MUCH ADO ABOUT N A D A MIAMI BEACH: TOP T E N PICKS!

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ANDREAS MELAS & HELENA PAPADOPOULOS, ATHENS, GREECE

Kostas Sahpazis, installation view, NADA Miami, 2012
MelasPapadopoulos Gallery, Athens, Greece
Photograph by Katy Hamer 

INDEPENDENT CURATORS INTERNATIONAL (ICI)

Marina Abramovic, do it, Edition of 20 for ICI, NY
Installation view at NADA Miami
Curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist
Photograph by Katy Hamer

NADA Miami Beach took place from the 6th-9th of December, 2012. This year the organization celebrated its tenth anniversary and exhibited over 60 international galleries, including 22 new exhibitors added to the fair.  From the press release: "NADA is very proud to be celebrating its tenth anniversary in Miami Beach. Each year, the fair has continued to move forward in both quality and collector support and 2012 looks to be the strongest edition to date." Heather Hubbs, Director. Indeed, this year has been good for NADA. 2012 featured the first NADA New York and also the second summertime edition of NADA Hudson (in Upstate NY). Both were great and offer a new way to experience a fair, not only choosing to focus on younger, hip international galleries but also by veering away from the traditional booth sizes, rows, etc. NADA Miami Beach took place at The Deauville Beach Resort, a bit far away from the Art Basel madness, but once there the resort offered a relaxing, enjoyable setting at least for most. One of the complaints I heard from those who don't like the location was the fact that it is held in a hotel and the presence of the space is evident as soon as you enter the lobby. This fact didn't bother me as I quite liked having different rooms or sections to enter as a way to divide the amassed galleries. Three different main sectors, featured names such as Napoleon Ballroom,  Richelieu Ballroom, and Le Jardin. Within each space exhibitors and NADA project spaces were present. In a loose comparison to Art Basel, I felt that NADA was the strongest of the satellite fairs. The gallery selection offered some of the best up-and-coming galleries on a global level and the energy at the fair along with the chance to meet with so many friends was invaluable. In most situations exhibitors and their artists stay at the hotel and one gallerist described the scene as "art summer camp, but in a good way". 
Completing each section of the fair was quite satisfying but also revealed the scope and expansion that they are experiencing annually and I easily passed eight hours walking through the booths, giving my attention to various nooks and crannies where one might not expect to find art. Another section of the fair, introduced this year in particular was NADA Video Lounge, installed in the hotel Jazz Club, just off the lobby. Videos were shown in a loop and at the time of my visit, I was the only visitor to the room, but as we all know, watching videos requires a certain amount of cognitive attention, patience, and time that many during an art fair are not willing to give. The program, titled Under My Skin and curated by Grela Orihuela featured 17 artists representing 15 galleries both Joe Sheftel Gallery and (Art) AMALGAMATED were showing two different artists each. The entire loop took about 30/45 minutes, having sat through each video and then again halfway through a second time, specifics get blurry. Regardless, the addition was well curated and each contribution spoke of the physicality of the body in one way or another. 
The New Art Dealers Alliance is an important art fair and one to watch as it continues to expand and play host to some of the most relevant, art galleries and organizations in the contemporary art community.  Now without further adieu, in no particular order and including the above images, my T O P TEN PICKS from N A D A MIAMI BEACH. 
RACHEL UFFNER GALLERY, NEW YORK

Sam Moyer, Installation view, NADA Miami, 2012
Rachel Uffner Gallery, NY
Photograph by Katy Hamer

THE HOLE, NEW YORK

The Hole NYC, Installation view, NADA Miami, 2012
Artists shown included Kadar Brock, Matthew Stone, Holton Rower, and Lola Montes Schnabel
Photographic montage by Katy Hamer

TOOMER LABZDA, NEW YORK

Kate Steciw: DEEP COMMON, Installation view, NADA Miami, 2012
Toomer Labzda Gallery, NY
Photograph by Katy Hamer

LESLIE FRITZ GALLERY, NEW YORK

Artists featured include: Vittorio Brodmann, Caitlin Keogh, and Keith Farquhar, Installation view
NADA, Miami, 2012
Leslie Fritz Gallery, NY
Photograph by Katy Hamer

DEREK ELLER GALLERY, NEW YORK

Despina Stokou (left) and Liz Magic Laser (right), Installation mash-up, NADA Miami
Derek Eller Gallery, NY
Photograph by Katy Hamer

TEMNIKOVA & KASELA GALLERY, TALLINN, ESTONIA

Marko Mäetamm, Installation view, NADA Miami, 2012
Temnikova Kasela Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia
Photograph by Katy Hamer

KATE WERBLE GALLERY, NEW YORK

Brock Enright, Installation view, NADA Miami, 2012
(Oil pastel drawing on canvas, floor filled with poppy seeds, face mold of artist as a child and ritz cracker)
Kate Werble Gallery, NY
Photograph by Katy Hamer

PERES PROJECTS, BERLIN

LEO GABIN, Installation view, NADA Miami,  Peres Projects, Berlin, 2012
From left to right: Random Candy, Weels Candy Paint, and Crossed Up, all 2012
Photograph by Katy Hamer

Mark Flood, Installation view, Room 845
NADA Miami, 2012
Peres Projects, Berlin
Photograph by Katy Hamer

Peres Projects debuted a booth in NADA for the very first time after having previously shown at Art Basel.  In the booth they exhibited the work of art collective LEO GABIN, Eddie Martinez and Mark Flood. LEO GABIN is a collective that makes videos along with paintings (using oil and silk-screen) on canvas. Mark Flood, who after his exhibition at Luxembourg & Dayan located in Manhattan's Upper East Side neighborhood, has been causing quite a stir with his videos, his earlier rather absurd collages and paintings and most recently his lace paintings on canvas. Specifically for NADA Miami, the artist placed LIKE signs around the fair, outside of the premises and most importantly in Room 845. Javier Peres himself, handed me his room key and told me to go investigate. Gleefully, and always ready for a trip off the beaten path, I made my way to the 8th floor. Once upstairs, it just so happens that the door was wedged ajar. Tucking the room card into my pocket, I silently entered and recognized elements of human presence (an open book on the bed, a few empty juice bottles) and LIKE signs all over the room; in the window, strewn on the bed, on the floor, and coffee table. Supposedly, unlike the lace paintings (2012) the signs were for the taking and had I realized I would have been sure to LIKE and carry one under my arm for the duration of the fair. The LIKE signs were the icing on the cake. They were the element binding the virtual with the actual, action with idleness and 1980s pop-culture with the Facebook culture of today.

Stay tuned for the NADA Cologne next taking place in Germany, April 19th-22nd, 2013.

More soon.
xo