Untitled Art Miami Beach and NADA Kick Off Miami Art Week in a Cautious Market That Rewards Ambition

Miami Art Week kicked off with its signature blend of glamour and gridlock, as the city came alive with a series of high-profile openings and exhibitions. Among the highlights: the Craig Robins Collection at Dacra headquarters in the Miami Design District with its display of innovative art and design; the Margulies Collection showing major works by Anselm Kiefer and other giants of the contemporary art world; and at El Espacio 23, Jorge Pérez unveiled “Mirror of the Minds,” a thoughtfully curated exploration of human psychology and expression, showcasing masterpieces from his personal collection.

The night culminated for many at the Historic Hampton House Museum of Culture & Art, where the expansive and brilliantly curated exhibition “Invisible Luggage” took center stage. Co-curated by Beth Rudin DeWoody, Laura Dvorkin, Maynard Monrow, Zoe Lukov and Auttrianna Ward, the show featured works by luminaries like Marina Abramović, Firelei Báez, Frank Bowling, Torkwase Dyson, Vanessa German and Nari Ward. The chosen pieces engaged in rich dialogue with the mid-century rooms that once hosted Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Ella Fitzgerald, Sam Cooke and Nat King Cole. Themes of journey, memory, displacement and freedom resonated powerfully in the iconic Brownsville space, a bastion of creativity and resistance during the height of segregation.

On Tuesday, dealers and collectors hit the ground running, navigating the first round of art fairs while braving the notorious Miami traffic. Untitled Art Miami Beach, NADA and Art Miami all opened their doors, creating a packed agenda for those trying to shuttle between Miami Beach and downtown. Despite the crowded openings, the buzz on Day 2 was subdued compared to previous years. Many collectors and art professionals opted to skip Miami this time, while others delayed their arrivals until the weekend, dampening the usual frenetic energy. Reports of early sales trickled in by the afternoon, though the general sentiment suggested a cautious buying mood, and collectors seemed to reserve their wallets for pieces that truly stood out, a noticeable shift from the fervent purchasing of past years. Very few dealers could be heard boasting of near sellouts.

Untitled Art Miami felt reinvigorated this year with its theme “East Meets West,” an exciting collaboration between guest curators Kathy Huang and Jungmin Cho. This edition introduced an impressive roster of galleries from Asia to Miami Beach for the first time, infusing the fair with fresh perspectives, diverse aesthetics and compelling narratives. Among the standout presentations, Shanghai-based Cub_ism Art Space shone in the “Nest” section with a meticulously curated booth featuring the works of Chinese artist Lilyjon. Her mystical, symbolism-rich pieces explore the “simultaneity of present, past and future” with imaginative atmospheres that captivated viewers. With prices hovering around $5,000, the gallery had already closed one sale during the early preview and attracted significant interest throughout the day.

Nearby, Christine Park Gallery, also from Shanghai, spotlighted the striking photographic work of Xyza Cruz Bacani, a self-taught Filipino artist with an extraordinary housekeeper-to-celebrated-photographer backstory. Known for her iconic black-and-white images capturing the Hong Kong protests, Bacani’s work provides poignant commentary on labor, community and resilience. The gallery offered prints priced between $3,000 and $5,000, which drew considerable attention from collectors.

Los Angeles/Wuhan-based Yiwei Gallery also reported a strong start, with early sales of intricate paintings by Korean artist Kay Seohyung Lee in the $6,500-$9,000 range. The gallery also showcased symbolic works on paper by Chinese artist Dai Ying and tapestries by visual and performance artist Vita Kari, which were warmly received in the opening hours. Meanwhile, Seoul-based BHAK Gallery debuted the work of established Korean artist Bo Kim at a U.S. fair for the first time, generating positive interest. Kyoto’s COHJU Gallery had a successful showing as well, selling multiple pieces by artists Takuya Otsuki, Shu Okamoto and Shinya Azuma, with prices ranging from $1,800 to $9,000.

Hong Kong’s MOU Project made its Miami and U.S. debut with a solo booth featuring delicate and introspective paintings by Shenzhen-born, New York-based artist Huang Baoying, priced between $6,500 and $10,000. New York-based LATITUDE Gallery also made waves with vibrant, fluid abstractions by Chinese artist and Royal Academy graduate Wenhui Hao. The booth paired Hao’s works with kaleidoscopic pieces by Jiwon Cha and Tiantian Lou, the latter’s reimagined canvases transforming into colorful sculptures.

