Sunday, December 7, 2008











Art Basel 2008: Wynwood fairs
Photos from a couple of the Wynwood fairs from yesterday: NADA, Art Miami, Scope, and Pulse. Art Miami.








A little mention in a local blog"

"I had a wonderful day today but I'm rushed to tell you all about it and still be able to get back intime for all the parties tonight.I began at Zones on 25th St. (#60), had a wonderful conversation with Charo Oquet, and complimented her on her new work, which is well worth seeing.Then I crossed the street to Aqua Art-Wynwood (by the way, there is a free shuttle operating between Aqua Art-Wynwood and the Aqua Hotel in Miami Beach-and from there you can catch a shuttle to the Convention Center for the fantastic Art Basel).Shuttle runs every 20 mins.from 10:45 am till 7:15 pm. To the Hotel on 16th & Collins.Inside my eyes were drawn to the Beyond the Border Gallery and director Ann Berchtold and afascinating set of eye charts by Marcos Ramirez. As an immigration lawyer I felt an immediatekinship with the gallery name, and soon discovered that the exhibiting artists were all from Tijuana, Mexico - just beyond the border of the U.S. [Aqua #12]"

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Forgot which day ??









































































The days have all blurred together! Work all day and then party til one and then wake up and do it again. RE: our booth - steady flow of people. Much interest - possibly a sale of Julio's chairs, and a possible sale of ERRE's -Multiplication of Bread Series. Interestingly enough both collectors are from California.
So many people interested in all of the work and we have had wonderful conversations and are slowly filling up an inquiry book of people interested in the artwork. Many gallerists say many art sales happen after the event.

Interview by ArtInfo.com

MIAMI/MIAMI BEACH—In the four years since Aqua first came ashore at a boutique hotel on South Beach, the fair has become known for its relaxed vibe, friendly dealers, and fresh, affordable artwork. And the Wynwood warehouse that Aqua added last year as a second venue, doubling its exhibition space, retains that breezy accessibility even without the windows opening into the courtyard at the Collins Avenue hotel of the same name.
San Diego collector Julie Schrager, a newcomer to Art Basel Miami Beach making the rounds of the satellite fairs on Thursday, remarked at the “different feel” of Aqua Wynwood after a spin through Pulse. “That just seemed so raw, and this seems a little more refined,” she said, admiring the high ceilings, permanent walls (enabled by a long-term lease on the facility), and mix of exhibitors.
Schrager is touring with a group of collectors organized by Ann Berchtold, director of the Beyond the Border Gallery in Del Mar, California. “He’s next on my list,” said Schrager as she sized up two of the enlarged postcards in the gallery's booth ($2,000 apiece for the four remaining from the series of 26) that Tijuana native Marcos Ramirez, who goes by Erre, based on postcards he asked tourists to write to loved ones back home.
Berchtold reported selling another work by Ramirez — a pair of eye charts featuring photographs of an Afghani boy and American girl and entitled The Multiplication of Bread ($4,000 each, with five sets from the edition of 9 remaining) over the phone to a California collector who saw them online. A young Miami collector couple was considering Taino Tours Itinerary ($6,000), a large site-specific drawing by University of California, San Diego student Iana Quesnell.
Although the warehouse was quiet and the crowds sparse as the sun began to set on Thursday, the fair’s first full day, Berchtold and New York dealer Sara Tecchia said that they were pleased to have made dozens of new contacts from all around the U.S., as well as a few from Europe. Tecchia, an Aqua veteran, noted that the mood was “more mellow this year,” but said she found collectors still willing to part with modest sums to support emerging artists.




































Thursday, December 4, 2008

Day 3 - Aqua Art Fair







Day 3-- Soft Opening.
Aqua opened yesterday, along with all of the Wynnwood shows -- but crickets could be heard at most. SCOPE was pretty lively. Most attendees are flying in today anticipating tonights VIP opening at Art Basel.
Julie and I went to SCOPE as Larry and Debra manned the booth. SCOPE had some very exciting artists and art projects. OBAMA is a big theme at the fair this year - and his image is everywhere.
--- Second Half of Day Three
Dinner at the Blue Door at the Delano Hotel !! In South Beach is where everyone is at -- specifically at the Delano Hotel. A crazy mix of men and women in power suits - business dealings happening at each table. Artists in all kinds of crazy costumes and girls (and boys) showcasing their best assets as they strut through the lobby which at night is transformed to a very hip Night Club/restaurant.
Tonight we are lucky ones - because I made our reservations months ago - and we get the "it" table with full view of the scene. We have a lively group - Larry & Debra, Ann & David, Julie, Maureen, Joyce and Tom & Ann. BILL was HUGE -- appetizers for $20 / entrees at $40 - wondering if the Delano offers "special prices" for the Art Basel travelers???
People watching is the thing to do here and provides constant entertainment -- Anything goes - it's "Burning Man for Billionaires" !!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

