“Experiencing Acaye Kerunen’s work for the first time in Venice was an absolute revelation,” says gallerist Tim Poe, of Blum & Poe, which has outposts in Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo. “Her multidimensional view of the world — of collaboration, of community, of sustainability, of beauty, collectively the best that art can bring to the world — has been pure magic.”
Photo courtesy of Acaye Kerunen and Pace GalleryThe Kampala-based Kerunen has virtually taken the art world by storm since April, with the opening of “Radiance: They Dream in Time,” an exhibition in the inaugural Uganda pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale, which ran through November 27. Curated by Shaheen Merali, the presentation featured a suite of what the artist calls “meditations on the intricacies of natural systems,” which draw heavily on ancestral knowledge and the craft traditions of her native Uganda, the works having been forged of natural materials: banana fiber, raffia, reeds, and palm leaves, locally sourced from the wetlands around Nalubaale (Lake Victoria) and the Great Lakes region of Central Africa. The incorporation of such traditional materials, says Kerunen, “speaks to a resilient culture, the art of cultivation, and the importance of living with a conscious relation to the land, working to regenerate an environment that is being depleted by exploitation, insensitive development, and climate change.”
Photo courtesy of Acaye Kerunen and Pace GalleryOn November 29, the artist will make her North American debut at Art Basel Miami Beach, where Blum & Poe is presenting a solo show of her rich tapestries made of baskets and other woven works. “The breadth and depth of her vertically integrated practice,” Poe observes, “is truly inspirational and electric. I am thrilled to share her vision to the larger world, in collaboration, and honored to be working with our colleagues at Pace and Galerie Kandlhofer, who joined us in bringing the artist into our respective rosters this past September.”
Your Guide to Miami Art Week
MIAMI BEACH
ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH
November 29–30 (preview); December 1–3
1901 Convention Center Drive
artbasel.com
AQUA ART MIAMI
November 30–December 4
Aqua Hotel, 1530 Collins Avenue
aquaartmiami.com
DESIGN MIAMI
November 29–30 (preview); November 30–December 4
Convention Center Drive & 19th Street
designmiami.com
INK MIAMI ART FAIR (IFPDA)
November 30–December 4
Suites of Dorchester, 1850 Collins Avenue
inkartfair.com
SATELLITE ART FAIR
November 29–December 4
Indian Beach Park, 4601 Collins Avenue
satellite-show.com
SCOPE MIAMI BEACH
November 29 (invitation only); November 30–December 4
Ocean Drive at 8th Street
scope-art.com
UNTITLED ART MIAMI BEACH
November 28 (VIP preview); November 29–December 3
Ocean Drive & 12th Street
untitledartfairs.com
MIAMI
ART MIAMI
November 29 (VIP preview); November 30–December 4
One Herald Plaza
artmiami.com
CONTEXT ART MIAMI
November 29 (VIP preview); November 30–December 4
One Herald Plaza
contextartmiami.com
MIAMI RIVER ART FAIR
November 30 (VIP preview); December 1
The Penthouse Riverside Wharf, 125 SW North River Drive
miamiriverartfair.com
NADA MIAMI
November 30–December 3
Ice Palace Studios, 1400 North Miami Avenue
newartdealers.org
PINTA MIAMI
November 29–December 4
225 NE 34th Street
miami.pinta.art
PRIZM 2022
November 29–December 11
4220 N. Miami Ave
prizm.art
RED DOT MIAMI
November 30 (VIP preview); December 1–4
Mana Wynwood, 2217 NW 5th Avenue
redwoodartgroup.com
SPECTRUM MIAMI
November 30 (VIP preview); December 1–4
Mana Wynwood, 2217 NW 5th Avenue
redwoodartgroup.com
