It's only August, but Miami's already prepping for the annual artopia that is Art Basel -- and so is Brazil. Dozens of art fairs and expositions roll through the city during Miami Art Week, but the first annual Brazil ArtFair plans to distinguish itself among the crowd.
"The Brazilian fair is not just an art fair, it's a private initiative for the Brazilian and international art market," Michel Serebrinsky, founder and partner of the project, told New Times.
Serebrinsky's aim isn't just to introduce us to his homeland's booming contemporary art scene, but to help establish its galleries, design studios, and artists on a global scale. "Last year alone I visited 12 fairs here, so I come talk to people. It's a process to know where you're going and understanding your local market and just exchanging information and understanding how everything works," he said.
Serebrinsky recognizes the potential and creativity in his country's contemporary young artists, who until recently have had limited opportunities to put out their work on a worldwide level. Now, the demand for Latin American, and specifically Brazilian art is skyrocketing, and Miami Art Week could be a spotlight opportunity for the fair's emerging artists. "It's a matter of observing the process that the Brazilian market is going through," Serebrinsky said, noting that the Brazilian art market grew 22.5 percent last year -- well above Brazil's GDP growth of 0.9 percent.
ArtFair utilizes a consulting committee based in Brazil. "We provide or put the galleries in touch with expert people to help them out with anything they need to be a player in the global market in this fair or in Miami, which is a major gateway to the international market in December," Serebrinsky said.
After everything is finalized, 40 yet-to-be-announced Brazilian galleries and hundreds of artists will display their work for the five day event at Midtown's 38,000-square-foot expo center. Attendees can expect 600-foot exhibition booths, official sponsor booths, and indoor and outdoor lounges. And of course, it wouldn't be Art Basel without a VIP room. "For us, the place to be is in Midtown. It's on the corner of the avenue; it draws a lot of attention; it's in front of the parking lot. For the kind of work we are doing, we are very happy with our spot in there," Serebrinsky said.
So start brushing up on your Portuguese. As the season of art satellite fairs and expos galore approaches, the galerias brasileiras are coming with experimental, vibrant, and contemporary designs straight from South America.
The first edition of Brazil ArtFair debuts with a VIP preview Tuesday, December 3, before its official opening during Miami Art Week, Wednesday, December 4 through Sunday, December 8 in the Midtown Miami Arts District, near Wynwood, NE 36th Street, Miami.
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