As the 15th edition of Art Basel in Miami Beach opened its doors, visitors were treated to a surprisingly serene atmosphere and a serious tone that the Miami fair’s audience doesn’t typically encounter. Gallery presentations were strong and deliberate, whether they were delving into the current political climate, mining art history, or debuting new works from blue-chip artists, fresh out of the studio. The fair’s curated sections, like NOVA and Kabinett, felt cogent and cohesive, each standing firmly on its own. And while many booths stopped me in my tracks, these 20 made me stick around for a while longer.
David Nolan Gallery
Galleries Sector, Booth B6
With works by Jorinde Voigt, Jonathan Meese, Serban Savu, Richard Artschwager, Jim Nutt, Mel Kendrick, Carroll Dunham, Wardell Milan
It’s never a surprise to see major curators hanging around Nolan’s booths at art fairs, a clear sign of the quality of his programming. This year, the booth features a suite of rhythmic works by Jorinde Voigt; a new large-scale mixed-media “painting” by one of the youngest artists on Nolan’s roster, Wardell Milan (titled Around about noon. That’s the time of the warmest color, 2016); new large-scale paintings by Jonathan Meese—who currently has a solo show on view at the New York gallery—and a suite of black-and-white ink drawings by Carroll Dunham. The booth’s light, airy design nicely complements the richness of the works Nolan is showing, giving them the space needed to take them in.
