last June, Chen’s second fair will welcome presenters from 13 countries, including three new galleries—Galerie Scene Ouverte, Erik Thomsen Gallery, and AGO Projects.

Fairgoers this year should look out for highlights like a solo exhibition of works in glass by Robert Wilson, presented by Cristina Grajales Gallery; Friedman Benda’s immersive installation by Daniel Arsham; and a selection of rare, historical works like furniture made by Paul Frankl in 1933 at Moderne Gallery. Other not-to-miss presentations include Kerr Fine Art’s Curio, “Africa: Traditions-Art-Design”; Wexler Gallery’s presentation of Roberto Lugo; and an experiential installation by Lexus, which includes an environment informed by the Japanese concept of engawa.

Some returning presenters include Friedman Benda, Hostler Burrows, Jason Jacques Gallery, R & Company, Todd Merrill Studio, and The Future Perfect hailing from New York; Galerie Philippe Gravier and Galerie Patrick Seguin from Paris; Florence’s Galleria Antonella Villanova; Mercado Moderno from Rio de Janeiro; Southern Guild from Cape Town; and Pierre Marie Giraud from Brussels.

UNTITLED, ART Miami Beach
December 4–8
Featuring 126 galleries and nonprofit spaces from 28 different countries, the 2019 edition of UNTITLED, ART Miami Beach is under the care of artistic director and curator Omar López-Chahoud. Returning to Miami for its eighth year, this year’s fair includes a special installation by independent guest curator Jordan Stein, as well as a new Writer in Residence program, which is to be inaugurated by Osman Can Yerebakan.

Along with an expanded roster of new and international participants like Addis Fine Art (Ethiopia), MAKASIINI CONTEMPORARY (Finland), Zidoun-Bossuyt Gallery (Luxembourg), and Pintô International (Philippines), this year’s UNTITLED, ART fair welcomes back presenters like Addis Fine Art (Addis Ababa | London), Lora Reynolds Gallery (Austin), Pratt Fine Arts (Brooklyn), Zipper Galeria (São Paulo), El Apartamento (Havana), Edel Assanti (London), Galerie Kornfeld (Berlin), and Clint Roenisch (Toronto).

Things to look out for this year include Primo Marella Gallery of Milan’s presentation of work by Joel Andrianomearisoa, who represented Madagascar at the Venice Biennale earlier this year; Blackpuffin’s collaboration with For Freedoms; Yancey Richardson Gallery of New York’s group exhibition of works focusing on the evolution and perception of gender roles and sexual identification; and Osman Can Yerebakan’s contributions to the Writer in Residence program, which will include daily writings on the happenings of the fair and more.

PULSE Art Fair
December 5–8
Celebrating its 15th year, PULSE Art Fair returns to Miami under the new direction of fair director Cristina Salmastrelli. With this year’s fair addressing the theme “The Calm in the Palms,” the anniversary edition brings an exciting roster of programming and a dynamic, welcoming environment offering a luxury experience for buyers and art lovers alike.

New this year, visitors at the fair can expect to find PULSE Perspectivos, a
series of dual-language programming in Spanish and English. Fairgoers will also have access to a relaxing wellness lounge and an oceanfront table service restaurant with food and beverage from Malibu Farm Miami Beach, in partnership with the Eden Roc Miami Beach & Nobu Hotel Miami Beach. And among other highlights, The Rendon Gallery is showcasing The Casspir Project—Ralph Ziman’s multidisciplinary response to Apartheid’s effects on the culture and community of South Africa. Regular programming from previous years will also be returning, including PULSE Projects, PULSE Play, and the PULSE Prize, to be awarded to an artist or solo exhibitor of distinction.

Featuring more than 50 exhibitors, this year’s lineup includes galleries like Vellum Projects (Brooklyn), X-Change Art Project (Lima), ClampArt (New York), ESPERANZA PROJECTS (Marfa), Gallery Poulsen (Copenhagen), JD Mallat Gallery (London), K Contemporary (Denver), 182ARTSPACE (Tainan City), ANNA LAUDEL (Istanbul + Düsseldorf), and Rademakers Gallery (Amsterdam).

SCOPE
December 4–8
With its own bespoke pavilion on Ocean Drive, SCOPE Miami Beach returns for the 19th year, once again providing fairgoers and artists with a platform for discovery.

This year’s edition offers a new program, OASIS—an experiential multidisciplinary sector supporting the fair’s commitment to wellness through daily offerings like large-scale installations, panel discussions, music performances, guided meditations, and CBD spa treatments. Fairgoers should also look out for a showcase of Chinese contemporary art, FOCUS | ART CHINA. This year, VIP cardholders will also have access to a special series of talks and events, as well as exclusive transportation by Porsche.

The 2019 edition of SCOPE welcomes around 140 exhibitors, including Cube Modern Gallery, GALLERyLABs, VON EWEGEN, Gallery d’Arte, Callan Contemporary, Axiom Gallery, Baha Mar Gallery and Art Center, Mirus Gallery, Mironova Gallery, MORDEKAI, Mortal Machine, Pure Evil, RIZOMI, SUM Gallery, The Directed Art Modern, Thinkspace, ARTE GLOBALE, AC Contemporary Art, ALMANAQUE fotográfica, ArtConvex, Askeri Gallery, bG Gallery, Oxholm Gallery, Neumann Wolfson Art, and RGB Contemporary.

NADA
December 5–8
With representation from 25 countries and 56 cities, the 17th annual NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) art fair will take place at Ice Palace Studios, putting a focus on supporting new voices in the contemporary art community. Joined by 136 presenters this year, the fair will feature 71 NADA member galleries and will also include 28 first-time exhibitors.

Fairgoers can expect to see solo showings of artists like Agnieszka Brzezanska (BWA Warszawa), Guadalupe Maravilla (Jack Barrett), Ariana Papademetropoulos (Soft Opening), Aaron Gilbert (Lulu), and Peter Williams (Luis De Jesus Los Angeles), along with presentations by spaces like 14a (Hamburg), Galeria Alegria (Madrid), Super Dakota (Brussels), Tops Gallery (Memphis), Soft Opening (London), TIF SIGFRIDS (Athens), Creative Growth Art Center (Oakland), Clima (Milan), Deli Gallery, Koenig & Clinton, and Jack Hanley Gallery (New York). Also included is a roster of NADA projects by galleries like IDOLON GALLERY (Taipei City), Exo Exo (Paris), Mexico City’s DES (Daniela Elbahara Studio), in lieu (Los Angeles), Lítost (Prague), Tatjana Pieters (Ghent), and XYZ collective (Tokyo).