![\"Miami](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Print_approx_21_x_14_cm_2022_10_25_AB_jackman_46_HiRes.jpg\")
Art Basel Miami Beach runs through December 5 at the Miami Convention Center. Courtesy of Art Basel<\/p>\n\t\tArt Basel Miami Beach runs through December 5 at the Miami Convention Center. Courtesy of Art Basel<\/p>\n
Following a multi-million-dollar marquee auction week<\/a> and early sales at Untitled and NADA Miami<\/a>\u2014both making a case for cautious optimism\u2014all eyes were on Art Basel<\/a>\u2019s VIP opening on December 3. Despite the early line at the oceanside entrance, the atmosphere by 11 a.m. was noticeably more subdued and the crowd less international than the one at the opening of Art Basel Paris just two months earlier. Still, as the only Art Basel in the Americas, the fair continues to draw some of the country\u2019s most prominent collectors, as well as others from further afield, to a city where it\u2019s now more common to hear Spanish than English.<\/p>\n Bridget Finn acknowledged during the preview that Miami sits at a cultural crossroads\u2014and that Art Basel Miami Beach<\/a> is uniquely positioned to activate that intersection. \u201cThe fair brings together the artistic ecosystems of North and South America in conversation with global perspectives, creating a platform where new voices and long-established programs can thrive side by side,\u201d she said, noting how that mix defines the city\u2014a place where artistic innovation, historical depth and cross-regional exchange meet in ways that feel both urgent and generative.<\/p>\n Despite a seemingly quiet start, the fair quickly filled up, and by early afternoon, booths were buzzing with sales-focused conversations\u2014a welcome change from the usual kiss-and-check dynamic at recent U.S. art fairs<\/a>.<\/p>\n By 3 p.m., Hauser & Wirth<\/a> had already sold 40 percent more than its entire week\u2019s total from last year\u2019s edition. \u201cChristmas came early for our team this morning,\u201d said Marc Payot, the gallery\u2019s president<\/a>, noting that despite the leisurely pace, business remained brisk. \u201cWe\u2019re already fielding inquiries about the works that will be newly installed tomorrow when we switch things up for the second day.\u201d Among the sales, at least six works were in the six-digit range, including Untitled (Taxi Painting) by George Condo<\/a> ($3,995,000); museum-grade pieces by Louise Bourgeois<\/a> ($3,200,000), Ed Clark<\/a> ($1,200,000) and Henry Taylor<\/a> ($1,200,000); and a large-scale Rashid Johnson<\/a> ($1,000,000). The gallery also made early sales of works by Ed Clark, Henry Taylor, Rashid Johnson, Pat Steir, Reuben Patterson, Carrie Yamaoka, Jake Brush, Sean Bennett, Qiu Xiaofei, Annie Leibovitz, Lee Bul, Nairy Baghramian, Mar\u00eda Berr\u00edo, Catherine Goodman, Angel Otero, William Kentridge, Elliot & Erick Jim\u00e9nez, Sarah Crowner, Aneta Grzeszykowska, Masaomi Yasunaga and others.<\/p>\n David Zwirner<\/a> quickly followed with the top sale of the day: a Gerhard Richter for $5.5 million, reinforcing the momentum for the German artist in the Americas after his $23 million record at Art Basel Paris, which coincided with the opening of his largest survey at Fondation Louis Vuitto<\/a>n. The gallery also secured key historical works, including 1967 Nude by Alice Neel, which sold for $3.3 million, and two luminous Homage to the Square paintings by Josef Albers from the 1950s and 1960s ($2.5 million and $2.2 million). As her extensive traveling retrospective <\/a>opens at MoMA, Ruth Asawa\u2019s intricate wall sculpture from 1969 sold for $1.2 million, alongside a strong lineup of works by Oscar Murillo<\/a> ($350,000), Robert Rauschenberg<\/a> ($300,000), Elizabeth Peyton<\/a> ($240,000), Dana Schutz<\/a> ($240,000), Josh Smith<\/a> ($180,000) and Marlene Dumas<\/a> ($120,000). Photography also performed well, with two Wolfgang Tillmans<\/a> photographs selling for $115,000 each and a William Eggleston<\/a> photograph selling for $500,000. Multiple Raymond Pettibon<\/a> prints sold for $50,000 each.