GLASS AS HIGH ART

Is THERE GLASS AT ART BASEL?

Every December there are a dozen or more simultaneous Art Expos in Miami.

​The most prestigious is Art Basel, but Art Miami is also significant, and others like Scope and the Untitled show more experimental work and art by younger artists.

The glass historian William Warmus and glass artist Tim Tate have been tracking glass at these shows for over five years, documenting most of the glass at Art Basel Miami and associated shows since 2014.

Crystal Cube by Ai Weiwei | approx. $500,000 Euros, sold | Art Basel 2014

Gerhard Richter | $90,000, sold | Art Basel 2015

Daniel Ashram | Art Basel Hong Kong 2018

A limited selection of leading US glass galleries exhibit at the myriad of fairs. Habatat Galleries show at Scope Miami and Context Art Fair. Heller Gallery exhibits at Art Miami. 

Cities Underwater by Norwood Viviano | Art Miami 2018

Tim Tate | Context Art Fair 2018

Michael Janis | Scope Miami 2017

A number of conceptual sculptors use glass in their work. One example is Olafur Eliasson, a Danish–Icelandic artist known for his large-scale works focusing on elemental materials such as light, water, and air to enhance the viewer’s experience. Over the last five years, he has often exhibited glass work at Art Basel.

Olafur Eliasson | Art Basel 2018 |(Glass Mosaic)

In 2009, Glasstress was founded by by Adriano Berengo to bridge contemporary art and glass. The exhibition takes place in accordance with the Venice Biennale of Art and has been presented in prominent museums and institutions worldwide. 

Javier Perez-Corona | Glasstress 2011

Text and images are from the 2019 Glass Art Society Conference lecture by JRA Board member, Tim Tate.