Bass Museum debuts 'Russian Dreams' for Art Basel (The Miami Herald)

Posted on Friday, 12.05.08 Download the article
BY FABIOLA SANTIAGO

Here may be proof that the Cold War really is over, folks, despite the recent buzz from conspiracy theorists about a new Russia-Cuba-Venezuela alliance: A daily complimentary cafecito cubano made by Bustelo is being served to art patrons flocking to the Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach to see the exhibition Russian Dreams.

The show features the work of Russian contemporary artists, including pieces from pre-glasnost and preperestroika days, when artists worked underground -- and it's being sponsored by the Russian government, a collaboration between the Bass and the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow.

Through painting, photography, video and installation art the exhibit explores themes, including Russianstyle nostalgia, that shed light on the Russian art evolution and how the pre-glasnost generation impacted the new generation of artists. It's curated by Olga Sviblova, director of the Moscow museum and curator of the Russian Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale.

Wednesday's opening night VIP reception drew more than 3,200, including supermodel Naomi Campbell; Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's girlfriend, Dasha Zhukova; New York City maverick art dealer Jeffrey Deitch; former Art Basel director Sam Keller and current co-directors Annette Schonholzer and Marc Spiegler. Presiding over the party and museum is the newly appointed executive director and chief curator of the Bass, Silvia Karman Cubiñá, former director of the defunct Moore Space.

Russian Dreams is on view through Feb. 8. Also showing through March 1 at the Bass, 2121 Park Avenue, is Pedro Reyes: 47 Undertakings, an exhibit by the Mexican artist-architect who explores how space, function and utopian ideas come together.

''Cafe Bustelo's Merienda'' runs from noon to 5 p.m. through Saturday.