Kabinett: Curated group and solo exhibitions spotlighted at Art Basel in Miami Beach
A diverse range of curatorial concepts drive the Kabinett sector at the 2013 Art Basel show in Miami Beach. Chosen by the show's Selection Committee, 25 galleries present tightly focused exhibitions within a designated section of their booths, including group and solo shows by historical figures and emerging artists.
A celebrated sector of the Miami Beach show since 2005, Kabinett gives gallerists a strong platform to display the curatorial aspect of their work. Bridging the gap between performance and the exhibition space, Kavi Gupta Gallery features Theaster Gates’s 'Migration Rickshaw for German Living', a presentation of one of the 12 ballads for the Huguenot House, which the artist created for Documenta 13 in Kassel, Germany. Henrique Faria Fine Art’s exhibition ‘Body: Air, Water and Earth’ documents Yeni and Nan’s most emblematic photographs, video art and the groundbreaking action-based art from the 70s and 80s. Luciana Brito Galeria exhibits the results of Marina Abramović’s extensive research on the Brazilian countryside, with a series of works never seen before – the groundwork for a project planned for Brazil in 2015.
Kabinett’s appeal reflects the potential to discover unknown artists as well as to rediscover established artists. Hirschl & Adler Modern presents a selection of drawings from the remarkable Outsider artist James Edward Deeds, while Francis M. Naumann Fine Art features a thoughtful consideration of Man Ray’s work as a printmaker. A rare series of small scale painted wooden objects of the 1950s and early 60s by Leon Polk Smith is on show at Valerie Carberry Gallery. Yvon Lambert's Kabinett is dedicated to an installation by Damir Očko focussing on a poem by the artist titled 'We saw nothing but the uniform blue of the Sky'. Alexander Gray Associates presents a focused selection of historical works by Luis Camnitzer, executed between 1972–73.
Reflecting Latin America's vibrant art scenes, Kabinett presents a wide range of work by artists from and tied to the continent. Galerie 1900-2000 dedicates its Kabinett presentation to drawings by Marius de Zayas, a Mexican artist, writer and art gallery owner who was influential in the New York arts circles of the 1910s and 1920s. Galerie Thomas Schulte features a selection of new works across a variety of media, including found objects and assemblage by Danilo Dueñas. Presenting Raymundo Colares alongside José Bento, A Gentil Carioca juxtaposes two generations of Brazilian artists. For his solo exhibition at Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Luis Gispert continues his meticulous anthropological study of American subcultures to re-appropriate traditional codes of photography and 20th century sculpture. Exhibited works portray Gispert’s fascination with the fetishization of Latin American modernism, Latin American music, and the Black Power movement of the 1960s. Additional highlights in Kabinett include Sam Francis’s historic paintings at Van Doren Waxter, Sean Scully’s pastels on paper at Galerie Lelong and recent works from Mel Kendrick’s complex sculptural practice, plus works on paper, at David Nolan Gallery. Lehmann Maupin presents the gestural sculptures of Tracey Emin’s latest series alongside a series of self-portraits. Al Taylor’s prints and mixed media works at Niels Borch Jensen Galerie, presented in collaboration with David Zwirner, draw into question the perception of reality by blurring the real, the imagined and the illusional. A related inquiry is found in Galerie Urs Meile’s presentation of Hu Qingyan’s 'Edition of 8', eight marble sculptures carved precisely according to the original model of a single rock that the artist selected in Hebei, China. Art : Concept’s installation of works by Richard Fauguet includes a Moleskine notebook containing 117 drawings created through
frottage – rubbing over a textured surface – that creates a dialog on the nature and perception of the image. Further presentations include a sculpture and neon by Claire Fontaine at Metro Pictures, and Richard Meier at Galerie Gmurzynska.
Finally, Kabinett’s format allows perspectives on an artist’s long-term practice. Galerie Nathalie Obadia’s solo show of Martin Barré presents four works from between 1959 and 1992, showing the evolution and influence of his work over more than 40 years. Mehdi Chouakri’s exhibition of recent works by Gerold Miller reflects a dramatic shift in the work of an artist concerned with the most fundamental questions of sculpture, relief, painting, and installation. Kicken Berlin presents a survey on the theme of night time, made manifest through a tightly curated selection of photographers from all over the world, while Galerie Krinzinger shows a selection of artists from the gallery's long-running international residency program.
The full list of artists presented as part of Kabinett is available at artbasel.com/miamibeach/kabinett.
Important Dates
Opening Day (by invitation only): Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Public Show Dates: Thursday, December 5 to Sunday, December 8, 2013
