{"id":20476,"date":"2026-02-27T06:33:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T06:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/20476\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T06:33:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T06:33:20","slug":"discover-10-highlights-from-art-basel-miami-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/20476\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover 10 Highlights from Art Basel Miami 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every December, the cultural calendar builds to a fever pitch and culminates on the sunny shores of Miami Beach. The festivities center around Art Basel Miami Beach<\/a>, which is celebrating its 23rd edition this year with 283 galleries from 43 countries and territories, but there are also a slew of dynamic fairs taking place throughout the week, including Untitled, Design Miami<\/a>, NADA, and Art Miami. Outside the fair walls, the annual pilgrimage is a whirlwind week of parties, events, artist commissions, and luxury brand activations<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After a year of palpable caution in the global art market, this year\u2019s edition of the highly anticipated Art Basel Miami Beach arrived with curious expectation. But any lingering anxieties were dissolved by the residual optimism of the record November auctions<\/a> and the slow crawl of the market year gave way to a decisive, buzzy energy.\u00a0\u201cThere is no fair in the U.S. that rivals Art Basel Miami,\u201d says David Maupin, gallery partner at Lehmann Maupin. \u201cEvery year, it\u2019s one of our most productive and rewarding events on the art-world calendar. We\u2019ve placed over 15 works so far, which is a good indication of a healthier market heading into 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are off to a very strong start,\u201d added Larry Gagosian. \u201cI\u2019m happy to see the momentum from the November auction season in New York is carrying over into the\u00a0art\u00a0fairs.\u201d On opening morning, the usual long queues of VIPs snaked through the convention center and the mood felt jovial as collectors began to swiftly snap up important works by modern and contemporary masters.<\/p>\n

Below, discover 10 incredible works that caused a stir on opening day.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Abstract\"Abstract<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSam Gilliam, Heroines, Beyonc\u00e9, Serena and Althea, (2020).
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: \u00a9 Sam Gilliam \/ Artists
\nRights Society (ARS),
\nNew York.<\/p>\n

1. Sam Gilliam at Pace<\/p>\n

A monumental work, Heroines, Beyonc\u00e9, Serena and Althea (2020) by the late abstract master Sam Gilliam<\/a> served as a dynamic statement piece for Pace\u2019s booth<\/a>. Executed late in his career, the striking painting showcases his signature expressive texture and profound command of color while powerfully celebrating contemporary Black female icons: Beyonce, Serena Williams, and tennis player Althea Gibson. As institutional and market interest in Gilliam remains high\u2014with a major exhibition at the Irish Museum of Modern Art running through 2026 as well as an upcoming Pace gallery show\u2014this work\u2019s compelling subject matter, technical mastery, and scale were a standout at the fair. The gallery confirmed the sale of the work on the opening morning for $1,100,000.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Large\"Large<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDO HO SUH
\nSome\/One, (2014).
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: \u00a9 Do Ho Suh. Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Seoul, and London.<\/p>\n

2. Do Ho Suh at Lehmann Maupin<\/p>\n

At Lehmann Maupin<\/a>\u2019s booth, a seminal sculpture titled Some\/One (2014) made an immediate visual impact. Purchased by a collector on the fair\u2019s second day for $1 million, the work is a promised gift to a major American museum. Suh, who is celebrated for his ethereal, textile-based architectural installations that investigate personal themes like home and memory, created this work in 2014 in an exploration of collective, public identity. Constructed from thousands of shimmering, reflective identity plates (or dog tags) woven together to form a protective shroud or ceremonial figure, it represents the tension between the self and the collective and was likely inspired by the artist\u2019s mandatory service in the military in Korea. Another example of the piece lives in the collection of the Seattle Art Museum.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Painting\"Painting<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDerek Fordjour, Laps at Dawn, (2025).
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Daniel Greer, courtesy of David Kordansky Gallery<\/p>\n

3. Derek Fordjour at David Kordansky<\/p>\n

New York\u2013based artist Derek Fordjour<\/a> unveiled a mesmerizing new work, Laps at Dawn, 2025, at David Kordansky\u2019s booth<\/a>. Known for his distinctive, multi-layered canvases and mixed-media approach\u2014often incorporating patterned paper, cardboard, and broad impasto\u2014Fordjour draws on visual language borrowed from parades, athletic contests, and circuses to explore themes of Black identity, performance, and systemic inequality. Rendered in bold, vibrant colors, the piece captures a moment in the quiet early morning as swimmers prepare to dive, depicting the emotional weight often at play beneath the surface of public performance.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Pop\"Pop<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAndy Warhol
\nMuhammad Ali, (1977).
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Courtesy of the artist and L\u00e9vy Gordon<\/p>\n

4. Andy Warhol at L\u00e9vy Govy<\/p>\n

Amongst the blue-chip masterpieces at New York\u2019s L\u00e9vy Gorvy Dayan<\/a>, Andy Warhol<\/a>\u2019s monumental Muhammad Ali (1977) was the booth\u2019s centerpiece and on offer at $18,000,000. The acrylic and silkscreen on canvas, which inspired Warhol\u2019s later Athletes series, was originally owned by Richard L. Weisman, and is personally autographed by Ali on the reverse. The painting\u2019s appearance in Miami marks a full-circle moment, returning Ali to the place where he won his career-defining fight against Sonny Liston in 1964, which took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center. \u201cWe are in a moment of connoisseurship where top collectors want the best of everything,\u201d gallery partner Brett Gorvy said in a statement. \u201cWith the 1977 painting in our booth, you have the best of Warhol, and an image that captures the spirit of the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\"\"\/<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFrida Kahlo
\nAutorretrato en miniatura`, c. 1938
\nSigned \u2018Mara\u2019 and dedicated \u2018Para Bartoli
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Courtesy of Art Basel<\/p>\n