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still early in the fair, but already it\u2019s clear that there\u2019s continued momentum following Art Basel Paris and this season\u2019s auctions in New York,\u201d Thaddaeus Ropac<\/a> told Observer, confirming the positive energy on VIP day but noting that the majority of collectors driving the scene were from North and South America rather than Europe and Asia. \u201cIt\u2019s also good to see these collectors, many of whom we haven\u2019t seen at the other fairs.\u201d Early sales included two Alex Katz<\/a> paintings for $2.5 million and $1.5 million, a Georg Baselitz piece for \u20ac1,000,000, a Robert Longo for $750,000, two Antony Gormley sculptures (\u00a3450,000 and \u00a3175,000), a Tony Cragg sculpture for \u20ac425,000 and Justine for \u20ac300,000, along with works by Megan Rooney, Joan Snyder and Martha Jungwirth.<\/p>\n Almine Rech also reported several six-figure sales, including a Picasso painting for $2.8-3 million and a James Turrell work for between $900,000 and $1 million. Other sales included a Larry Poons painting ($275,000-300,000), works by Joe Andoe and Emily Mason ($110,000-120,000 each) and a Vaughn Spann painting ($75,000-80,000). At White Cube<\/a>, Willem de Kooning\u2019s painting sold for $2.85 million, Damien Hirst\u2019s When the Heart Speaks for $2.5 million, Tracey Emin\u2019s neon for \u00a31.2 million and Andreas Gursky\u2019s Harry Styles (2025) for \u20ac1.2 million. Additional works by Cai Guo-Qiang, Raymond Pettibon, Katharina Grosse, Christine Ay Tjoe, Sarah Morris and Ilana Savdie also sold.<\/p>\n Among other heavy-hitters and top sales, Pace placed Sam Gilliam<\/a>\u2019s Heroines, Beyonc\u00e9, Serena and Althea (2020) for $1.1 million ahead of his 2026 solo show at Pace in New York, alongside a magnificent Lynda Benglis<\/a> gold leaf work priced at $400,000. Emily Kam Kngwarray<\/a>\u2019s 1995 painting sold for $350,000 ahead of her solo exhibition. Elmgreen & Dragset<\/a>\u2019s gilded bronze and lacquer installation sold for $320,000, while Alicja Kwade<\/a>\u2019s two sculptures sold for $130,000 and $110,000. Leo Villareal<\/a>\u2019s Golden Game (Small) 4 (2025) sold for $85,000. Early sales also included Pam Evelyn<\/a>\u2019s abstract work for $85,000 and Lauren Quin<\/a>\u2019s painting for $80,000.<\/p>\n Gladstone also reported strong early sales as it fuels momentum around Robert Rauschenberg<\/a>, with his Tarnished Honor (Copperhead) selling on site for $1.5 million. Works on paper by George Condo sold for between $95,000 and $200,000, and Ugo Rondinone\u2019s stacked-stone sculptures sold for $300,000-350,000 each. Other sales included David Salle\u2019s The Suit for $130,000 and three Robert Mapplethorpe editions for $200,000 each.<\/p>\n Lisson\u2019s most notable placement came with Anish Kapoor\u2019s oil on canvas measuring 153 \u00d7 214 cm, which sold for \u00a3500,000, alongside with two works by now high in demand Olga de Amaral. Also sold on the first day were two C-prints shoots by Hiroshi Sugimoto ($250,000 each), Otobong Nkanga, Pedro Reyes ($180,000; $50,000; $50,000; $50,000),Tony Bechara ($60,000) and two works by Jack Pierson ($175,000; $125,000), who is also having a solo at the Bass at the moment<\/p>\n While the fair had fewer historical masterpieces than usual, standout works at mega-dealer Gagosian<\/a> included a monumental Maurizio Cattelan marble sculpture of a falling eagle\u2014a fitting metaphor for the fall of the American dream\u2014and a Willem de Kooning from the 1980s. These were presented alongside an atmospheric Frankenthaler, a Richard Avedon photograph of Audrey Hepburn and works by Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and others.