Miami, Florida.- The 3rd edition of Miami International Art Fair (MIA), one of America’s most exciting mid-winter contemporary art fairs, will return from January 12th through January 16th 2012 with a dynamic ensemble of 28 international galleries representing artist from Europe, Latin America, United States and Asia. The Fair will feature paintings, sculpture, photography, design, fine art glass, video and installations from a bevy of established museum collected artists as well as some of today’s most promising emerging artists. The Fair will relocate aboard SeaFair – the 228-foot megayacht venue – docked at 100 Chopin Plaza in Miami’s premiere downtown entertainment district and will include a waterside installation and sculpture exhibition in Bayfront Park – designed by acclaimed sculptor and architect Noguchi which adjoins Miami’s Museum Park and the new Miami Art Museum. Over thirty large scale sculptures by major international sculptors will be on public display.
Among the highlights, Butter Gallery (Miami) will present a solo exhibition of works by master mason Phil Stapleton. Stapleton transforms ordinary found objects into functional design creating a unique breed of sculpture. His innovative works, most frequently resembling transportation vessels, take on a life of their own as the artist incorporates each piece into the storyline of Jack Wolf – the artist’s imaginary character that rides his works to an alternate reality. Robert Fontaine Gallery (Miami) will present cutting-edge, emerging artists from the international art scene. Among the artists represented will be Japan-based artist Matsueda Yuki whose 3D creations have the subjects literally escaping from the foundation of the work. Inspired by the physical, emotional and spiritual relationships between humans and machines, Troy Abbott brings art to life with his digital bird cages. Nick Gentry who is best known for his floppy disk paintings, placing an emphasis on recycling and the reuse of personal objects as a central theme. Also among the galleries exhibiting artist include Polish born fiber artist Olek and international renowned English artist Damien Hirst.
Rudolf Budja Gallery (Austria | Miami Beach) will bring works by the iconic Andy Warhol, renowned photographer Frank Worth and celebrated international artists Marilyn Miner, Marc Quinn, Takashi Murakami, Invader, Tim White, Lawrence Schiller, Dieter Blum, Heidi Popovic, Wulf Treu and Zevs, and Miami’s own graffiti master Jona Cerwinske. Evan Lurie Gallery (Carmel) will feature works by renowned Italian sculptor Oriano Galloni, whose stunning figures in marble, wood, and aluminum range in height from 6 to 30 feet. A monumental 30-foot high marble sculpture entitled “White Moon” has been generously donated by the artist, and is expected to fetch an estimated $2.5 million at auction, with the proceeds from the sale benefitting the non-profit Arts for India. Galloni has also designed and donated 30 small-scale sculptures for the launch of Arts for India at the Guggenheim Museum New York on April 26, 2012. Among the pieces exhibited at the Miami International Art Fair will be additional new works by Galloni available for sale. The Evan Lurie Gallery will also feature new works by sculptors Brad Howe, Carlo Borer, Kevin Barrett, and Gino Miles, as well as two-dimensional pieces by Jorge Santos, Victor Wang, Alexi Torres, and Jason Paul Bennett.
Nina Torres Fine Art (Miami) will be exhibiting a provocative and charged international band of artists including photographer Dunia Gatica from Dubai, and painters Melanie Prapopoulos from Greece, Ivonne Gil Lamadrid from Mexico, Rodolfo Sanchez from Columbia and celebrity portrait artist Peter Engels from Belgium. Galeria Medicci (Caracas) will present moving works from Luis Alberto Hernandez. Hernandez recently participated in the IV International Biennial Artist Books in Alexandria; leading to a distinguished invitation to exhibit in the “Musée du Hiéron Eucharistique,” the Museum of Sacred Art in Ville de Paray Le Monial, France. Hernandez has had solo exhibitions in England, America, France, Germany, Spain, Monaco and the United Arab Emirates.
Manuel Mendive will also be showcased. Mendive is one of the leading representatives of Cuban and Latin American art. His work is surrounded and permeated with religiosity and the roots often speak to the heirs of Santeria religion, a world that is torn between – light and darkness.
Ascaso Gallery will showcase work by the internationally recognized optical and kinetic artist, sculptor and painter Jesus Rafael Soto. Soto’s energetic and striking works are representative of some of the most successful of the Op Art-Kinetic Art movements. He has had over 70 solo shows and has been exhibited among the most respected art institutions in the world. The Gallery will also bring works by Venezuelan Sculptor James Mathison and kinetic and optical artist Carlos Cruz Diez. Cernuda Arte (Coral Gables) specializes in the exhibition and sale of Colonial, Early Republic, Vanguardia, and Modern master Cuban paintings, as well as fine artworks by contemporary artists. At MIA 2012, the Gallery will exhibit a collection of established and emerging Cuban artist including Wifredo Lam, Agustin Cardenas, Mario Carreno and René Portocarrero among others. Black Square Gallery (Miami) has flourished in the Miami art scene since the Gallery was founded in 2010. Specializing in works from both accomplished, as well as promising young artists from around the world, Black Square Gallery will exhibit works by Emilio Garcia, Pablo Lehmann, Victor Sydorenko, Taisha 3,14, Zhanna Kadyrova, Anibal Vallejo, Jorge Chirinos Sanchez and Taro Hattori.
Additional exhibitors include Art Link International (Lake Worth), Edwina Sandys (Palm Beach |London | New York), e.jung Gallery (Seoul), DiCecca Fine Art (Falmouth), Hardcore Art Contemporary Space (Miami), Kavachnina Contemporary (Miami), Lelia Mordoch Gallery (Miami | Paris), NAC Gallery (Miami | London), Pamela Hughes Design (Sarasota), Projects Gallery (Philadelphia | Miami ), Stars Bridge (Moscow), Artmosphere (Vienna | Salzburg), Galerie Baobab (Bogota) and Olyvia Fine Art Ltd. (London). Visit the fair’s website at … http://www.mia-artfair.com