By Ted Loos, December 1, 2016
Excerpt:
Twenty-one galleries are making their debut at Art Basel Miami Beach on Thursday, out of some 600 dealers who applied for the fair and 269 who were accepted. The lineup is determined after much debate on the merit of each and how individual galleries contribute to the overall balance of the show. The New York Times asked Noah Horowitz, the fair’s director, to highlight several newcomers.
The sprawling fair is divided into multiple sectors, which can help visitors make sense of its size. Galleries is the main event, intended for top dealers from around the world.
Di Donna Galleries, New York / Galleries
Founded by Emmanuel Di Donna, a former Sotheby’s executive, the Upper East Side dealer specializes in Surrealist and Modern art, as well as other postwar works. Not only is this Di Donna’s first showing at Art Basel Miami Beach, it is the gallery’s first art fair. “He’s a great example of a young but superserious, secondary-market dealer,” Mr. Horowitz said, using the industry term for works that have been previously bought and sold. “He does formidable research on these shows. He’s someone we think will be on the scene for many years to come.” The mix of works includes “La Joconde” (1967), an eight-foot-tall bronze by the Belgian Surrealist René Magritte, and “Femme, oiseau, étoiles” (1942), a work in gouache, charcoal and pastel by the Catalan Surrealist Joan Miró. Also on hand is a sculpture by the lesser-known Italian Fausto Melotti, “La rivoluzione dogmatica” (1969), made of brass and fabric.