<\/p>\n The most expensive work in the room this year was Andy Warhol\u2019s portrait of Muhammad Ali, which was offered at $18 million in the prime position at the Levy Gorvy booth. The painting marked a full-circle moment for Ali, who famously fought Sonny Liston at the Miami Beach Convention Center in 1964. Autographed on the back by Ali, the painting was originally owned by Richard L. Weisman, a friend of Warhol\u2019s who inspired him to create his \u201cAthletes\u201d series, recognizing the cultural stature of athletes alongside arts and entertainment celebrities in the 1970s.<\/p>\n Perhaps the rarest piece was Penetrable by Jes\u00fas Rafael Soto, resurfacing on the market after 20 years and shown in the U.S. for the first time by RGR Galeria in the Meridian sector<\/a>. Priced in the six-digit range, the work immediately attracted museum interest, with institutions scrambling to secure funding for this groundbreaking, once-in-a-lifetime piece.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, PPOW unveiled a long-unseen, 12-foot-wide epic mural by Martin Wong, priced at $1.6 million. As Art Basel expands globally, it is adapting each fair to its local strengths, Wendy Olsoff<\/a>, the gallery\u2019s co-founder, told Observer, acknowledging that as this challenging year comes to a close, there\u2019s a real sense of renewed optimism around the Miami fair\u2014especially after Paris and the New York auction seasons both felt buoyant.<\/p>\n Stretching its muscles in Miami with a massive booth, Perrotin<\/a> reported a full sell-out within the first hours for its solo corner dedicated to Lee Bae<\/a>\u2019s exploration of black and materiality, with works priced from $60,000 to $200,000. The gallery also reported sales of works by Genesis Belanger, Oli Epp, Vivian Greven, Izumi Kato, Nikki Maloof, GaHee Park and Xiyao Wang, each placed in the $30,000-60,000 range. Additional early sales included a painting by Daniel Arsham for $95,000, as well as three works by Takashi Murakami.<\/p>\n Templon also had a successful first day. \u201cThe fair opened with remarkable momentum for us,\u201d Claudie Coric, the gallery\u2019s executive director, told Observer. \u201cWe\u2019ve been thrilled to reconnect with many collectors from Florida and across the U.S. who have shown strong enthusiasm for our most innovative voices in contemporary figurative painting.\u201d Early sales included Will Cotton\u2019s painting for $22,000-200,000, Kehinde Wiley\u2019s miniature portraits for $125,000-200,000 and works by Alioune Diagne for $34,000-64,000. The gallery also featured a sculpture by Chilean light artist Ivan Navarro, priced at $110,000, reflecting the growing interest in more forward-thinking aesthetics.<\/p>\n David Maupin described Art Basel Miami as \u201cone of the most productive and rewarding events on the art world calendar.\u201d By the first day, the gallery had placed more than 15 works, signaling a healthier U.S. market heading into 2026. Among the works sold were McArthur Binion\u2019s DNA: Study series for $500,000, a new glass-beaded painting by Liza Lou for $200,000-250,000 and works by Anna Park for $25,000-35,000. An additional three works by Do Ho Suh\u2014including a large-scale piece from his Scaled Behaviour series\u2014were added to the sales list by evening, likely inspired by the artist\u2019s current major show at Tate Modern in London.<\/p>\n Marianne Boesky also saw strong sales, including four two-part cloud works by Sanford Biggers<\/a>, which sold for $125,000-135,000 each, a Kwam\u00e9 Azure Gomez<\/a> painting for $25,000 and four works by Thalita Hamaoui<\/a> for $25,000-44,000. Additional sales included works by Svenja Deininger, which sold for $18,000-80,000 and a painting by Aubrey Levinthal for $36,000.