December 1, 2016 — Pork Belly Times

Art Miami 2016

This Tuesday November 29th, PBT had the chance to attend the opening of the 27th edition of Art Miami, the longest running contemporary art fair in Miami. The fair showcases modern and contemporary art from 125 international galleries. It’s a tough selection process as Art Miami Director, Nick Korniloff, mentioned to us during our interview with him. Over 800 galleries apply for the available spots. Some of the work featured at Art Miami can be seen at museums like the MoMA or the Whitney. The availability of such quality work makes Art Miami 2016 a draw for art collectors and aficionados alike.

This year, Sundaram Tagore Gallery featured a piece by husband and wife, Filipino Artists, Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan near the entrance of Art Miami. Wings III, a pair of wings, made from sandals that were taken from Singapore penitentiaries greet fair-goers as they made their way around the fair. The couple produced angel wings that act as a metaphor for the dispossessed population for whom there is no redemption or path to freedom. On a lighter note, Chowaiki & Co had a rotating Calder stabile on display. Mark DeMuro was kind enough to set the Calder in motion by gently blowing on the half-million dollar sculpture, which still has its original paint from 1955.

One of the highlights of the night for us was eating a Gold Donut at Rudolf Budja Gallery. Chef Bjorn DelaCruz was on site with his signature creation. The Golden Donut is filled with an Ube mousse and a Cristal gelée. It is also covered in a Cristal icing and dusted with 24K Gold Dust.

There was a special section by Arcature Fine Art and artist ABH, titled “Childhood Access Memories” that benefited the Perry J. Cohen Foundation. The Foundation is devoted to the advancement of: Boating Safety; Environmental, Marine & Wildlife Education and Preservation; Teenage Entrepreneurship; and The Arts. It was established by Perry’s mother, Pamela Cohen, and his stepfather, Nicholas Korniloff to carry on Perry’s legacy and support what he was most passionate about.