Elsewhere at the fair, Rajiv Menon Contemporary, a new Los Angeles-based gallery focused on showcasing contemporary South Asian and diasporic art in the United States, made a strong debut in Miami with “I-POP,” a two-person booth featuring works by rising Indian artists Tarini Sethi and Viraj Khanna. The gallery reported multiple sales on the first day, with works priced between $5,000 and $8,500 and six of Khanna’s works acquired by prominent collectors Susan and Michael Hort. “At a time where the global art market has been in question, Indian artists have been thriving,” Rajiv Menon, the gallery’s founder, told Observer. “It’s so exciting to see collectors in Miami respond so strongly to young, emerging artists from the subcontinent.”

The fair’s embrace of Asia extended beyond geographical boundaries to conceptual ones, with galleries from Iran also making an impression. Tehran-based SARAI Gallery sold works by Ayda Roozbayani, priced under $4,000, confirming a growing appetite for Iranian contemporary art. Meanwhile, Istanbul’s SANATORIUM gallery presented a compelling two-person booth featuring works by Christiane Pescheck and Turkish artist Yağiz Özgen. Özgen’s display included two large-scale canvases alongside an installation of pigment bags that mirror the materials he uses to recreate meticulously detailed digital astronomy images on canvas in a fascinating dialogue between science and art.

Amid concerns over market saturation and a noticeable slowdown in activity, some galleries opted for bold, experiential approaches to stand out. Swiss gallery Fabienne Levy turned its booth into a live artist’s studio, with French artist Ben Arpea working on new paintings in real time. The performance-style setup captivated visitors, showcasing the artist’s creative process as a “work in progress,” with the pieces set to be completed by the fair’s end. “We wanted to encourage people to slow down and be able to value all the process behind a painting again,” explained Levy.

There were also multiple sales of Studio Lenca’s works presented by Carl Freedman Gallery, with prices ranging from $3,000 to $27,500, and works by Vanessa Raw, priced between $30,000 and $50,000, garnered significant interest. Originally from El Salvador, Studio Lenca recently completed a residency at Tracey Emin’s TKE Studios in Margate, further cementing his rising international profile.

Returning for its tenth year at Untitled Art, KORNFELD Gallerie brought a series of new conceptual works by Johanna Reich, with two placed in prominent New York and Miami collections by the end of the day. Reich’s pieces, inspired by her synesthesia and collaboration with A.I., explored a “language of images,” connecting letters to colors and sounds to create a multisensory form of communication. The gallery also introduced paintings and drawings by 28-year-old Shanee Roe, whose works delve into the complexities of human intimacy and power dynamics with striking intensity. However, gallery founder Alfred Kornfeld noted a shift in collector demographics, particularly the reduced presence of European buyers from Italy, Germany and Spain. “This change is something we’re reflecting on as we plan ahead,” Kornfeld told Observer, emphasizing the importance of tailoring selections to specific fairs and regions in today’s market.

Italian galleries also had a strong presence at the fair this year, with returning participants such as Eduardo Secci and Massimo Carasi alongside newcomers like the young gallery L.U.P.O. Massimiliano Lorenzelli, the 29-year-old founder of L.U.P.O., expressed enthusiasm about the gallery’s debut: “Being part of Untitled in Miami for the first time, and as the only Italian gallery in the Nest section for emerging artists, marks a significant milestone for L.U.P.O. The opportunity to present our work to the American audience is particularly meaningful, as it’s such an important part of our collectors’ network.” Lorenzelli noted a successful VIP preview, highlighting strong interest from private collectors, art advisors and other professionals. Pieces by Mulas and Jeong, despite their differing media and aesthetics, resonated deeply with visitors.

Likewise, galleries from Central and South America reaffirmed their prominence. Cuban gallery El Apartamento reported a successful day with sales of works by Los Bravu ($12,500), Miki Leal ($27,000) and Ariel Cabrera ($45,000), with a striking oil and 24k gold leaf canvas by Eduardo Ponjuan going for $28,000. Colombian gallery La Cometa also enjoyed a positive reception, with multiple sales of Justyna Kisielewicz’s vibrant paintings priced between $5,000 and $32,000. Additionally, the gallery placed a work by Colombian artist Camilo Restrepo for $22,000, alongside other notable pieces from its roster of artists.

