Launched in Winter 2005, Pulse was an art fair founded to recognize emerging contemporary programs and their artists from around the world. This mantra rang true for the 2013 edition, as always held at the spacious Ice Palace in Wynwood. With galleries hailing from London, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Beijing, Havana, Tokyo, Berlin and Milan, Pulse Miami proved its superiority over its sister edition in New York not just for the spectacular weather, but the breathability of the space and the increased diversity of media. A lush paddock outside the pavilion allowed visitors to relax on hammocks and sip refreshments by Perrier. Inside the fair itself, eye-catching work waited around every corner of every booth. Two London galleries, Purdy Hicks and Brancolini Grimaldi, presented outstanding photography from artists Jorma Puranen and Miles Aldridge, respectively. Puranen's elegant double-images of paintings made from the reflections of icy grounds sparkled with deep blues and streaks of sunrise, while Aldridge's vivid Carousel series treads the line between voyeur and fashion cataloguer. Los Angeles-based Martha Otero Gallery delivered bold offerings in the forms of Jen Stark's mind-bending color spectrum wall sculpture, Eric White's altered classic album covers and Tim Biskup's chaotic gods and monsters as a photo-op cutout at the fair's entrance aptly titled Head In The Hole. Other notable programs included Miami's Black Square Gallery, New York spaces Rick Wester Fine Art, Yancey Richardson and Danziger Gallery as well as Tokyo's MA2 Gallery and Lima-based Vertice Gallery.
NADA (New Art Dealer's Alliance) Miami Beach has long been recognized as one of the most avant-garde shows on the international fair circuit. Each year, a selection of the world's most challenging programs gather to present work free and open to the public. With editions in New York, Cologne and Hudson (New York), NADA Miami Beach celebrated its 10th incarnation with a series of exceptionally advanced work. Clifton Benevento (New York) presented stunning photography from L.A.-based multidisciplinary artist Wu Tsang, Zach Feuer (New York) offered hard-hitting signage from Mark Flood, Frutta (Rome) presented elegant little paint-and-marble works from Gabriele De Santis, and François Ghebaly (Los Angeles) brought a taut stable of artists including Frieze (New York) Projects 2012 participant Joel Kyack. Honorable mentions include Temnikova & Kasela (Tallinn), Josh Lilley Gallery (London), Federica Schiavo Gallery (Rome) and Miami's own Locust Projects. Programs held in conjunction with NADA Miami Beach included those by mega-publisher Phaidon, American Apparel, and the annual Artadia Award (an unrestricted $4,000 artist award) given this year to Ryan Foerster.
Pulse New York will be held at The Metropolitan Pavilion from May 8 - 11, 2014. For more information, visit www.pulse-art.com
NADA New York will be held at Pier 36, Basketball City from May 9 - 11, 2014. For more information, visit www.newartdealers.org
