|
As is so often the case with cultural festivals and fairs, it’s the outsiders at Art Basel Miami that are generating the most buzz and interest of all. Along with Aqua, -scope and Pulse, NADA is one of the sub-fairs that is gaining a rapid momentum—it is proving to be just as inovative as the leaders. Last year, the NADA Art Fair established itself as a groundbreaking collaborative effort, bringing together in Miami many of the top innovative contemporary art galleries and non-profit spaces from around the world. The fair was conceived as a forum for the New Art Dealers Alliance to further achieve its goal of fostering a stronger community for the arts via collaboration and the encouragement of non-adversarial approaches to exhibiting and dealing art. |
 |
NADA Art Fair Miami – Suzie Walshe
As is so often the case with cultural festivals and fairs, it’s the outsiders at Art Basel Miami that are generating the most buzz and interest of all. Along with Aqua, -scope and Pulse, NADA is one of the sub-fairs that is gaining a rapid momentum—it is proving to be just as inovative as the leaders.
Last year, the NADA Art Fair established itself as a groundbreaking collaborative effort, bringing together in Miami many of the top innovative contemporary art galleries and non-profit spaces from around the world. The fair was conceived as a forum for the New Art Dealers Alliance to further achieve its goal of fostering a stronger community for the arts via collaboration and the encouragement of non-adversarial approaches to exhibiting and dealing art. Held at the Performing Arts Centre in Miami, the fair will feature approximately 83 galleries from 18 countries around the world, in addition to artist’s projects, publications and events. With its open floor layout, high-roofed spaces and expanded outdoor garden area, the Ice Palace will again provide a beautiful and unique setting for collectors, curators and art followers alike.
The list of exhibitors includes A GENTIL CARIOCA (Rio de Janeiro), The Apartment (Athens), Art: Concept (Paris), Evergreene (Geneva) and Fortescue Avenue/Jonathan Viner (London). The key picks for this year include The Green On Red Gallery from Dublin—one of Ireland’s most dynamic and exciting commercial galleries, Goff + Rosenthal, (New York/Berlin, USA/Germany) and NOGUERAS BLANCHARD (Barcelona) who represent the ensuing, post-modern freak out that is Annelise Coste. The way Coste confronts and exposes conflicting emotions in her paintings is courageous and mature, her work’s thought out process and external anxiety appears to be an emerging theme this year, and definitely makes her one to watch. Additionally, the Electronic Arts Intermix is a reliable but powerful force in Miami this year too.
As an organisation, NADA explores a sense of community and support—the energetic work reperesented often claims to serve artists and to create new tastes rather than just following them. The idea that a competitive approach to exhibiting and selling art has run its course is, in itself, an interesting concept. It is specifically so considering the fact that art fairs are commercial events. In the end, NADA is an art fair and the work is in competition to be sold—and in Miami money talks. Thus, even though NADA is a smaller art fair, the money speaks loudly.
Last year’s NADA fair had 61 contemporary art galleries and non-profits representing New York City, the USA and overseas—this year’s has 80 plus. The general belief is that everyone involved in NADA last year made money (New York gallerist Oliver Kamm reported selling almost everything in his booth within an hour of the opening)—prices ranged from $5,000 to over $200,000 in individual gallery sales. This year, a booth at the fair costs $6,000 plus, with discounts for non-profits. Although still a new organization, NADA represents many of the most dynamic and important young power players on the scene today, and the financial stakes are already high. Its success as an independent fair is such that it has even spawned many smaller, alternative, imitator satellite fairs, such as FRISBEE.
