Artists and art lovers alike will converge once again in Miami for Art Basel, plus for the many amazing satellite shows exhibiting works from around the world. The sheer number of art also include stunning exhibits of the latest works from artists across the Caribbean Diaspora. But will so many events, it can be hard to keep up with everything. So we’ve gathered our favorite Caribbean art showcases for your viewing pleasure.
Art Basel
Art Basel brings some of the most exciting galleries around the world, including important contemporary Caribbean art. This year features particularly interesting works by Cuban artists. The Miami-based David Castillo Gallery will showcase works by the late Cuban artist Belkis Ayón, whose explored Afro-Cuban spirituality and rituals. The Berlin-based Galerie Barbara Thumm will also feature the sinewy abstractions of Cuban painter Diango Hernández.
FIU: Contemporary Caribbean Art
“Relational Undercurrents: Contemporary Art of the Caribbean Archipelago” has traveled around the country. Finally the groundbreaking exhibition is here in the Sunshine State at Florida International University’s Frost Art Museum. The major survey explores twenty-first century art from islands throughout the Caribbean basin. The exhibition features artists whose painting, installation art, sculpture, photography, video, and performance pieces challenge the notion that the Caribbean is insulated and fragmented. Instead, it highlights the undercurrents that connect Caribbean cultures and countries. Notable artists include Allora & Calzadilla, Edouard Duval-Carrie, Adler Guerrier, Deborah Jack, Glenda Leon, Beatriz Santiago Munoz, Angel Otero, Manuel Pina, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Jimmy Robert and Didier William, among others.
Art Beat Miami
The ever popular Art Beat Miami celebrates its 5th year anniversary at the iconic Caribbean Marketplace in Little Haiti. Its annual Art Fair showcases the works of more than 30 emerging and renowned local, international and celebrity artists, with special focus on Caribbean culture. In addition to their amazing exhibits, the event also includes musical performances, live art performance, intimate talks with artists, and culinary experiences.
Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance
The Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance presents the 9th edition of Global/Borderless Caribbean series. This year is entitled “VISIONARY APONTE: ART & BLACK FREEDOM, showing at Little Haiti Cultural Complex. This exhibition explores the life and work of 19th century Afro-Cuban freedom fighter José Antonio Aponte through scholarly research and new works created by contemporary artists. The exhibition runs from Friday, December 8 through to January 20, 2018.
Prizm Art Fair
Celebrating artists throughout the African Diaspora, Prizm Art Fair returns to Miami from December 3rd to 9th. The 63 artists on display also include artists from across the Caribbean and the Diaspora. Notable Caribbean-American artists include Stephen Arboite, Nicole Awai, Lillian Blades, Alicia Brown, Morel Doucet and Deborah Jack, among many others. The fair will also include site-specific showcases like “Dark Horse,” which explores “how various forms of currency have been leveraged and exploited by colonial powers to thwart the resiliency of people of African descent globally.”