5. Frida Kahlo at Weinstein Gallery<\/p>\n

Frida Kahlo<\/a> continues to build a monumental legacy, recently becoming the world\u2019s most expensive woman artist at auction during the November sales. Against this backdrop of high records, Weinstein Gallery<\/a> presents a quieter and deeply personal piece in Miami: Autorretrato en Miniatura (ca. 1938). The only miniature self-portrait she is known to have created, measuring just 5cm by 4cm, the tiny canvas was painted for the poet Jos\u00e9 Bartoli, who safeguarded it within his personal collection for five decades. Its reappearance now, sourced directly from the collection of gallery founder Rowland Weinstein, offers a rare moment of connection with the private and personal side of the artist. It is on offer for a staggering $15 million.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Abstract\"Abstract<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnish Kapoor, Untitled, (2015).
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Courtesy of the artist and Lisson<\/p>\n

6. Anish Kapoor at Lisson Gallery<\/p>\n

Lisson Gallery<\/a> saw the swift sale of Anish Kapoor<\/a>\u2019s striking painting Untitled (2015), which fetched GBP 500,000 (approximately $666,533) on opening morning. Executed in oil on canvas, the richly painted, expressive piece stood in stark material contrast to the mirrored illusions and pigment voids Kapoor is often associated with, and reveals the artist\u2019s longstanding engagement with the traditions of Abstract Expressionism.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Art\"Art<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYayoi Kusama, Where the Lights in My Heart Go\u00a0(2016).
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro<\/p>\n

7. Yayoi Kusama\u00a0at Victoria Miro\u00a0<\/p>\n

Easy to miss due to its mirrored surface, a highlight at Victoria Miro<\/a>\u2019s gallery is Yayoi Kusama<\/a>\u2019s Where the Lights in My Heart Go, one of the most conceptually rare of the artist\u2019s celebrated \u201cInfinity Mirror Rooms.\u201d Unlike the majority of her immersive environments, which rely on thousands of twinkling, LED-fueled bulbs to create the illusion of endless space, this particular installation achieves its vast, cosmic effect through a totally different technique using only ambient light to transform the space. Throughout the day, visitors could be seen waiting in line to experience the rare museum-quality work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Abstract\"Abstract<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRichard Hunt, Half Circle Runner (1979).
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Courtesy of White Cube<\/p>\n

8. Richard Hunt at White Cube<\/p>\n

At White Cube<\/a>, Richard Hunt\u2019s Half Circle Runner (1979) is a powerful bronze sculpture that is a direct tribute to the legendary American sprinter, Jesse Owens. Hunt, whose work is on view in a concurrent exhibition at the ICA Miami, created the piece after Owens received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976. Referencing the 200-meter dash, the sculpture\u2019s angular planes and sweeping, cantilevered curves perfectly abstract the athlete\u2019s launch from the starting blocks. It quickly sold on opening day for $1 million. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Art\"Art<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPae White at Kaufman Repetto
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Art Basel <\/p>\n

9. Pae White at Kaufmann Repetto <\/p>\n

At Kaufmann Repetto<\/a>\u2019s booth, Pae White\u2019s distinctive, double-sided tapestries are a magnificent study in contrasts. Produced in Belgium using an industrial loom, these hanging textiles are crafted with a blend of cotton, polyester, and Lurex. These are intentionally more modest in size and experimental in nature than the six-foot works she is known for. Looking closer at the abstract, shimmering brocade is a secret natural world filled with snails, tiny bugs, and delicate branches hidden within the geometric patterns.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Colorful\"Colorful<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEva Helene Pade, Sol, (2025).
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto: Courtesy of Art Basel<\/p>\n

10. \u00a0Eva Helene Pade at Thaddaeus Ropac<\/p>\n

The rising star Eva Helene Pade<\/a> continues her compelling exploration of collective human experience in Sol, a monumental 2025 oil on canvas, on view at Thaddaeus Ropac. Pade\u2019s signature approach depicts groups and crowds as blurred, kinetic masses where limbs and torsos and other body parts seem to multiply and dissolve into each other. This year, Pade presented a buzzworthy debut show at the gallery in October and her first museum show at the Arken Museum, Denmark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every December, the cultural calendar builds to a fever pitch and culminates on the sunny shores of Miami…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20477,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[8099,13633,13634,77,13635,13636,13637,13638,13639,13640,3865],"class_list":{"0":"post-20476","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basel","8":"tag-andy-warhol","9":"tag-anish-kapoor","10":"tag-art-basel-miami","11":"tag-basel","12":"tag-david-kordansky","13":"tag-derek-fordjour","14":"tag-do-ho-suh","15":"tag-emily-kraus","16":"tag-lehman-maupin","17":"tag-luring-augustine","18":"tag-sam-gilliam"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}