New York galleries saw similarly satisfying results. Fridman Gallery reported sales of mixed-media canvases by Azuki Furuya in the $20,000-$24,000 range and sold several paintings by Will Maxen priced between $1,300 and $7,500. Kates-Ferri Projects presented works by recent Fountainhead resident and Italo-Bosnian painter Adelisa Selimbasic, whose delicate, intimate explorations of feminine connections and energies sold for between $2,800 and $18,000. Jane Lombard Gallery achieved a notable sellout with works by Swedish artist Ulla-Stina Wikander, totaling $25,000-$30,000, with placements in American collections, including a prominent Miami-based public collection.

Finally, Latchkey Gallery received strong feedback for its presentations, particularly the captivating explorations of the feminine body and psyche by Chinese-born, U.S.-based artist Katinka Huang. Two of Huang’s works sold within the first hours, alongside pieces by Brianna Bass and Marika St. Rose Yeo, further underscoring the gallery’s strong showing at the fair.

A less-ambitious NADA Miami brings slow but satisfying sales

The Miami Beach edition of NADA was once the go-to for discovering new talent and setting trends, but this year’s fair felt noticeably less daring and diverse. Dealers largely played it safe, presenting a sea of paintings that echoed one another across booths, many dominated by floral motifs, vaporous atmospheres and dreamlike, spiritual undertones. Few galleries risked solo presentations, opting instead for eclectic mixes of artists and mediums in hopes of appealing to cautious buyers. After a bustling morning, traffic slowed, with visitors arriving in waves and sales reflecting the same uneven rhythm—dealers reported mixed results and feedback by the day’s end.

Still, some booths managed to sell out—or come close. Margot Samel, for instance, had a strong morning, selling eleven of Cathleen Clarke’s paintings priced between $9,000 and $20,000 and four sculptures by Diana Sofia Lozano ranging from $5,800 to $6,500. Nearby, Swivel Gallery placed two visionary ceramic works by Mexican artist Alejandro García Contreras ($10,000 and $15,000), two Americana-inspired cabinets by L.A. artist NH DePass ($12,500 each), two minimal assemblages by Eric Oglander ($2,500 each), a large carved wooden piece by Lujan Perez ($8,500) and two editions of Joseph Cochran’s work ($2,000 each).

Nashville’s Red Arrow Gallery made a splashy debut with an ultramarine blue booth featuring works by Emily Weiner, placing five of the eight pieces in private collections in New York, Chicago and Las Vegas. Bold solo presentations proved rewarding, as was seen with Mexico City’s Joh’s Gallery, which sold two wall sculptures of fossilized still lifes by Chavis Marmol—priced at $8,000 and $9,000—exploring Indigenous identity in contemporary contexts.

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Miami-based Andrew Reed Gallery enjoyed a strong day in its hometown, placing several works by Dan Attoe and Cornelius Tulloch, along with Patricia Geyerhan’s intimate oil paintings mounted on walnut frames. By late afternoon, the gallery was ready to rehang. “It’s nice being local, as we can easily bring in new works,” Andrew Reed told Observer. Similarly, ENTRANCE Gallery sold Nathaniel Matthews’s series Destructive Opulence (on two panels) No. 1–10 and reported interest in Chris Lloyd’s nail and string installations, described by founder Louis Shannon as the booth’s highlight. Paris-based Cadet Capela also reported a successful first day, placing a painting by Madeline Peckenpaugh with an institution.

Los Angeles gallery Fernberger sold seven paintings on its first day, while Mrs. placed works by Robert Zehnder ($40,000), Sarah Bedford ($18,000) and Nevena Prijic ($14,000). Harkawik’s booth was a standout, selling out entirely with works by Clayton Schiff priced between $19,500 and $27,500. Meanwhile, Dimin Gallery saw strong results, selling two works by Emily Coan ($32,000 and $26,000), two by Justine Hill ($20,000 and $6,500, the latter to a European museum), one by Stephen Thorpe ($18,000) and two smaller pieces by Elena Redmond ($4,500 and $4,000).

Overall, activity at these December art fairs has reflected the ongoing market correction. Collectors are becoming more selective, and many buyers remarked on the challenge of staying excited when so many booths looked similar. By the end of the day,  a few collectors shared with us highlights or standouts from their day, but many more had a tough time recalling what they’d seen—perhaps that’s unsurprising after hours of navigating the oversaturated and ever-growing landscape of Miami fairs.