Art Basel Miami Beach runs through December 5 at the Miami Convention Center. Courtesy of Art Basel
Following a multi-million-dollar marquee auction week and early sales at Untitled and NADA Miami—both making a case for cautious optimism—all eyes were on Art Basel’s VIP opening on December 3. Despite the early line at the oceanside entrance, the atmosphere by 11 a.m. was noticeably more subdued and the crowd less international than the one at the opening of Art Basel Paris just two months earlier. Still, as the only Art Basel in the Americas, the fair continues to draw some of the country’s most prominent collectors, as well as others from further afield, to a city where it’s now more common to hear Spanish than English.
Bridget Finn acknowledged during the preview that Miami sits at a cultural crossroads—and that Art Basel Miami Beach is uniquely positioned to activate that intersection. “The fair brings together the artistic ecosystems of North and South America in conversation with global perspectives, creating a platform where new voices and long-established programs can thrive side by side,” she said, noting how that mix defines the city—a place where artistic innovation, historical depth and cross-regional exchange meet in ways that feel both urgent and generative.
Despite a seemingly quiet start, the fair quickly filled up, and by early afternoon, booths were buzzing with sales-focused conversations—a welcome change from the usual kiss-and-check dynamic at recent U.S. art fairs.
By 3 p.m., Hauser & Wirth had already sold 40 percent more than its entire week’s total from last year’s edition. “Christmas came early for our team this morning,” said Marc Payot, the gallery’s president, noting that despite the leisurely pace, business remained brisk. “We’re already fielding inquiries about the works that will be newly installed tomorrow when we switch things up for the second day.” Among the sales, at least six works were in the six-digit range, including Untitled (Taxi Painting) by George Condo ($3,995,000); museum-grade pieces by Louise Bourgeois ($3,200,000), Ed Clark ($1,200,000) and Henry Taylor ($1,200,000); and a large-scale Rashid Johnson ($1,000,000). The gallery also made early sales of works by Ed Clark, Henry Taylor, Rashid Johnson, Pat Steir, Reuben Patterson, Carrie Yamaoka, Jake Brush, Sean Bennett, Qiu Xiaofei, Annie Leibovitz, Lee Bul, Nairy Baghramian, María Berrío, Catherine Goodman, Angel Otero, William Kentridge, Elliot & Erick Jiménez, Sarah Crowner, Aneta Grzeszykowska, Masaomi Yasunaga and others.
Hauser & Wirth. Dan Bradica Studio
David Zwirner quickly followed with the top sale of the day: a Gerhard Richter for $5.5 million, reinforcing the momentum for the German artist in the Americas after his $23 million record at Art Basel Paris, which coincided with the opening of his largest survey at Fondation Louis Vuitton. The gallery also secured key historical works, including 1967 Nude by Alice Neel, which sold for $3.3 million, and two luminous Homage to the Square paintings by Josef Albers from the 1950s and 1960s ($2.5 million and $2.2 million). As her extensive traveling retrospective opens at MoMA, Ruth Asawa’s intricate wall sculpture from 1969 sold for $1.2 million, alongside a strong lineup of works by Oscar Murillo ($350,000), Robert Rauschenberg ($300,000), Elizabeth Peyton ($240,000), Dana Schutz ($240,000), Josh Smith ($180,000) and Marlene Dumas ($120,000). Photography also performed well, with two Wolfgang Tillmans photographs selling for $115,000 each and a William Eggleston photograph selling for $500,000. Multiple Raymond Pettibon prints sold for $50,000 each.
“It’s still early in the fair, but already it’s clear that there’s continued momentum following Art Basel Paris and this season’s auctions in New York,” Thaddaeus Ropac told Observer, confirming the positive energy on VIP day but noting that the majority of collectors driving the scene were from North and South America rather than Europe and Asia. “It’s also good to see these collectors, many of whom we haven’t seen at the other fairs.” Early sales included two Alex Katz paintings for $2.5 million and $1.5 million, a Georg Baselitz piece for €1,000,000, a Robert Longo for $750,000, two Antony Gormley sculptures (£450,000 and £175,000), a Tony Cragg sculpture for €425,000 and Justine for €300,000, along with works by Megan Rooney, Joan Snyder and Martha Jungwirth.
Almine Rech also reported several six-figure sales, including a Picasso painting for $2.8-3 million and a James Turrell work for between $900,000 and $1 million. Other sales included a Larry Poons painting ($275,000-300,000), works by Joe Andoe and Emily Mason ($110,000-120,000 each) and a Vaughn Spann painting ($75,000-80,000). At White Cube, Willem de Kooning’s painting sold for $2.85 million, Damien Hirst’s When the Heart Speaks for $2.5 million, Tracey Emin’s neon for £1.2 million and Andreas Gursky’s Harry Styles (2025) for €1.2 million. Additional works by Cai Guo-Qiang, Raymond Pettibon, Katharina Grosse, Christine Ay Tjoe, Sarah Morris and Ilana Savdie also sold.