VIP Party















































VIP Night - It was a mid-size crowd - to be expected as most collectors start to pile into Miami towards the end of the week. Many great comments on our booth and artists. There was interest in all of the artist - many were drawn in by Tania's works - several collector's found Raul's work to be a refreshing change to the "traditional" style fair works. Several collectors from New York were familiar with Einar & Jamex work -one mentioned that they should seek representation in NY- thought would do well. Julio's chairs were very popular. Iana's piece was a main conversation piece for the fair - and collectors enjoyed and I think felt a participant in the trek she charts. And several collectors found ERRE's "eyes" to be very compelling.
No sales as of yet -- but tomorrow is another day.

Day 2 - Preparing for VIP Party











Day 2 -- final touches on the booth - purchasing Patron Silver for VIP party. (Feeling more confident than the other galleries who still have crates in their space). Almost overnight the Wynnwood District in Miami Beach has sprung to life. Art Fair Signs everywhere- Bridge, Scope, Pulse, Art Miami and a few new ones like Red Dot and ZONES.

Artists take over pretty much any abandoned space here for temporary installations. "Paid" graffitti artists are everywhere --funking up an area that is typically just a warehouse district.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Day 1 - Set Up






















































Monday morning - show up at seedy looking warehouse -- but inside over 80 mini galleries from all over the world. Greeted at door by security - receive exhibitor bag with passes / map / final bill.

We have the largest crates :( Delivered to Booth Space /need power screw driver to extract screws to open crates. Definitely a job for two people. Booth space is much smaller than expected. Must have list for any art fair : very powerful power screw driver, spackle, windex, white gloves, level, yardstick, hang kit, wire, screwdriver, packing tap, hammer, papertowels, pencil, sharpie.




Long day-- started at 10 -- finished hanging at 8pm. Event well organized - great staff!






Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Beyond the Border Gallery- Booth #12 Aqua Art Wynwood

Beyond the Border Gallery at Aqua Wynwood, December 3-7, 2008, Booth #12. Beyond the Border Gallery will feature several emerging and museum quality artists who present an objective representation of the overlapping art activity that is taking place between San Diego and TiJuana.
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August 26, 2008, - San Diego; AQUA ART MIAMI, Beyond the Border Gallery will be participating in this year’s Aqua Art Miami in Wynwood, December 3-7, 2008. Preview reception: December 2, 5-7 pm. Contact the gallery for more information at (858) 254-3031 or http://beyondthebordergallery.com , or visit Aqua Art Wynwood, Miami Beach at http://aquaartmiami.com/

Beyond the Border Gallery is dedicated to showcasing and exploring new contemporary art practices and artists from San Diego and Tijuana who explore issues as they relate to identity, new urbanism, architecture and the environment. Geographical boundaries and stereotypes have become irrelevant as containers for cultural forms. Beyond the Border Gallery will feature several emerging and museum quality artists who present an objective representation of the overlapping art activity that is taking place between San Diego and TiJuana.

Featured artists include collaborating artists-brothers Einar and Jamex de la Torre who were born in Guadalajara, Mexico (1963 & 1960), where they grew up until a sudden family move to California in 1972. Presently living and working in Ensenada, Mexico and San Diego. California. Jamex started lampworking glass in 1977, attended California State University at Long Beach and received a BFA in Sculpture in 1983. Einar started work with glass in 1980 and also attended California State University Long Beach. Jamex attended Pilchuck School of Glass under scholarship twice and Einar as teacher’s assistant to Therman Statom. Both have owned and operated a flame-worked glass figure business from 1981 to 1997.

