A fine art fair with an ever-growing international profile returns this month for its latest installment in West Palm Beach.
Art Palm Beach runs Jan. 22-26 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
This year, more than 80 modern and contemporary galleries will bring new pieces and installations from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Monaco, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and other countries.
“It’s become a global gathering of some of the greatest galleries in the world,” said Kassandra Voyagis, Art Palm Beach’s director and producer. “You’ll get a taste of what’s happening on the art scene around the world without ever leaving Palm Beach.”
The show kicks off with an opening night premiere event on Jan. 22, then continues with general admission Jan. 23-26.
Voyagis, who spends months each year traveling to galleries and festivals, said that even after just two years of Art Palm Beach under new ownership of the Palm Beach Show Group, it has built a strong international reputation.
“There’s a real energy and excitement among these galleries about coming to Art Palm Beach,” she said. “We’re definitely on the international calendar now.”
Two galleries will make their U.S. debut at Art Palm Beach: Galleria Russo from Rome, Italy, and Lee N Bae Gallery from Seoul, South Korea.
The lineup also includes some galleries that are “powerhouses,” Voyagis said: Sundaram Tagore Gallery of Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S.; Hollis Taggart Gallery of New York; Galerie Raphael of Germany; and Corridor Contemporary of Israel.
Many galleries will bring works from Pablo Picasso, Hiroshi Senju, Joan Miró, Damien Hirst, Alex Katz and Joan Mitchell and other renowned artists.
The mix of galleries is “an absolute melting pot of artistic expression,” Voyagis said.
“To me, the most exciting part is this incredible convergence of cultures unified under one roof,” she said. “It’s breathtaking to witness — a gallery from Korea showcasing its artists alongside a gallery from Rome, an Israeli artist sharing space with a South African artist’s sculptures. You have emerging talents from across the globe captivating audiences alongside established masters we’ve all come to love.”
A recent addition to Art Palm Beach comes in the form of “BIG BIRK,” created by artist GEO and presented by Denis Leon Gallery of Boca Raton. The sculpture from the renowned architect and designer is billed as the world’s largest Hermès Birkin, an iconic purse that has become a status symbol.
The Birkin’s cultural context makes “BIG BIRK” a great fit for Palm Beach, Voyagis said.
“The Birkin bag, a global symbol of prestige and timeless elegance, perfectly aligns with the values and aesthetic of this extraordinary community,” she said. “This exhibition offers an exciting dialogue between art and affluence, capturing the spirit of a place where high fashion and high culture intersect seamlessly.”
The 16-foot-tall Birkin was hand-carved from wood, condensed foam, mirror acrylic, aluminum and other materials.
Voyagis said she’s particularly excited about a few pieces. Sundaram Tagore Gallery’s installation will be stunning, she said, with silk pieces from Kenny Nguyen and nature-inspired work from Senju, she said.
Hollis Taggart has created a showcase of work from two Ukrainian-born artists, Norman Carton and Albert Kotin. Galleria Russo is bringing a mix of the Italian art world’s up-and-coming talent and icons. Many of the artists with Lee N Bae Gallery will mark their first U.S. show with Art Palm Beach, she said.
Rosenbaum Contemporary, with galleries in Palm Beach and Boca Raton, will feature photorealistic paintings from Cuban artist Maikel Martinez, Voyagis said.
Rosenbaum is one of several Palm Beach County-based exhibitors at Art Palm Beach, along with Contessa Gallery, Nick Mele Fine Art, Provident Fine Art, Steidel Contemporary and Yvel of Palm Beach; JF Gallery of West Palm Beach; and Blinkgroup Gallery, Denis Leon Gallery and Sponder Gallery of Boca Raton.
Other Sunshine State exhibitors at Art Palm Beach include Ori Gallery of Fort Lauderdale; Lurie Fine Art of Sunny Isles Beach; Quidley & Co. of Naples; Avant Gallery and Robert Fontaine Gallery of Miami Beach; Adamar Fine Arts, Carousel Fine Art, Oliver Cole Gallery and Markowicz Fine Art of Miami; and Tali Almog Gallery of Aventura.
Museums, nonprofits get their due
Art Palm Beach also provides a platform for museum and nonprofits through DIVERSEartPB, which this year is curated by Marisa Caichiolo with a theme of “Art Has the Power to Change the World.”
It’s a theme that felt particularly timely, Voyagis said.
“We’re living in a moment where global tensions are high, and it’s empowering to bring so many parts of the world together in one place,” she said. “Art has this incredible ability to transcend differences and foster empathy, understanding and connection. It speaks a universal language, and that’s precisely what we wanted to explore this year.”
One piece featured in DIVERSEartPB will greet visitors before they enter the convention center: “The Bear,” a towering, 30-foot-tall sculpture by artist Viktor Freso that is presented at Art Palm Beach by Danubiana Museum in Slovakia.
“It’s bold, unforgettable, and sets the tone for everything inside,” Voyagis said.
Including the piece in Art Palm Beach was “an immediate yes,” she said, and it represents the fair’s values of strength, resilience and ambition.
Another standout in DIVERSEartPB is “Eternal Light — 21C The Last Judgment” by HanHo, and presented by Culture Nomad from South Korea and ReflectSpace of California, Voyagis said.
The immersive installation brings together traditional art methods and technology: “It creates this shifting, light-filled mystical experience that forces you to contemplate our future, addressing topics like climate change, violence, and nuclear threats and humanity’s’ ability to save ourselves from self-destruction,” Voyagis said.
Other exhibitors featured in DIVERSEartPB are the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas of Miami and Culture Nomade of South Korea.
The Boca Raton Museum of Art has been a wonderful local partner for Art Palm Beach, Voyagis said. This year marks the museum’s 75th anniversary and it will preview at Art Palm Beach its Glasstress exhibit, which features work from artists Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, who combine stop-motion animation with glass sculptures.
The museum also will present the Museum Acquisition Award to an emerging artist during the fair’s opening night gala, Voyagis said. The winning art will become part of the Boca museum’s permanent collection.
DIVERSEartPB’s goal is to challenge people to see art as a force for change, she said.
“We want visitors to leave inspired, reflecting on how art can shape the world and bring us together,” she said.
If you go
What: Art Palm Beach
Where: Palm Beach County Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
When: 5 to 9 p.m. Jan. 22, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 23-26
Cost: $150 per ticket for opening night party; $35 for daily general admission
Info: artpalmbeach.com
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
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