Sunday 2 December 2018
FRAMExperience MIAMI 2018

In December opened the third edition of FRAME, titled FRAMEmotion that offers a different format from previous iterations with an ever greater ambition: a very limited number of artists and very few galleries for the most curated art fair in Miami.

As clarified by Bertrand Scholler, founder and director of FRAME: “We could have had a lot of dealers exhibiting with us in Miami as everyone wants to be here during Art Basel week! But we chose to create something unique, something collectors have never seen in an art fair.” Four tightly curated exhibitions with real selection and scenography, a handful of artists (only 25) in a 1,000 sqm venue.

“We need the exhibitions to be very readable, feel consistent, almost natural”, comments María Diaz Rey, director of About Art Gallery in Spain and curator of the exhibitions. “We want the audience to be caught instantly in stories that demonstrate why these artists matter today and will continue to be relevant in the future.”

The FIRST EXHIBITION is a retrospective of the work of Jason Newsted from his early creations to his present creation. The iconic bassist of rock band Metallica, Newstead presents the whole range of his work from very naive portraits to heavily painted large canvas. “I’ve always painted. It just has proven easier to go public with my music than with my art”, explains Newsted. “Showing my paintings is something new for me. I’ve never studied art, never interacted with art people before. I’m learning”.

The SECOND SHOW revisits the Silk Road and the interaction between European, Middle-Eastern and Asian countries. How do different cultures interact with each other? How to define identity? How art is influenced
by mobility? By digital transmission? What is still local? What is still personal? 
Works from Niloufar Banisadr, Azam Shadpour, Thomas Kaniowsky,Ole Aakjaer and Lamazares explain how and why humanity is both a whole and extremely scattered. “We wanted to build a contemporary critical reflection on the commercial relations between countries. We took an historical-poetic approach to remind us about the importance of trade routes in regards of spreading art and ideas”, says María Diaz Rey.

The THIRD SHOW – “Wheel of Destiny” – questions power and how both the strong and the weak are necessarily intricately connected. Are we doomed to repeat violence and mistakes? “This presentation opens up to rebellion against the political and social injustices of today. We will present works form Pascal Vochelet, David Ramírez Gomez, Incze Mozes, Diop Diadji, Elodie Pierrat, Lamazares, Milan Medic and Misha Most.”

The LAST SHOW is all about the power of money and therefore the power-cons of art. Artists interrogate the importance of money and the effect it can have on people both with and without it. They also question the role of art in a society. Should creation reflect society and its obsession for wealth? 
Should art be totally integrated into capital markets? What does art bring to society? Should it be a contrary force in today’s world? Should it fight for mankind as a whole?

But not everything is about fancy curated shows. Renting the Sagamore during the Art Basel week must be expensive. There certainly is a business model behind it. “We need to be pragmatic. People are in Miami this week for Art Basel. If we want to attract them to our event, we need to be intriguing. And when they’re on site, they need to forget about everything else. They need to be 100% in the art, 100% in the story. Collectors are not used to this anymore, especially not on art fairs. In today societies, the only real luxury is time. Sales come through the quality of the time and the enjoyment we can provide during these little moments. The key is being the one satellite event that visitors will remember when they leave Miami. If they can go back home with one or two artworks, it is even better!

The choice of venue is as symbolic as committed our team is :1,000 sqm in one of the best hotels on Collins Avenue. Location is key.
We were lucky to get the Basel Art Center in Basel. We were very tenacious in getting the Sagamore in Miami. You want it to feel easy and natural for people to cross the street and simply be there.
The Sagamore is also one of the historic venues in Miami Beach. We believe that places have souls. We are inspired by the site. It interacts with the exhibitions we’re setting up there.