The de la Torre brothers work is in the following collections: Arizona State University Museum; The San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art;Kanazu Museum in Kanazu, Japan; The Fisher Gallery Museum at USC, Los Angeles, CA; Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, CA; The Mexican Fine Art Center Museum in Chicago, IL; The Ernsting Stiftung Alter Hof Herding Museum, Coesfeld, Germany;Museum of Glass:International Center for Contemporary Art, Tacoma, WA; The Henry Art Gallery Museum of the Washington University, Seattle, WA; The American Glass Museum, Millville, NJ; The Frauenau Museum of Glass, Frauenau, Germany,Museum of Contemporary Craft, Portland OR.; Also in the private collections of Cheech Marin, Elton John, Terry McMillan, Sandra Cisneroas and Quincy Troupe.

Einar and Jamex de la Torre http://beyondthebordergallery.com/artists/de_la_torre_bros.html

Other San Diego / Tijuana artists that will be represented at the Beyond the Border Gallery, Del Mar, Booth #12 at Aqua Art Wynwood, Miami Beach will be:

Marcos Ramirez "ERRE"
http://beyondthebordergallery.com/artists/ramirez_erre.html
1961. Born in Tijuana, Baja California Mexico. Law Degree in the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. Immigrated to the United States where he worked for 17 years in the construction industry as a Carpenter.In 1989 became active in the field of visual arts, since then he has participated in different individual and collective exhibitions in countries like Mexico, USA, Russia, Puerto Rico, France, Spain, Cuba, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and in mayor exhibitions like InSite94, InSite97, the VI and VII Havana Biennials, the Whitney Biennial 2000, The San Juan Poly/Graphic Triennial, Made in California, Mexico Illuminated, From Baja to Vancouver, and Politica de la Diferencia, Arte Iberoamericano de fin de siglo, The 2007Sao Paulo /Valencia Biennial and the second Moscow Biennial among others. He is currently developing a program for Estacion Tijuana a non-profit alternative space at the San Diego-Tijuana border with a focus in Art, Architecture, Urbanism and Popular Culture.

Raul Guerrero http://beyondthebordergallery.com/artists/raul_guerrero.html
Guerrero has been an important presence on the Southern California art scene-particularly in the San Diego/Tijuana region-- for more than thirty years. Making paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs, and videotapes, he has forged an expansive, ever-evolving vision-one that combines technical innovation with symbolic power.

Julio Orozco http://beyondthebordergallery.com/artists/julio_orozco.html
Julio is a conceptual artist that has developed a wide artistic range that includes installations, video and photography. Julia is from Tijuana, and his work-which uses fact and fiction – documents the changing face of the city as it has been going through a dynamic transformation in recent years. His knowledge of the city goes beyond the surfaces of the urban and into the psyche of the residents of the city, who, in the midst of rapid development, are having a hard time holding onto notions of fixed realities. They, however, continue to use dream and fantasy, as coping mechanisms to the changing conditions that attempt to quickly erase the past to serve a not yet conceived future.

Iana Quesnell http://beyondthebordergallery.com/artists/iana_quesnell.html
Iana’s current work is about temporary living situations, specificity of place, as well as, navigation through the spaces she occupies and intends to occupy. Whether that be a military tent in Bosnia, her car, a studio on the border in Tijuana, or the Omni Hotel, each incorporates architectural floor plans and schematic rendering with more experiential and ephemeral details.

Tania Candiani http://beyondthebordergallery.com/artists/tania_candiani.html
Candiani’s work titled Gordas features the artist's large, machine-sewn canvases that explore cross-cultural questions of female body image. "Sketching" with stitches, Candiani renders portraits of women in the act of eating, gagging, and looking at their bodies. She augments her canvases with medical suturing, and stretches them with a unique mechanism that resembles the braces and ties of corsets. The aesthetics of women's work, sexual fetishism, and medical illustration also inform these sewn portraits. Tania Candiani's artworks have been included in group exhibitions in Mexico at the Museo de Monterrey and Tijuana's Centro Cultural, and she was recently included in an exhibition in the campus gallery of the California State University, Los Angeles.

AQUA ART MIAMI, Beyond the Border Gallery at Aqua Wynwood, December 3-7, 2008 - Booth #12. Preview reception: December 2, 5-7 pm. Contact the gallery for more information at (858) 254-3031, or visit Aqua Art Wynwood, Miami Beach at http://aquaartmiami.com/