SCOPE Art Show Announces Curated Experiential Programming Ahead of Miami Edition
SCOPE Art Show has announced highlights of its robust programming for the 23rd edition, taking place December 3–8, 2024 in Miami. Alongside presentations by over 85 international exhibitors from 15 countries, SCOPE’s dynamic programming—from talks and performances to wellness activations and food pop-ups—spotlights tastemakers across art, culture, technology, hospitality, music, and wellness. Through fostering collaborations among creative innovators, SCOPE offers unique cultural experiences for every kind of culture seeker, from the established collector to the first-time fair visitor.
For the 2024 edition, SCOPE Art Show offers visitors myriad access points for discovery, learning, and community throughout the fair week. SCOPE’s signature curatorial program for large-scale works and installations, The New Contemporary, features new commissions by globally recognized artists, including Yinka Ilori MBE and Lua Brice. Highlights also include live panels led by leaders of the creative vanguard, such as Nona Hendryx of Labelle, which will investigate topics including the role of AI and digital technologies in artmaking. Spanning 1,400 square feet, a new curated presentation spotlights Caribbean artists through a collaboration with FUZE, a regional art fair based in Nassau, Bahamas that is part of the annual Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
“SCOPE’s multifaceted programming champions visionaries who are thinking and making outside the box and driving forward the creative conversation” remarks Director Hayley River Smith. “This year’s theme of Interdependence celebrates the collaborative nature of the creative ecosystem—even across disciplines and industries—from artists to local coffee connoisseurs to world-class stage talent, all of which have an impactful presence at this year’s edition.”
The New Contemporary: Featuring Two New Commissions
As SCOPE’s curated multidisciplinary platform for large-scale exhibitions, installations, and dynamic programming, The New Contemporary features projects from presenting galleries as well as a special selection of commissioned works.
Through the support of presenting partner Chase Sapphire Reserve, SCOPE has commissioned two principal artists to create large-scale installations as part of The New Contemporary’s programming. SCOPE attendees will enter Lua Brice’s immersive sculpture Folding Light (2024) which plays with revealing the intersection of reflected light and sound.
Once through the installation, showgoers will encounter Lift Me Higher With Joy (2024) by SCOPE’s second principal artist, British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist and designer Yinka Ilori MBE, which comprises of a set of interactive seating risers near SCOPE’s main stage. Channeling the energy of collaborative family game nights, this work revolves around the uplifting power of community and invites visitors to pass on words of affirmation in order to create a ripple effect of positivity that influences current surroundings and those that will follow. Emphasizing the importance of mutual support and community, Ilori will also create The Shrine of Affirmations (2024), a large-scale installation that serves as a focal point and creates a sanctuary for reflection and manifesting positivity. Taking the form of a shelter with bird-like kites soaring outward, which collectively evoke a sense of liberation, the participatory work invites visitors to recite collective empowerment, connect, and engage within its sacred space.
Dr. Esther Mahlangu will unveil her monumental painting Ukuthula Makube Nawe (Peace Be With You) (2024) within SCOPE’s bespoke tent on the sands of Miami Beach. The 26-feet-wide work imparts a resonant message of peace that invites viewers to embrace a philosophy of peace and balance—qualities that have marked her seven-decade-long career as a custodian of Ndebele heritage and a global artistic voice.
Also featured in The New Contemporary this year is Black Oddyssey, a carnival installation by artist Hebru Brantley that celebrates the rich tapestry of African American culture and history with multisensorial, fantastical elements of old circus acts as well as references to the artist collective and philosophical movement AfriCOBRA.
This year, SCOPE presents Collections, a pop-up for collectibles including books, artist merchandise, and artist-signed objects, as part of The New Contemporary. Collections will feature SCOPE principal artists Lua Brice, Hebru Brantley, and Yinka Ilori MBE, alongside mural artist Egle Zvirblyte, allowing visitors and emerging collectors to access the practices of these artists through unique collectibles, books, and editions. Collections is curated by Julianna Vezzetti, who founded the curatorial collective Good to Know and has worked with New York-based gallery The Hole.
