The Enigmatic Quality of Art Basel Miami Beach: What Draws Us to the Artwork Within its Walls?

by Cecilia Paz, Mfa

JACK PIERSON, Capitalist Decadence, 2016

Richard Gray Gallery, about $250,000

The obvious answer is for the reason that it is created by people.

Art in an environment which is so large like the Miami Beach

Convention Center will have such diversity that it leaves us

no choice but to be attracted to our own personal preferences

found among the many exhibition spaces.

Our choices our selections our backgrounds our childhood

and our Socio-economic status will draw us to anything

this is something in marketing called psychographics.

Now, let us get back to the Art.

Art Basel Miami Beach has had grand success during its

20-year tenure drawing artists from all over the globe

along with A-List celebrities and of course, the Art Collector.

It is really not that hard to figure out why people amass in

crowds when this few day event takes place.

You could say it is the law of supply and demand.

Dealers display artist’s work based on factors of influence,

as well. This is one “well-oiled machine.” Big business

and the rush to acquire what is “in-fashion”, keep

“what was worth it”, and the exchange begins.

The business of Art is not about beauty, necessarily,

as concepts always win-out. There is merit to how things

are crafted, but there are no real rules for what is

considered “Art-Basel style Art.”

Art has been installation form (creating an environment

in a space to evoke responses from viewers), purposely.

While you would not think actual humans live among installation

art, they most certainly do. Carlos and Rosa De La Cruz

is one such couple who amassed contemporary art and

designed the first and second floor to accommodate such an

uncommon, yet looping video, pictures, wall structures and

finally topping it off with a playful spiral staircase inside

their Key Biscayne seaside home.

People collect things which remind them of the past, present

and future. It is quite simple. Like “babes in toy-land”,

the toy-store dabbed with anticipatory exhilaration awaits!

It is off to the race for the top tier acquisitions.

On your mark, get set…GO!!!

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