The 12th edition of Untitled Art closed on December 10 amid reports of robust sales with an overall record of 55,000 institutional, collector, and public attendance from the United States and abroad. Presented from December 6 to 10, with a preview on December 5, the fair offered a strong contingent of 166 exhibitors representing 38 countries, marking its largest, most diverse, and international iteration to date.
Untitled Art unfolded a range of tightly curated gallery presentations and multi-strand programs that championed new trailblazing voices alongside established names under the curatorial themes of “Gender Equality in the Arts” and “Curating in the Digital Age.” Tapping into the growing interest amongst a new demographic of audiences as well as educating and empowering new art patrons, the fair featured over 600 artists, including a significant representation of female/non-binary artists (nearly 60%) and BIPOC, Latin American, and Asian artists (approximately 37%).
This year’s Special Projects also celebrated presentations that called attention to key issues and radical voices in the arts, including the 2023 recipient of the NXTHVN Visiting Artist Prize Awilda Sterling-Duprey’s Blindfolded (2020-present) – as part of the artist’s ongoing series activated through performance – presented at the fair by El Kilómetro (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and previously included in Whitney Biennial 2022; Zielinsky’s (Barcelona, Spain / São Paulo, Brazil) presentation of Epidermic Scapes by Vera Chaves Barcellos where an edition of the work was acquired at the fair by esteemed Miami-based collector and institutional patron Jorge M. Pérez; and an exceptional collection of limited-edition pieces by the late Luis Ortiz Monasterio (1906-1990) that debuted outside of Mexico, showcased by Ediciones Marea, in collaboration with the Pedro Reyes Studio, among others.
In keeping with its ongoing commitment to nurturing opportunities for its exhibiting artists, galleries, and non-profit organizations, Untitled Art lined up nine Prize Partners for the 2023 edition, totaling the value of over $150,000, the largest amount of prize money ever awarded at the fair. In partnership with the Prize Partners and the Ambassadors Committee, the following recipients were announced:
New to the 2023 roster of Prize Partners, the NXTHVN Visiting Artist Prize was awarded to Awilda Sterling-Duprey, presented by El Kilómetro (San Juan, Puerto Rico), for which she will be provided with an exhibition and two-month-long residency at NXTHVN’s facility in New Haven, CT, with a stipend of $15,000 USD and accommodation. With jury selection support from Hank Willis Thomas, a renowned conceptual artist and co-founder of the artist-led platform For Freedoms.
PASTO (Buenos Aires, Argentina) has been named the recipient of the ‘Nest’ Prize by Platform for their exceptional solo presentation of Argentine artist Santiago Licata at Untitled Art’s dedicated sector for emerging galleries. With jury selection support from Marcela Guerrero, the DeMartini Family Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
Through a specially selected list of artists by Untitled Art’s curatorial team, Miami-based artist and designer Kelley Johnson was selected as the inaugural winner of the Rado Production Prize and created a functional sculpture seating for the fair’s interstitial space.
Another new addition as a Prize Partner, Her Clique Womxn Prize awarded $7,000 to Niru Ratnam (London, United Kingdom) for the best embodiment of the curatorial theme, “Gender Equality in the Arts”, featuring exclusively female-identifying or non-binary artists. With jury selection support from Stephanie Seidel, curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami
Anna Ortiz of Dinner Gallery (New York, NY) was selected as the recipient of the CCA Andratx Artist-in-Residence Prize, who will embark on a one-month residency at its facility in Mallorca, Spain. With jury selection support from Sarah Arison, President of the Arison Arts Foundation.
Mia Chaplin of WHATIFTHEWORLD (Cape Town, South Africa), and Adelisa Selimbašić of Fridman Gallery (New York, NY) are winners of the Fountainhead Residency Artist Prize, which is awarded to two female-identifying, non-binary women exhibiting at this year’s fair.
Collectively valued at $40,000,The Vortic Prize has been awarded to three exhibitors for their profound understanding of the digital space and how it can be utilized to showcase art. The winners are CURRO (Guadalajara, Mexico) for the First Prize, Negrón Pizzaro (San Juan, Puerto Rico) for the Second Prize, and Fridman Gallery (New York, NY) for the Third Prize. With jury selection support from Adam Green, a Dallas-based art advisor and host of the ArtTactic Podcast.
Works by Suchitra Mattai of K Contemporary (Denver, CO) and Amy Hussein of Casa Quién (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) have been acquired through the 21c Museum Hotels Acquisition Prize. Under the guidance of Untitled Art’s curatorial team, the selection was finalized by the institution’s founders, philanthropists, and collectors, Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, along with 21c’s Chief Curator, Alice Gray Stites. In conjunction with the prize, 21c also acquired a work by Larry Muñoz of Zilberman (Istanbul, Turkey / Berlin, Germany / Miami, FL).
The Pébéo Production Prize will be announced in early February 2024, with jury selection support from Andrew Freiser, owner of Fredericks & Freiser (New York, NY).