NEW SECTION FOR 2024: Blue Floor Project: God Is the Soil
A new curated presentation with the fair, titled Blue Floor Project, highlights artists from across the Caribbean region in an exhibition titled God Is the Soil, featuring artists Heino Schmid, Kendra Frorup, Antonius Roberts, Jason Bennett, Deborah Jack, Marlon Griffith, James Cooper, David Gumbs, and more. Complimenting the special section, FUZE and SCOPE have founded the SCOPE Art Show x The Current: Baha Mar Art Prize + Residency, awarded to an artist at the show in support of their ongoing practice. The first recipient, Wesley Clark, is currently in residence at Baha Mar.
SCOPE Walls
A signature annual program, SCOPE Walls—a selection of large-scale graffiti artworks displayed on canvases stretched across giant shipping containers, curated by Hyland Mather of STRAAT Museum in Amsterdam—returns to the beach, featuring works by Keya Tama, Bianca Nemelc, Floor Vloer, Tobi Shinobi, Victoria Cassinova, Daniel Padure, Xavier Schipani, and Dalkhafine. Acura, the Exclusive Auto Partner of this year’s show, is presenting a new work created for SCOPE Walls by artist Dalkhafine featuring the all-new Acura ADX.
SCOPE Presents
Taking place daily on the main stage of the fair, SCOPE Presents features live discussions and performances by leading literary figures, cultural commentators, and cutting-edge artists. Select highlights include:
“The AI Dilemma: Art in the Age of Innovation,” a discussion with Claire Oliver Gallery on the ethical, philosophical, and practical implications of AI in the creative sphere.
“The Story & State of Latinx Art in Los Angeles,” a discussion between Moncho 1929, a Puerto Rican artist from the Bronx whose Botánica paintings explore Latinx cultural heritage and spirituality; Leonardo Ledesma, Founder of Art Seen, a Los Angeles-based contemporary art advisory and curatorial service; and Victor Gonzalez, Founder of GRØSS Magazine, a Los Angeles- and San Francisco-based art gallerist and publisher.
A panel discussion led by leadership from the Black in Fashion Council on Black fashion designers and the future of the industry.
“Downtown Festival,” a panel on the inner workings of independent filmmaking with filmmaker and co-founder of indie production company Simone Films Rebekah Sherman-Myntti; writer, director, and actor Alexi Wasser; and actor and writer Kareem Rahma.
JPMorganChase On Culture
JPMorganChase will also support a curated special selection of activations on the main stage accessible to the public, with highlights including:
“Why A.I. Isn't Going to Make Art,” a panel with Toni Marinara of ARTXCODE debating the future role of A.I. in artmaking.
A panel on the innovative ways artists are embracing new technology mediums and resources in presentation of their work, presented as an extension of JPMorganChase’s support of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Moderated by VP of Artistic Programming, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Jordana Leigh, the discussion on the intersection of the arts and technology will feature vocalist and record producer Nona Hendryx, AR/VR artist and co-founder of EyeJack SUTU, artist Miles Regis, and performer and composer Etienne Charles, followed by a special musical performance by Charles and Creole Soul.
A talk sponsored by Hypebeast on the show’s theme of Interdependence, led by Hypeart Editor Keith Estiler.
@art will present two panels on the intersection of art and life, including a conversation titled “Beyond the Game: Where Art and Sports Collide” and a second on the contemporary digital landscape, titled “Content vs. Art: Preserving Artistic Integrity in the Age of Digital Consumption.”
In addition, JPMorganChase will support daily curator and collector breakfasts hosted by special guests.
Wellness Activations
Building on its dedication to health and hospitality from past years, SCOPE’s 2024 Official Wellness Partner Alo will offer yoga, Pilates, meditation/breathwork, and sound bath programming onsite at SCOPE throughout the fair week.
Food and Beverage Pop-ups
SCOPE is partnering with beloved local hospitality partners to bring unique concessions to all fairgoers. Onsite purveyors at North Eats, SCOPE's dedicated area for food and beverage programming at the show, include Panther Coffee's curated selection of specialty coffees, teas, and snacks, offering a taste of Miami’s vibrant coffee culture; Bondi Sushi, known for their fresh fish at affordable prices, served beachside at SCOPE; Bodega Taqueria and Tequila, whose menu includes queso, guacamole, and nachos, and their signature, crowd-favorite tacos; Whitmans, who offer an elevated American Eatery menu; and Cello's Pizza, with a variety of pizzas for visitors to enjoy.
For more information on programming schedules and tickets, visit scope-art.com/