Among other heavy-hitters and top sales, Pace placed Sam Gilliam’s Heroines, Beyoncé, Serena and Althea (2020) for $1.1 million ahead of his 2026 solo show at Pace in New York, alongside a magnificent Lynda Benglis gold leaf work priced at $400,000. Emily Kam Kngwarray’s 1995 painting sold for $350,000 ahead of her solo exhibition. Elmgreen & Dragset’s gilded bronze and lacquer installation sold for $320,000, while Alicja Kwade’s two sculptures sold for $130,000 and $110,000. Leo Villareal’s Golden Game (Small) 4 (2025) sold for $85,000. Early sales also included Pam Evelyn’s abstract work for $85,000 and Lauren Quin’s painting for $80,000.
Gladstone also reported strong early sales as it fuels momentum around Robert Rauschenberg, with his Tarnished Honor (Copperhead) selling on site for $1.5 million. Works on paper by George Condo sold for between $95,000 and $200,000, and Ugo Rondinone’s stacked-stone sculptures sold for $300,000-350,000 each. Other sales included David Salle’s The Suit for $130,000 and three Robert Mapplethorpe editions for $200,000 each.
Lisson’s most notable placement came with Anish Kapoor’s oil on canvas measuring 153 × 214 cm, which sold for £500,000, alongside with two works by now high in demand Olga de Amaral. Also sold on the first day were two C-prints shoots by Hiroshi Sugimoto ($250,000 each), Otobong Nkanga, Pedro Reyes ($180,000; $50,000; $50,000; $50,000),Tony Bechara ($60,000) and two works by Jack Pierson ($175,000; $125,000), who is also having a solo at the Bass at the moment
Gagosian. Courtesy of Art Basel
While the fair had fewer historical masterpieces than usual, standout works at mega-dealer Gagosian included a monumental Maurizio Cattelan marble sculpture of a falling eagle—a fitting metaphor for the fall of the American dream—and a Willem de Kooning from the 1980s. These were presented alongside an atmospheric Frankenthaler, a Richard Avedon photograph of Audrey Hepburn and works by Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and others.
The most expensive work in the room this year was Andy Warhol’s portrait of Muhammad Ali, which was offered at $18 million in the prime position at the Levy Gorvy booth. The painting marked a full-circle moment for Ali, who famously fought Sonny Liston at the Miami Beach Convention Center in 1964. Autographed on the back by Ali, the painting was originally owned by Richard L. Weisman, a friend of Warhol’s who inspired him to create his “Athletes” series, recognizing the cultural stature of athletes alongside arts and entertainment celebrities in the 1970s.
Perhaps the rarest piece was Penetrable by Jesús Rafael Soto, resurfacing on the market after 20 years and shown in the U.S. for the first time by RGR Galeria in the Meridian sector. Priced in the six-digit range, the work immediately attracted museum interest, with institutions scrambling to secure funding for this groundbreaking, once-in-a-lifetime piece.
Meanwhile, PPOW unveiled a long-unseen, 12-foot-wide epic mural by Martin Wong, priced at $1.6 million. As Art Basel expands globally, it is adapting each fair to its local strengths, Wendy Olsoff, the gallery’s co-founder, told Observer, acknowledging that as this challenging year comes to a close, there’s a real sense of renewed optimism around the Miami fair—especially after Paris and the New York auction seasons both felt buoyant.
A Jesús Rafael Soto work brought by Galeria RGR in Meridians. Courtesy of Art Basel
Stretching its muscles in Miami with a massive booth, Perrotin reported a full sell-out within the first hours for its solo corner dedicated to Lee Bae’s exploration of black and materiality, with works priced from $60,000 to $200,000. The gallery also reported sales of works by Genesis Belanger, Oli Epp, Vivian Greven, Izumi Kato, Nikki Maloof, GaHee Park and Xiyao Wang, each placed in the $30,000-60,000 range. Additional early sales included a painting by Daniel Arsham for $95,000, as well as three works by Takashi Murakami.
Templon also had a successful first day. “The fair opened with remarkable momentum for us,” Claudie Coric, the gallery’s executive director, told Observer. “We’ve been thrilled to reconnect with many collectors from Florida and across the U.S. who have shown strong enthusiasm for our most innovative voices in contemporary figurative painting.” Early sales included Will Cotton’s painting for $22,000-200,000, Kehinde Wiley’s miniature portraits for $125,000-200,000 and works by Alioune Diagne for $34,000-64,000. The gallery also featured a sculpture by Chilean light artist Ivan Navarro, priced at $110,000, reflecting the growing interest in more forward-thinking aesthetics.
