Scope Miami Beach opens its doors the to the general public today and festival goers are about to get a taste of some of the best contemporary art around the globe. Where else but in this billowy white tent on 9th and Ocean Drive can work from Havana, Seoul, New Orleans, and Buenos Aires stand shoulder to shoulder, awaiting the eager gaze of critics and art lovers alike?
This year's exhibition doesn't disappoint. With over a 130 galleries squeezed into maze-like alcoves, navigating the show's vast expanse can prove tricky for even the most seasoned connoisseurs.
Don't fret, we're here to break down the shows that stand-out from the pack.
See also: Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 Fairs Guide
Apart from the independent galleries, Scope has organized special projects, each of which highlights a designated theme. Feature | Korea is an undertaking done in collaboration with the Galleries Association of Korea and sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Fourteen galleries from Seoul have been selected to highlight the current art trends within the small nation.
Located at booth E01, Gana Art features the work of sculptor Yi Hwan-Kwon. Inspired by old TV shows that featured larger than life personalities compressed vertically to fit the small screen, the artist imagines a world that mimics that stretched-out aesthetic. Looking at his work is disorienting and confusing -- viewers are left wondering if they're holograms or sculptures.
Art Park Seoul, B09, is another gallery participating in Feature | Korea. One of their featured artists, BAE Joonsung, plays with the notion of traditional artistic representation using holograms. The artist inserts herself into canonical paintings, but as the viewer moves, they discover her nude body in the scene.
Dubner Moderne, H13, features the work of Chinese artist Li Jin. Working in the mode of traditional folk paintings on rice paper, the artist subverts traditional notions of representation with his unique sense of humor and point of view. Sexually deviant, cringe-worthy, and hilarious, Jin often paints himself into his work. Whether or not they're autobiographical, that's something you'll have to figure out.
The Hashimoto Contemporary, H09, highlights Scott Scheidly's off-color political satire. His unorthodox paintings explore the ideas of masculinity and power through social perceptions of color.
The Jonathan Levine Gallery, B16, is part of Juxtapoz Presents. The collaboration between SCOPE and Juxtapoz Magazine is meant to feature genre transcending works that embodies a New Contemporary aesthetic. The photo-realistic canvasses of Dan Witz capture the fleeting moments of a mosh-pit, or clubroom dance floor. Both dark and ecstatic, his work skirts the line between photography and painting.
Another Juxtapoz Presents player, Inner State Gallery (C05), highlights Ryan McCann's Death To Shepard Fairey. The mixed media sculpture dramatically points out art world contradictions and argues that the commercialization of street art has striped it of its creative value. A heavy claim here in the Magic City.
Hidden towards the back of the exhibition, Natology (D33), features Los Angeles based poet and performer Jacqueline Suskin. Her pop-up Poem Store creates short verses for hire. Like an improvisational player, Suskin takes a one word suggestion from her patron and then clamors away at her Hermes typewriter for approximately 30-seconds. The resulting work is an elegantly composed stanza that riffs on your desired topic. How exactly does she craft these deeply emotional works with mechanical precision? "I use the same size paper, it helps with time management," Suskin quipped.
Those are our favorites. Let us know what yours are.
Scope is open to the public December 3 through December 7, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. General admission is priced at $30, with students paying $20. The exhibition pavilion is located at Ocean Drive, between 9th and 10th Streets, Miami Beach. Organizers have also coordinated complimentary shuttle service between Scope, Art Basel Miami Beach, and the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, courtesy of FIAT.
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