Art Basel Miami - 2019

Art Basel Cities
Founded in 1970, Art Basel today stages the world's premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art Basel’s engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through a number of new initiatives such as Art Basel Cities, working with partner cities on bespoke cultural programs.
 
The city of Miami Beach (Florida, USA) host, Art Basel in Miami Beach since 2002 and through its commitment to arts and culture has benefited from tangible investment and economic return. The council of Miami Beach reports a yearly economic impact of about USD 500 Million from the hosting of the Art Basel show every December. Over the years, the development of arts and culture venues and events have driven the growth of the city of Miami Beach, attracting an affluent international audience which in turn resulted in significant real estate and urban development. Cultural tourism attracts affluent and sophisticated visitors with a vested interest in architecture, design, premium hospitality and luxury real estate.
 

Art Basel Cities is an initiative launched in March 2016 under the leadership of Business Initiatives Director, Patrick Foret. Art Basel partners with selected cities for a multiyear program to accelerate international recognition for their art scene whilst delivering to the artworld bespoke, intellectually rigorous programs that unveil unique art offerings all over the globe.

 
From 2017 through 2019, the collaboration between Art Basel Cities and the city of Buenos Aires celebrated the vibrancy of the Argentine capital’s cultural scene. Started with exchanges and best practice transfer during the Art Basel Cities House in November 2017, the program which included an advisory role on cultural policy with the government, continued with a successful Art Basel Cities Week, an international public art program showcasing Argentine Art to the world, in September 2018. In April 2019 Art Basel Cities brought renewed attention with an innovative Talks Program during Semana del Arte, organized by the government of the City of Buenos Aires. In December 2019, Art Basel Cities concluded its engagement with Buenos Aires with a public sculpture show ‘Disruptions,’ staged concurrently with the Art Basel show in Miami Beach, fulfilling its original commitment to bring the artworld to the city and the city back to the artworld. The City of Buenos Aires reported tangible economic impact and increased international opportunities for the key actors of its art scene as well as significant media exposure globally from its partnership with Art Basel Cities.

The need to promote Ukrainian art and support the development of our art scene has led to the need to find various ways of cooperation, one of which is to attract the world’s best expertise in the art market. That’s why the Chairman of the Board of PO “City Development Fund”, Volodymyr Pirus, took part in the international art forum. He held negotiations with representatives of the management of the most famous art platform in the world, Art Basel, namely with the Director of Business initiatives and Partnerships, Patrick Foret, who agreed to share his experience in driving impact through art  during our congress “Business for Smart Cities – 2020”.

Art and culture are important pillar in urban development. Art Galleries, museums, artists communities are fundamental to the positioning of our cities as a cultural centers, making them attractive to other creative industries and driving visitations from affluent and sophisticated audiences of cultural tourists, entrepreneurs and investors.
 
Why it happens and how exactly art influences the city development will be discussed further during the 2nd International Expo-Congress “Business for Smart Cities”, that will be held in April 2020.