Ernesto Neto at the Margulies Collection
Entrance to The Marguelis Collection at The Warehouse
First view at the Margulies Collection
Imi Knoebel
Triller E, 2013
acrylic on aluminum
George Segal
Depression Bread Line, 1991
bronze
Bronze cast for a piece that Segal was commissioned to make by the federal government for the Roosevelt Memorial in Washington D.C.
Anselm Kiefer
Die Erdzeitalter, 2014
two gouache and charcoal works on photographic paper and canvas and one sculpture
Die Erdzeitalter (Ages of the World) is an installation made especially for the Royal Academy, London in 2014. The work has a lot of meaning behind it - it speaks of a geological time frame so long ago it is almost beyond our comprehension. Part Totem, part funeral pyre, it refers to the history of our planet's evolution, the romantic aspiration of art, the poetry of ruins, and the relationship between the human individual and the deep time of the cosmos.
Anselm Kiefer
Anselm Kiefer
This was Octavia Art’s 7th time at Art Basel, but my first year joining the team in Miami. One can feel the excitement as soon as you step off the plane, which for me, was at 6am on Wednesday morning. There is incredible energy and it feels as if everyone around is giddy with anticipation about the upcoming fair. Wednesday is opening day. It is when the VIP crew gets a first look at the collection being shown at Art Basel.
Art Week in Miami is extensive and can be quite overwhelming. There are about fifteen art fairs held simultaneously with the renowned Art Basel Miami Beach, all culminating in Miami Art Week. As a newbie, I had no idea where to start. Fortunately, I was there with the President of Octavia Art Gallery and she knew exactly where to go and what to see.
Our first stop was of a private collection at the Margulies Collection at The WAREhOUSE. They host a breakfast every year during Art Week. Their collection is in a large Warehouse and ranges from contemporary art to massive sculptures produced by Anselm Kiefer.
I highlight Anselm Kiefer because his work takes up almost half of the rooms in the Warehouse. To me, his art is raw and elicits conversation. Here is a bit of background about Kierfer:
Kiefer is a German painter and sculptor. His works incorporate materials such as straw, ash, clay, lead, and shellac. Themes from his paintings and sculptures include that of German history and the horror of the Holocaust. Themes from Nazi rule are particularly re-erected in his work. Additionally, his works are characterized by an un-inching willingness to confront his culture’s dark past. Typically, his works are done on a large, confrontational scale well suited to the subjects.
In a nice contrast to Kiefer’s work, there are several bright contemporary paintings right as you walk in the main space. Another stand out in the gallery is of a Brazilian conceptual artist names Ernesto Neto, we actually saw his work twice that day - at the Margulies collection and again at Art Basel. His work is incredibly intricate.
