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Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 concluded just days ago, leaving the art world buzzing with record-breaking sales, innovative presentations and dynamic cultural dialogue. Marking the first edition under new director Bridget Finn, this year’s fair cemented its position as the premier art event in the Americas, drawing over 75,000 attendees from across the globe—including top collectors, curators and representatives from over 230 leading museums and institutions.
The week began with standout sales during the VIP preview, headlined by Hauser & Wirth’s $4.75 million sale of David Hammons’ Untitled (2014), the highest-priced transaction of the event. From modern masters like Pablo Picasso and Keith Haring to contemporary luminaries like Wangechi Mutu and Cecily Brown, the fair showcased a stunning array of works that captured the attention of seasoned collectors and first-time buyers alike.
With 286 galleries from 38 countries—two-thirds of them hailing from the Americas—the fair celebrated its most diverse and innovative programming to date. Highlights included the reimagined Meridians sector, curated by Yasmil Raymond, featuring monumental works by Alice Aycock and Franz West; the Nova and Positions sectors, championing emerging voices; and a robust Conversations program led by Kimberly Bradley, featuring packed discussions on the intersection of art, technology and global culture.
Reflecting on her first edition as director, Bridget Finn shared, “It was an ecstatic feeling to finally open the doors of our show to visitors, after more than a year of planning with our exhibitors and their artists, our Selection Committee, the Art Basel team, partners, and institutional collaborators. I am extremely proud of innovations we introduced this year—from the repositioning and reconceptualization of Meridians to the roll-out of a new booth model, which allowed us to welcome many vital new voices and perspectives in the main sector of the show.”
Finn added, “Across the board, galleries presented truly ambitious, rare, and in some cases career- and canon-defining proposals, which have been placed in first-rate collections and sparked significant future conversations for the art world. I am deeply grateful for the trust they lent to me for my first edition.”
This year’s Art Basel Miami Beach was a true celebration of the transformative power of art. From museum-quality installations to accessible public programs, Art Basel demonstrated why it remains a cultural cornerstone and an unmissable event on the international art calendar.
Here are some of last week’s highlights handpicked by me, many of them seen through my Rayban Meta smart glasses (who had also partnered with Art Basel for the first time):
Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 saw Hauser & Wirth emerge as a dominant force, reporting the fair’s most valuable sale: an untitled 2014 tarpaulin painting by David Hammons, which fetched an impressive $4.75 million by Wednesday afternoon. The gallery continued its streak of success with George Condo’s Female Portrait Abstraction (2024), sold for $2.5 million, and Jeffrey Gibson’s I Can Hear You (2024), which garnered $500,000.
Renowned for its curated presentations of modern and contemporary art, Hauser & Wirth returned to Miami this year with an extraordinary array of works by its most distinguished artists, including Louise Bourgeois, Frank Bowling, Ed Clark, and Philip Guston. New additions to the gallery’s roster—Nairy Baghramian, Jeffrey Gibson, William Kentridge, and Michaela Yearwood-Dan—added an exciting dimension to the display, reflecting the gallery’s dynamic evolution in 2024.
Two standout pieces from this year’s presentation captivated audiences: Louise Bourgeois’ Woman With Blue Necklace (2005), a poignant hand-sewn masterpiece exploring femininity and motherhood, and Philip Guston’s monumental Two Hearts (1978), a six-and-a-half-foot ode to intimacy, introspection, and self-revelation. Together, these works highlighted the gallery’s commitment to presenting deeply evocative, narrative-driven art that resonates across time and space.
Coinciding with her current exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photographer Anastasia Samoylova presented work from her Floridas series in this group presentation at Wentrup Gallery during Art Basel Miami Beach 2024. Living in Miami since 2016, Samoylova has used her mastery of color and form to capture the region’s complexities and contradictions, from climate change and gentrification to political extremism. The resulting images reveal deeply rooted issues within the country while breathing new life into the typically male-dominated genre of location photography.
Led by Ibã HuniKuin and founded in 2012, MAHKU’s work is centered around creating their own unique, almost surrealistic, interpretation of the Amazon forest. Their work is at the forefront of relevant social and political issues facing indigenous communities in Brazil such as reparation. Through selling their paintings MAKHU are buying back their land with the goal of gaining autonomy in their own territory of the Amazon. In Miami, MAHKU will be shown in a solo booth with Brazilian gallery, Carmo Johnson Projects as part of Positions. This new body of paintings are related to MAHKU’s Huni Kuin ancestry, and depict translated and transformed Huni Meka Chants, the ceremony in which ayahuasca medicine is consecrated.