<\/p>\n Hamaoui\u2019s works have also made their way onto waiting lists for Sim\u00f5es de Assis<\/a>, with many collectors requesting pieces. The Brazilian powerhouse gallery has placed works across the Midwest, Europe and the U.S. A work by Emanoel Ara\u00fajo also found its way into an exceptional American private collection, while Manfredo de Souzanetto is drawing significant attention from U.S. museums and institutions.<\/p>\n Tina Kim Gallery<\/a> also had a strong showing of Korean masters and new talents, placing three Ha Chong-Hyun<\/a> paintings for $250,000-390,000 each, two Kim Tschang-Yeul<\/a> paintings for $330,000 and $100,000 and works by Lee ShinJa<\/a>, Suki Seokyeong Kang<\/a>, Kibong Rhee<\/a> and Pacita Abad<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mid-tier and emerging presentations hold the market<\/p>\n Early sales flourished across other price points, with both mid-tier and emerging tiers not only holding their ground but showing revitalized dynamism, as the week\u2019s earlier fairs had already hinted at. Young dealer Matthew Brown<\/a> proved he could keep pace with his older peers, reporting by the afternoon that he had sold more than a dozen works by gallery artists Sasha Gordon, Mimi Lauter, Kenturah Davis, Heidi Lau, TARWUK, Keni Ide, Olivia van Kuiken, Omari Douglin and Julie Beaufils, with a combined total in the range of $750,000-850,000.<\/p>\n A sense of relief and optimism prevailed, Brown confirmed to Observer, noting that in the early hours he met both seasoned collectors looking to add marquee works to their collections and first-time buyers still discovering what the fair had to offer. Brown also sold an important work by Carroll Dunham, priced at $350,000, ahead of her drawing retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago in January 2026, which will be followed by a solo show at the gallery in September 2026 in New York.<\/p>\n \u201cMiami is stronger than ever,\u201d echoed local dealer Sarah Gavlak. \u201cEveryone\u2019s here\u2014Beth DeWoody, Komal Shah, Robert Stillin, and so many of the collectors and curators who have been integral to our story. There\u2019s a real sense of momentum and generosity this year.\u201d Her West Palm Beach gallery celebrated its 20th anniversary (and its 18th time at Art Basel) with several early sales by artists Jessica Cannon, Maynard Monrow, T.J. Wilcox and Nancy Lorenz, as well as a secondary-market masterpiece by Abstract Expressionist pioneer Helen Frankenthaler<\/a>, totaling between $400,000 and $450,000.<\/p>\n It was also a successful first day for Uffner+Liu<\/a>, marking their second participation at the fair ahead of their debut in Hong Kong. By early afternoon, the New York-based gallery had sold more than seven works by Anna Jung Seo, Talia Levitt, Anne Buckwalter, Sarah Martin-Nuss and Roger White, for a combined total of $90,000-110,000.<\/p>\n Among the many established Brazilian dealers, Nara Roesler\u2019s offerings captured significant attention from a diverse group of collectors, including those from Brazil, Mexico, the U.S. and Asia. On the first day, the gallery placed works by Tomie Ohtake for $240,000, Sheila Hicks\u2019s Uirapuru (2025) for $220,000 and Asuka Anastacia Ogawa for $60,000. Two works by Marco A. Castillo, priced at $50,000 each, found buyers, along with Karin Lambrecht\u2019s Murmur, Whisper the Sea (2025), which sold for $36,000 and M\u00f4nica Ventura\u2019s sculptures Passarinhas (2025), each priced at $5,000.