Five Artworks Not to Miss at Art Basel Miami Beach 2024

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Miami, as Art Basel unwraps its 22nd edition at Miami Beach Convention Center from 6 to 8 December.

It’s the first under the directorship of Bridget Finn—formerly Mitchell-Innes & Nash and Anton Kern Gallery—and of the nearly 300 participating galleries this year, 34 are first-time participants, among them Gallery Vacancy (Shanghai) and Gallery Baton (Seoul).

Ocula Advisors Simon Fisher, Eva Fuchs, and Rory Mitchell have handpicked five outstanding works to look out for, from Chase Hall‘s coffee-stained portrait presented by David Kordansky Gallery to Kim Yun Shin‘s intensely coloured abstract painting at Lehmann Maupin.

Lonnie Holley‘s Beyond the Stone Carvers (2023) at Edel Assanti

As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and for American artist Lonnie Holley discarded objects like rusted padlocks and old organ pipes are latent jewels to be reclaimed and reconfigured into meaningful assemblages that reflect the world around him.

In Beyond the Stone Carvers, Holley conjures magic from stone and steel wire. The stone, which resembles a carved offcut of an antique sculpture, forms a base for swirling wires shaped into portrait profile outlines—a recurring figurative motif in Holley’s practice that evokes a connection to ancestral spirits.

Holley’s Art Basel presentation follows his acclaimed solo show All Rendered Truth at Camden Art Centre in London this past summer, as well as his participation in Edel Assanti’s group exhibition, The Stars Fell on Alabama: Southern Black Renaissance (until 30 November 2024).

Kim Yun Shin‘s Longing 2024-5 (2024) at Lehmann Maupin

’[My work] isn’t quiet. It’s full of something that overflows and explodes. It’s a strong representation of my thoughts,’ Kim Yun Shin told Ocula earlier this year.

Much like her totemic wooden sculptures—which draw upon the mindful practice of stone stacking in Buddhist meditation and the spiritual symbolism of Korean Jangseung totem poles—Kim’s paintings channel a similar intensity, brimming with emotion and expression.

In Longing 2024-5, fragmented acrylic strokes cascade rhythmically across the canvas. Tile-like patterns emerge and dissolve among clusters of dots and sweeping curves rendered in vivid purples, blues, greens, and greys. Step back, and the apparent chaos resolves into structured segments evocative of stained glass.

Next year, Lehmann Maupin and Kukje Gallery—who in January announced their co-representation of Kim—will present solo exhibitions of the artist’s work in London and Seoul respectively.

Chase Hall‘s County (2023) at David Kordansky Gallery

Self-taught artist Chase Hall is a long-time favourite among Ocula Advisors. Known for his textural acrylic and coffee-stained portraits on cotton canvas, Hall explores themes of identity, often focusing on everyday life, labour, and community.

County features thick contours and expressive brushstrokes that outline a portrait with a direct gaze. Rendered in deep, earthy hues made of brewed coffee pigment, the painting combines fluid, acrylic strokes and thick, impasto textures that emerge from the canvas to give the subject an organic tactility.

Also on view over the fair’s duration is a suite of new paintings in Hall’s solo exhibition Halfrican (8 November–14 December 2024) at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles, while next year, the artist is set to participate in the group exhibition Painting Energy: The Alex Katz Foundation Collection at the Portland Museum of Art, Oregon.

Luísa Matsushita‘s As meninas [The girls] (2024) at Luisa Strina

Luísa Matsushita’s painting As meninas [The girls] is a tender tribute to childhood friendships. The work is inspired by sleepovers with friends Carol and Ana, and transforms these intimate memories into a personified abstraction.

The São Paulo-based artist describes the work as ‘a bird’s-eye view’ of nights spent in deep conversation, celebrating the emotional generosity and strength of these formative bonds.

Rendered in oil on canvas, the painting shows off Matsushita’s signature use of defined colour contrasts and abstract forms.

Look out for other works on view by Brazil gallery Luisa Strina, including those by Alfredo Jaar and Robert Rauschenberg, among others.

Maurizio Cattelan‘s Under (2024) at MASSIMODECARLO

Maurizio Cattelan continues to uphold his reputation as an art-world provocateur with the recent sale of his duct-taped banana work, Comedian (2019), for USD 6.2 million at Sotheby’s New York auction this month.

MASSIMODECARLO brings to Miami the Italian artist’s multimedia piece, Under (2024). This 24-karat gold plated stainless steel panel, riddled with bullet holes against the faint outline of the American flag, juxtaposes opulence with destruction. The work critiques a culture where beauty and brutality intersect, urging viewers to reflect on their desensitisation to violence. —[O]

Main image: Chase Hall, County (2023) (detail). Acrylic and coffee on cotton canvas. 30.8 x 30.5 x 3.5 cm. Courtesy David Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles. Photo: Dario Lasagni.