Miami Beach Art in Public Places Program Meets Art Basel

By Farah Al Qasimi

I've mentioned the concept of competitions in my posts about Art Basel, which is kind of odd since the event is not a contest with judges choosing a winner. Instead, the objective is for galleries to raise the profile of their artists and, of course, to sell their work. 

There was, however, an actual competition among the booths in the Positions and Nova sections of the show. (Galleries in the Positions sector feature solo presentations by emerging artists while Nova galleries exhibit works created in the last three years by no more than three artists.) The Miami Beach Art in Public Places program expanded in 2019 to include up to $50,000 of artwork from each year's Art Basel. The winning art is purchased by the City and showcased at the Convention Center.

By Farah Al Qasimi

A committee selected three works of art and then opened the competition to a vote by the public. The works were so wildly different that it's hard to believe they were up against one another. 

The first -- and winning -- work was "Plant Market/Stray Flowers in Swimming Pool/Still Life with Sample Text and Pina Coladas" by Farah Al Qasimi. While many people voted online based on a picture, I had the opportunity to view her work in person. It was an immersive experience featuring Al Qasimi's photographic imagining of Paradise on both wallpaper and canvas. The booth was stunning, and I could have spent a lot of time contemplating the work and its meaning. 

Fun fact about Al Qasimi: Last year, her photographs could be found on 100 New York City bus shelters thanks to a commission from the Public Art Fund. (I'm seeing a trend here.)  Many of the pictures celebrated immigrant businesses. To view some of those images, click here. 

"Untitled" by Zanele Muholi

Zanele Muholi was another artist in the running. Muholi's talent is not exactly a secret in the art community. In fact, a large banner with one of Muholi's self-portraits hung from the building opposite the Convention Center where Art Basel is held. (To see that image, click here.) Seeing the work got my day off to a great start. 

Muholi (who goes by they/them pronouns) refers to themselves as a visual activist. Apartheid was still firmly in place when Muholi was growing up in South Africa. As the formalized system of discrimination was nearing its end, Muholi came out as gay and began to face another type of bigotry. Artists don't need a reason to make political and social statements in their work. Knowing this background, though, gives deeper meaning to Muholi's art. In 2006, they began a series entitled "Faces and Phases" depicting gay and transgender South Africans, a community that continues to experience discrimination and violence today. For more on this project, click here.  

Muholi's "Hail the Dark Lioness" series features self-portrait photographs that explore South African characters and archetypes and provide commentary on the nation's history. In these works, Muholi darkens their skin tones in post-production. The resulting contrast with their eyes grabs the viewer's attention from across a room (or across a busy Miami street). 

While "Untitled" was the photograph on which people voted for the Art in Public Places acquisition, the Yancey Richardson Gallery featured much more of Muholi's work in its booth. In addition to photographs, the display included paintings and sculpture. I continue to be amazed at the ability of artists to work in multiple mediums. To see more of Muholi's work, click here. 

"Opaque Mirror for an aspiring emperor & Steak For Dinner 2021" by Troy Mazaka

The final contender was Troy Mazaka, with his "Opaque Mirror for an aspiring emperor & Steak For Dinner 2021" as the official selection. (The odd capitalization is direct from the artist.)  I either missed this booth during my whirlwind tour or Mazaka's work did not resonate with me since it was new to me when I saw it in the press release about the competition. 

Mazaka's medium is silicone infused with pigment, with the resulting works straddling the line between painting and sculpture. Troy has said of this unique material, "This medium is very intimately connected to my work...It combines a traditional art medium with a novel one. This is something that I am really conscious of doing as a contemporary Zimbabwean artist -- bringing tradition into contemporary practice... This medium allows me to move between sculpture and painting and to disrupt categories set up by people who are not us, so in a way, it is me asserting my right as an artist to determine how I am seen and not allow myself or my content to be categorized." Mazaka's style of artwork was described in an exhibit review as "a people constantly reshaping itself to acclimatize and evolve according to its often tumultuous environment." While interesting conceptually, his work doesn't grab me the way Al Qasimi's and Muholi's does. 

And so ends my recap of this year's Art Basel adventure. I'm already looking forward to next year and have vowed to expand my exploration to some of the satellite fairs. Time to start looking for some comfy shoes. For more on Miami Beach's Art in Public Places program, click here.   

Happy holidays!