In an attempt to answer the age-old question — Is it art or home decor? — I perused the halls of Art Basel Miami to see how galleries are serving the lifestyle needs of the rich and famous.
My apologies to those of you who may have seen these before on my Twitter feed (@hragv) but they’re too good not to compile in one place. Apologies for the low quality images since they were all taken with my camera phone.
First up, Ry Rocklen at Bernier/Eliades: carpet & tile shop or contemporary art?
Is there a discount if I buy these floor samples?
Next, did Urban Outfitters just set up a booth at Art Basel or is Jorge Pardo auditioning to be their window dresser?
Jorge Pardo’s “Untitled” (2009) display even came with mannequins though I couldn’t find the ironic tshirt racks.
This one is a classic. I couldn’t tell if this booth was selling bookshelves, tiles, or Donald Judd knock-offs.*
Can I get the green painted blue please and do you have other sizes in the back?
And finally, I swear I’ve seen this mirror before in a midtown Manhattan hotel bathroom.*
This could look great in my bedroom!
Delicious commentary…more please!
You got me on that question mark, my dear 😉
obviously when the market is at a low-point, galleries are thinking in terms of a “2-for-1” mentality. that is, rather than thinking about how they can convince collectors to spend money on art rather than remodeling their living room, they can do both at the same time by buying an artist-made mirror and the “ugly grandchildren” of Richard Serra floor tiles.