<\/p>\n Despite the global reach of Art Basel Miami, the fair remains a challenging space for regions like Southeast Asia, which have rarely been foregrounded at the event. This year, India\u2019s powerhouse Vadhera Gallery made its Miami debut after a successful European tour. While the crowd wasn\u2019t as large as anticipated, the engagement from visitors was meaningful, as many were excited to see an Indian gallery at the fair for the first time. Works by established artists such as Arpita Singh and Sudhir Patwardhan were sold to collector friends of the gallery, while works by younger artists like Zaam Arif and Shrimanti Saha found new homes with collectors from New York and Peru, respectively. \u201cOverall, an encouraging response for our debut participation. We have a good feeling for the rest of the week,\u201d Roshini told Observer. Among the highlights in the Vadehra\u2019s booth is Gauri Gill<\/a>\u2019s The Americans, a series of archival pigment prints created between 2000 and 2007 exploring the South Asian diaspora in the U.S.<\/p>\n Another New York establishment, Peter Blum\u2014with a booth anchored by a museum-grade sculpture by Nicholas Galanin and Luisa Rabbia\u2019s epic monumental panel in Meridians\u2014also experienced early sales that defied expectations. Several works by the evergreen artist Alex Katz sold, alongside more experimental voices like Martha Tuttle and Marina Adams, each priced in the $200,000-250,000 range.<\/p>\n Other galleries working in the lower to mid-tier price range also performed well in the main section, showcasing a broad range of talent. Cr\u00e8vec\u0153ur<\/a> secured early sales for two works by Yu Nishimura, selling at primary prices between $70,000 and $90,000\u2014despite his recent auction record of $711,200\u2014along with works by Emma Reyes ($70,000) and Clio Sze ($20,000). Document Chicago also had a satisfying turnout, selling Anneke Eussen\u2019s U-turn 05 (2024), made from recycled glass shards and plexiglass, for $28,000 to a private collector in Florida.<\/p>\n Several sales were also reported by London dealer Pippy Houldsworth, including a seminal painting by Jacqueline de Jong for \u20ac180,000, as well as works by other in-demand artists from her roster, such as Wangari Mathenge ($80,000), Katy Moran (\u00a342,000), Qualeasha Wood ($20,000), KV Duong (\u00a314,000) and Liorah Tchiprout (\u00a38,000).<\/p>\n Jan Kaps also reported an enthusiastic response to Melike Kara<\/a>\u2019s new series of layered coffee-infused abstractions, presented in a solo booth near Meridians. Priced at $40,000, several pieces sold on the first day, prompting the gallery to rehang additional works from this subtle new series. In this body of work, Kara has removed all archival materials and wording, opting instead to allegorically address diasporic trauma and displacement\u2014thereby moving beyond identity politics.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GHW-Art-Basel-Miami-Beach-2512-DB-view01_6523a2.jpeg\")
Hauser & Wirth. Dan Bradica Studio<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Print_approx_21_x_14_cm_ABMB25__Galleries__Public_Interactions__M_HiRes-13.jpg\")
Gagosian. Courtesy of Art Basel<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Print_approx_21_x_14_cm_ABMB25__Meridians__Public_Interactions__M_HiRes.jpg\")
A Jes\u00fas Rafael Soto work brought by Galeria RGR in Meridians. Courtesy of Art Basel<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770981740_647_2.jpg\")
Tina Kim. Courtesy of Art Basel<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Print_approx_21_x_14_cm_ABMB24__General_Impressions__PR__001__1_._HiRes.jpg\")
Early sales reports point to a confident start at both the top end of the market and in other price tiers. Courtesy Art Basel<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ABMB-install-2025_booth-4.jpg\")
Peter Blum. Courtesy Peter Blum \/<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Print_approx_21_x_14_cm_ABMB25__Meridians__Public_Interactions__M_HiRes-3.jpg\")