Throughout the duration of the fair, galleries from various regions and levels showcased positive exchanges with institutions, and established and emerging private collectors, resulting in widespread sales, particularly with works by women-identifying artists. Reported transactions from exhibitors, spanning a broad spectrum of prices including sales reported at $500,000 USD and above, indicate a strong appetite for cutting-edge and experimental artworks and the overall strength of the taste-making art market, which underscores the collecting trend that Untitled Art has continuously been advocating for.
As Untitled Art’s new Official Partner this year, Resy, in collaboration with Delta SkyMiles and American Express, presented a beach-front pop-up experience curated by James Beard and Top Chef Winner Stephanie Izard during the day as well as fine dining events that featured acclaimed chefs, Ayesha Nurdjaja (Chef and Partner of Shukette in New York City; 2022 James Beard Award Finalist Nominee), Gregory Gourdet (Chef and Founder of Kann in Portland, OR; 2023 James Beard Award winner) and Virgilio Martínez (Chef and Owner of Central in Lima, Peru, No.1 on the 2023 World’s 50 Best Restaurants List).
Clara Andrade, Untitled Art Director of Development and Curatorial Affairs, said: “This year’s presentation of Untitled Art in Miami Beach has undeniably set a new benchmark for success both in terms of sales and artistic excellence. The growth and transformation of Miami Beach as a major global confluence for cultural communities are keenly felt, as evidenced by the diverse roster of exhibitors that transcend mainstream art hubs and the Americas. Coupled with a heady mix of presentations and exceptional sales, our fair witnessed the most well-attended edition with a record number of VIPs and institutional representatives. It’s fair to say that the 2023 edition was a canvas for fresh ideas and perspectives, epitomizing our dedication to pushing artistic boundaries.”
Untitled Art exhibitors said:
“It was our fourth time participating in the fair and our most successful yet. All but one of the works we sold went to new collectors and two institutions. We participate in Untitled Art in order to meet gallerists, and hopefully discover a new artist we’d like to begin working with. Our booth presented new paintings by gallery artist Radu Oreian, a Romanian-born artist my boyfriend and I discovered at Untitled Art three years ago, evidence that Untitled Art helps make the art world truly international.”
Quang Bao, Founder, 1969 Gallery (New York, NY)
“The energy last year was exceptional. The artists in our second presentation at Untitled Art – from Paris to New York and London – have been chosen to complement the fair’s rare and singular environment, which offered an ideal setting to showcase the subtleties of our artists’ intricate practices. The perfect setting and abundant light at the fair allowed us to showcase our artists’ work luminously, creating a great first impression. The level of collector engagement was consistently high during the fair, and we could feel the palpable effects of the record attendance. Another noteworthy experience from this year’s fair was the high level of engagement shown by its curatorial team throughout the year. This engagement will continue even after the fair ends and will have a significant impact on our program.”
Jennifer Carvalho, Partner, Director, Carvalho Park (Brooklyn, NY)
“We are very happy to have returned to Untitled Art this year. We were able to place major works by three artists in private and institutional collections in the U.S. and abroad. The fair featured a wide, balanced variety of styles and felt very welcoming for both visitors and exhibitors.”
Iliya Fridman, Director, Fridman Gallery(New York, NY)
“As a first-time exhibitor at the fair, Untitled Art has been simply amazing to work with. We had the opportunity to make some great connections with collectors, curators and institutions. We will certainly be wanting to participate in the fair again in the future.”
Jonathan Carver Moore, Founder and Director, Jonathan Carver Moore ((San Francisco, CA)
“We were delighted to receive the Her Clique Womxn Prize for the best booth of exclusively female-identifying artists. And we were very happy to meet both collectors we know well and many new collectors. We were also impressed that the level of excellent collectors continued through the week, it is definitely a fair where good meetings and conversations happen every day.”
Niru Ratnam, Director, Niru Ratnam (London, United Kingdom)
“We are absolutely thrilled about our experience at the Untitled Art in Miami Beach. The fair provided us with a fantastic opportunity to engage with a diverse and global audience, connecting with art enthusiasts and professionals from around the world. It has truly been an enriching experience, allowing us to establish meaningful relationships within the global art community. Receiving The ‘Nest’ Prize by Platform for the best booth in the Nest sector is a tremendous honor for us. It has been a privilege to introduce Santiago Licata’s work to a wider audience and witness the positive impact it has made. Participating in Untitled Art has given us the opportunity to expand our reach and we look forward to the possibility of returning next year.”
César Abelenda, Founder, PASTO (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
“This was our first time participating at Untitled Art, and we were thrilled with the response to our presentation of Malaysian artist Justin Lim. The fair’s eclectic program was very conducive for us to introduce a solo exhibition by an artist from a new geographical context to different audiences. We had a very productive week reconnecting with old friends and engaging with new clients, which resulted in us selling additional works apart from the ones presented at the booth.”
Stella Chang, Director, Richard Koh Fine Art (Singapore / Bangkok, Thailand / Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
“Untitled Art is the premier fair for discovery and interacting with global collectors. As an African gallery that is about to open an outpost in Los Angeles, connecting with the US audience has been invaluable. We’ve had strong sales, museum acquisitions and secured residency opportunities for our artists.”
Jana Terblanche, Director, Southern Guild (Cape Town, South Africa)
