Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 concluded its vibrant five-day run at the Miami Beach Convention Center, drawing over 75,000 attendees. This marked a slight decline from the 79,000 visitors last year but reaffirmed the event’s status as a premier gathering in the global art scene. Held amidst the bustling Miami Art Week, the fair complemented a series of notable events, including Untitled Art and NADA.

This year’s edition featured 286 galleries from 28 countries, surpassing last year’s 277. Among these, 34 were first-time exhibitors—the largest group of newcomers in over a decade. Notably, South and Central America were well-represented, with 19 galleries from Brazil alone.

A New Era of Leadership

The 2024 fair was the first under the direction of Bridget Finn, an accomplished gallerist with a rich background, including co-founding the Detroit-based Reyes | Finn in 2017. Finn brought a fresh vision to the fair, refining its offerings and creating new opportunities for discovery.

“Staging a show of this scale is a monumental effort,” Finn stated. “I am extremely proud of the refinements we achieved this year, from repositioning Meridians to introducing a new booth size that welcomed diverse voices and perspectives.”

Art Market Highlights

Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 capped off a year of uncertainty in the art market but still delivered impressive sales. Although fewer seven- and eight-figure transactions were recorded compared to past editions, significant sales underscored the event’s success.

Leading the sales was Hauser & Wirth, which sold David Hammons’s Untitled (2014) for $4.75 million during the VIP preview. Additional notable sales included:

• George Condo’s Female Portrait Abstraction (2024): $2.5 million
• Ed Clark’s Untitled (1986): $1.4 million
• Charles Gaines’s Numbers and Trees: Tanzania Series 1, Baobab, Tree #4, Maasai (2024): $795,000
• Rashid Johnson’s Soul Painting “Honey” (2024): $750,000

Miami’s Legacy Purchase Program acquired Nina Surel’s ceramic wall installation, presented by Spinello Projects, adding a local touch to the fair’s global appeal.

[ Installation view of Hauser & Wirth’s booth at Art Basel Miami Beach, 2024. Photo by Dan Bradica. Courtesy of Hauser & Wirth. ]

Looking Ahead

As Art Basel Miami Beach continues to grow and innovate under new leadership, it remains a cornerstone of the international art calendar. This year’s event celebrated diverse artistic voices, significant sales, and the vibrant culture of Miami Art Week, leaving attendees eagerly anticipating what’s next.

Explore more about the intersection of art and luxury at beluxurycollection.com. (Source: Artsy.com)