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Courtesy of Eliza Jordan.

SCOPE Miami Beach 2019: Art Week’s Wild Show Off

Each year, SCOPE Miami Beach draws quite a diverse crowd to its contemporary art-filled tent on the beach. This year, for its nineteenth presentation, the fair offers 137 exhibitions and a brand-new program—Oasis, an experimental multidisciplinary sector supporting the fair’s commitment to wellness.

Daily offerings for Oasis include large-scale installations, panel discussions, music performances, guided meditations, and CBD spa treatments. Upon entering the tent, you’re caught in said Oasis, encouraged immediately to wander its funky layout before entering the actual fair.

Courtesy of Eliza Jordan.

Guests should also look out for a showcase of Chinese contemporary art, FOCUS | ART CHINA. This year, as well, VIP cardholders will also have access to a special series of talks and events, and exclusive transportation by Porsche.

Per usual, SCOPE is a fantastic fair for us to explore new art and artists from an array of countries and creative backgrounds. A special part of its relaxed vibe, as well, are the artists that hang out in the booths and chat with fairgoers. That was surely the case today, with a right-off-the-bat welcome by New York-based Neumann Wolfson Art. We were first drawn in by the works of Louis Granet—an artist who was at the gallery’s booth in PULSE last year, highlighted in our annual round-up—but stayed to chat with a “new” face. Seasoned New York-based artist Michael Bevilacqua was there with his works—like Green Musk, Balenciaga Fragrance 7, and Split Jungle—which showed his unique artistic approach. In each piece, we see a hooded figure (in a way, Bevilacqua’s self-portrait) looming behind, and seemingly within, washes of color and names of some recognizable brands like Balenciaga and Sega.

Courtesy of Eliza Jordan.

A booth over, at Mirus Gallery, we fell for every work by Pichiavo. Ancient Greek goddesses were painted, awash in in hues of light pink, standing in front of a graffiti background. The artist also created Hybris to Aphrodite I, which faced the large-scale painting, and the piece’s veiled face—in resin with marble powder and silk—was a treat.

As we continued down the purveying path of art, we were entranced by an oil on canvas piece by Marta Penter in Caldwell Snyder’s booth. The painting depicted a calm female figure, made up of shades of grey, relaxing on an electric blue pool float. Around the bend, we were led to other calming waters in New York-based Krampf Gallery’s booth, featuring works by Chinese artist Hou Young. Gallerist Regis Krampf was there to walk us through the works on view, explaining he began collecting Chinese art in 2005, interested in various traditional techniques—like laying paint strokes, seen in Young’s work.

Courtesy of Eliza Jordan.

Vogel Sang Art Gallery presented an interesting work by Belgian artist Hubert Bouttiau, focused on popular Instagram profiles. The common thread? Wealth. Overall, he noticed that consumption, and overconsumption, was the basis of so many profiles, leading onlookers to sensations of jealousy and envy. The work on view, Envy, depicts these feelings and highlights them in a work created to mimic an Instagram image—strategically showing luxury goods in-frame—from the user’s point of view.

Hong Kong-based gallery presented vibrant works by artist Mito Tez. One in particular, MAMAMARIO, pulled on our inner childhood heartstrings, showing a series of Mario characters leaping together but with varying eyes. We then wandered into the house (or a handful of houses) of our dreams through architectural masterpieces by Lisa Ashinoff. Shown at Monika Olko Gallery, pieces like Austin Park and Leon showed the artist’s dedication to precision and her range of mediums—one oil pieces was seen on a Birch wood panel, the other on canvas.

Courtesy of Eliza Jordan.

And on the way out, we got lost (once again!) in the many corners of Oasis. Our favorite part? The teeny-tiny disco by Mister E from his “Art of Money” series.

 

Courtesy of Eliza Jordan.

 

 

Courtesy of Eliza Jordan.

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