Parley for the Oceans, the global environmental organization and nonprofit, has a presence within the Collectors Lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach for the first time this year. The space invites visitors to explore the beauty and fragility of our oceans through imagery, design and art—storytelling that communicates the urgency of the environmental crisis and the reality of the world that we all live in. Notably, Parley presents a limited-edition Pierre Paulin, Chirac Sofa, in collaboration with Paulin Paulin Paulin. The fabric of this collectible piece of design was created using the iconic red polypropylene ropes from the monumental artwork by Christo and Jeanne-Claude titled L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped 1961–2021. As done for previous Christo and Jeanne-Claude projects, all of the materials used to create L’Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped, are being reused, upcycled, and recycled.
The 3,000 meters (9,843 feet) of red polypropylene rope have been processed by Parley and together with Paulin Paulin Paulin, have been repurposed to upholster the iconic Chirac Sofa, originally created for Paris City Hall in 1988. Parley is also hosting guided tours during the public days of the fair highlighting key artworks around the theme of sustainability and has launched artist-designed scarves at The Art Basel Shop by artists Janaina Tschäpe (BR), Sam Falls (US) and Thalita Hamaoui (BR). Made in Italy and crafted from 40% silk and 60% upcycled Ocean Plastic®, the scarves will be available in editions of 100 signed and numbered artist proofs per artist for $450. Proceeds support the Parley Foundation, bringing together fashion and environmental consciousness.
The Art Basel Shop returned to Miami Beach for its largest and most ambitious iteration during Art Basel Miami Beach 2024. Spanning over 2,000 square feet at the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC), the shop showcased an eclectic blend of bespoke lifestyle and heritage products that celebrated the essence of Art Basel. Curated by Parisian creative visionary Sarah Andelman, the shop emphasized innovation and accessibility, making it a standout feature of the fair.
A highlight of the AB by Artist line was Brazilian artist Paulo Nimer Pjota’s vibrant capsule collection, featuring tie-dye T-shirts, tote bags, hats, and notebooks adorned with lush, mystical motifs. Visitors also enjoyed the debut of the AB by Art Basel Heritage line, which paid homage to the fair’s legacy with playful items like Miami-themed beach towels, golf balls, and sun shades, celebrating the festive spirit of the city.
The Art Basel Shop also featured collaborations between artists and lifestyle brands, including hand-painted Christmas ornaments by Kaye Donachie and Sola Olulode, limited-edition posters by Tyler Hobbs, and unique sunglasses by Paola Pivi.
Andelman remarked, “The Art Basel Shop allows visitors to engage with art in innovative ways, blending the everyday with the extraordinary.” Freely accessible to the public, the shop’s activations, including book signings and artist meet-and-greets, offered an inclusive and immersive experience.
Annie Morris’s Stack 8, Cobalt Turquoise (2024) enthralled us all at this year’s show. Presented by Timothy Taylor Gallery, this sculpture exemplifies Morris’s signature style: a vertical arrangement of hand-molded, irregular spheres, precariously balanced and vibrantly colored with raw pigment. Standing at approximately 257 cm tall, the piece is crafted from foam core, pigment, steel, concrete, plaster, and sand. Morris’s ‘Stack’ series, initiated in 2014, draws inspiration from personal experiences, particularly her reflections on motherhood and loss. The cobalt turquoise hue adds a serene yet dynamic presence, making it a highlight of the fair.
During this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach, Chef’s Table that became globally famous through the Netflix series, was the official culinary partner of Art Basel. Together they hosted an exclusive Fine Diner Series from December 4–7 at 820 Alton Road. Each evening featured a renowned chef reimagining classic diner fare: Michael Rafidi (Albi and Yellow Cafe) on December 4, Kwame Onwuachi (Tatiana) on December 5, Evan Funke (Mother Wolf) on December 6 and Nancy Silverton (Mozza Restaurant Group) on December 7. The venue transformed into a retro-inspired diner, offering Art Basel VIPs a nostalgic yet innovative dining experience that blended culinary artistry with the vibrant atmosphere of Miami’s Art Week.
Read the full article on Forbes.com/sites/neloliviawaga/ and view more highlights of my Art Basel Miami Beach visit here: instagram.com/her_etiquette
Founded in 2014, re-launched in 2019, by Nel-Olivia Waga. HER/etiquette is an international luxury lifestyle blog, that features curated stories coming from a conscious mindset. It collaborates with leading brands and specialists who share the idea of generating a positive impact in the world. Based in Zurich, we cover local hotspots and global trends around sustainability, innovation, well-being, health, beauty, travel, time, art, business and philantropy.
Nel-Olivia Waga is the Founder & Publisher of HER/etiquette. She is a Brand Consultant, an Author and Entrepreneur, most passionate about well-being, travel, nature and art. Her work can regularly be seen in her column on FORBES. Her consultancy YMPACT LAB, creates innovative projects for luxury brands based on passion, purpose and sustainable impact.
#ConsciousLuxury is the theme of HER/etiquette. We combine luxury lifestyle with consciousness. Each story we share, is underlined with values. The purpose and innovation of the brands we collaborate with, are as important to us, as their initiatives towards ethical craftsmanship, sustainability, holistic health and social responsibility.
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