Art Basel Miami Beach Returns in Full Force under New Direction

Art Basel Miami Beach 2024, the first edition led by Director Bridget Finn, brought together 286 leading galleries from 38 countries throughout its VIP and public days. With more than 75,000 attendees from across the globe, the fair reaffirmed its position as the premier platform for modern and contemporary art in the Americas.

Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 at the Miami Beach Convention Center featured exceptional works from renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Keith Haring, and Kara Walker, alongside promising emerging talents like Péjú Alatise and Melissa Joseph. With robust sales and placement of works into prestigious public and private collections, the fair cemented its reputation as a must-attend event for collectors and institutions.

Under the direction of Bridget Finn, this year’s edition introduced 34 new galleries—the largest influx in over a decade—and a refreshed artistic program. Meridians, the hallmark sector for monumental artworks, was redesigned and relocated to foster greater discovery and dialogue. The Conversations series, curated by Kimberly Bradley, also saw record-breaking attendance, featuring compelling discussions such as Shirin Neshat’s Premiere Artist Talk.

“I am extremely proud of innovations we introduced this year – from the repositioning and reconceptualization of Meridians to the roll-out of a new booth model, which allowed us to welcome many vital new voices and perspectives in the main sector of the show.”

Bridget Finn, Director Art Basel Miami Beach

Bridget Finn, Director, Art Basel Miami Beach, said: ‘It was an ecstatic feeling to finally open the doors of our show to visitors, after more than a year of planning with our exhibitors and their artists, our Selection Committee, the Art Basel team, partners, and institutional collaborators. I am extremely proud of innovations we introduced this year – from the repositioning and reconceptualization of Meridians to the roll-out of a new booth model, which allowed us to welcome many vital new voices and perspectives in the main sector of the show. Across the board, galleries presented truly ambitious, rare, and in some cases career- and canon-defining proposals, which have been placed in first-rate collections and sparked significant future conversations for the art world. I am deeply grateful for the trust they lent to me for my first edition.’

Miami Beach’s Legacy Purchase Program, now in its fifth year, garnered attention with the acquisition of Nina Surel’s “Allegory of Florida,” a ceramic wall installation now on permanent display. Further innovation included the Art Basel App, enhanced by Microsoft’s AI-powered features, and expanded digital and on-chain art programming through Digital Dialogues.

From monumental art installations to cutting-edge digital advancements, Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 celebrated the transformative power of art in shaping culture and the future.