Organizers Give the Scoop on scopeMiami

Now in its fourth year, scopeMiami, the alternative art fair, will feature over 70 exhibitors from the Americas, Europe and Asia at the TownHouse Hotel (150 20th St. at Collins Ave.) in South Beach from Dec. 1 to 4.

Organizers say that scope art fairs, which have been held in Miami, New York, London, and the Hamptons, distinguish themselves from other fairs by asking each exhibitor to focus on the work of one contemporary artist in a hotel room venue. In addition to cutting-edge work by emerging artists, scope also presents a full program of special events, art performances, video and film screenings and topical panel discussions.

New to scopeMiami this year is Collectors Choice, an exhibition of works by 15 emerging artists chosen by 50 well-known collectors, which will be displayed in the hotels lobby. Among the participating artists are Chris Dorland, a New York painter who was selected by collector Beth Rudin DeWoody. Additionally, Dorland is the winner of scopeMiamis 2005 Emerging Artist Grant, chosen at each fair by the scopeCircle, an advisory committee.

Last year scopeMiami had 10,000 visitors and did $2.2 million in sales, says Alexis Hubshman, president of scope. Already with hundreds of RSVPs from major museum groups and collectors, scopeMiami 2005 promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Since scopes founding in 2002, says Hubshman, its aim has been providing a forum for artists, galleries, curators, and collectors to interact and exchange ideas. scopes intimacy, fresh information, and rough edges give a view of the grassroots of the art world that is not available anywhere else.

Highlights include:

Performance-scope: New work by performance-based artists will be presented daily throughout the hotel. Featured performances include Bakkom, Freedland, and Smiths Cranked and Luke Homitskys Box.

Cinema-scope: With a special focus on Latin America, an international survey of progressive new media and video art by more than 20 artists from 10 countries will be screened inside the water tower, on the hotels rooftop, and in the VIP Lounge.

Special to scopeMiami this year, the guerilla media vehicle, a truck
with 125 screens displaying video works, will appear at all of the key
events from South Beach to Wynwood and the Design District.

scopeSound: This program showcases emerging local DJs, sound artists and bands.

Among the panel discussions are Breaking Down Walls: Trailblazers in Contemporary Art (Dec. 4 at 2 pm). Panelists include Miami architects and public artists Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt, Chicago photographer and video artist Ken Fandell, and Palm Beach sculptor Ralf Gschwend.
 
Click here for the full scope schedule.

Images Courtesy Scope Miami. Images (Clockwise from top left) Galerie Andreas Binder (2); N/A; Agro/ Glickman (STEP-1) (2); Christopher Cutts Gallery (2). Clockwise from left: Izima Kaorus Natsuki Mari wears Luisa Beccaria; Tominaga Ai wears Prada; Paul Hammers Niemand weiB was wir Fuhleni; Chris Dorlands U.S. Pavilion, Nicola Bollas Vanitas (red skull) and Untitled; Sanchez Brothers Abduction and A Room for Change