David Maupin described Art Basel Miami as “one of the most productive and rewarding events on the art world calendar.” By the first day, the gallery had placed more than 15 works, signaling a healthier U.S. market heading into 2026. Among the works sold were McArthur Binion’s DNA: Study series for $500,000, a new glass-beaded painting by Liza Lou for $200,000-250,000 and works by Anna Park for $25,000-35,000. An additional three works by Do Ho Suh—including a large-scale piece from his Scaled Behaviour series—were added to the sales list by evening, likely inspired by the artist’s current major show at Tate Modern in London.
Marianne Boesky also saw strong sales, including four two-part cloud works by Sanford Biggers, which sold for $125,000-135,000 each, a Kwamé Azure Gomez painting for $25,000 and four works by Thalita Hamaoui for $25,000-44,000. Additional sales included works by Svenja Deininger, which sold for $18,000-80,000 and a painting by Aubrey Levinthal for $36,000.
Tina Kim. Courtesy of Art Basel
Hamaoui’s works have also made their way onto waiting lists for Simões de Assis, with many collectors requesting pieces. The Brazilian powerhouse gallery has placed works across the Midwest, Europe and the U.S. A work by Emanoel Araújo also found its way into an exceptional American private collection, while Manfredo de Souzanetto is drawing significant attention from U.S. museums and institutions.
Tina Kim Gallery also had a strong showing of Korean masters and new talents, placing three Ha Chong-Hyun paintings for $250,000-390,000 each, two Kim Tschang-Yeul paintings for $330,000 and $100,000 and works by Lee ShinJa, Suki Seokyeong Kang, Kibong Rhee and Pacita Abad.
Mid-tier and emerging presentations hold the market
Early sales flourished across other price points, with both mid-tier and emerging tiers not only holding their ground but showing revitalized dynamism, as the week’s earlier fairs had already hinted at. Young dealer Matthew Brown proved he could keep pace with his older peers, reporting by the afternoon that he had sold more than a dozen works by gallery artists Sasha Gordon, Mimi Lauter, Kenturah Davis, Heidi Lau, TARWUK, Keni Ide, Olivia van Kuiken, Omari Douglin and Julie Beaufils, with a combined total in the range of $750,000-850,000.
A sense of relief and optimism prevailed, Brown confirmed to Observer, noting that in the early hours he met both seasoned collectors looking to add marquee works to their collections and first-time buyers still discovering what the fair had to offer. Brown also sold an important work by Carroll Dunham, priced at $350,000, ahead of her drawing retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago in January 2026, which will be followed by a solo show at the gallery in September 2026 in New York.
Early sales reports point to a confident start at both the top end of the market and in other price tiers. Courtesy Art Basel
“Miami is stronger than ever,” echoed local dealer Sarah Gavlak. “Everyone’s here—Beth DeWoody, Komal Shah, Robert Stillin, and so many of the collectors and curators who have been integral to our story. There’s a real sense of momentum and generosity this year.” Her West Palm Beach gallery celebrated its 20th anniversary (and its 18th time at Art Basel) with several early sales by artists Jessica Cannon, Maynard Monrow, T.J. Wilcox and Nancy Lorenz, as well as a secondary-market masterpiece by Abstract Expressionist pioneer Helen Frankenthaler, totaling between $400,000 and $450,000.
It was also a successful first day for Uffner+Liu, marking their second participation at the fair ahead of their debut in Hong Kong. By early afternoon, the New York-based gallery had sold more than seven works by Anna Jung Seo, Talia Levitt, Anne Buckwalter, Sarah Martin-Nuss and Roger White, for a combined total of $90,000-110,000.
Among the many established Brazilian dealers, Nara Roesler’s offerings captured significant attention from a diverse group of collectors, including those from Brazil, Mexico, the U.S. and Asia. On the first day, the gallery placed works by Tomie Ohtake for $240,000, Sheila Hicks’s Uirapuru (2025) for $220,000 and Asuka Anastacia Ogawa for $60,000. Two works by Marco A. Castillo, priced at $50,000 each, found buyers, along with Karin Lambrecht’s Murmur, Whisper the Sea (2025), which sold for $36,000 and Mônica Ventura’s sculptures Passarinhas (2025), each priced at $5,000.
Despite the global reach of Art Basel Miami, the fair remains a challenging space for regions like Southeast Asia, which have rarely been foregrounded at the event. This year, India’s powerhouse gallery Roshini made its Miami debut after a successful European tour. While the crowd wasn’t as large as anticipated, the engagement from visitors was meaningful, as many were excited to see an Indian gallery at the fair for the first time. Works by established artists such as Arpita Singh and Sudhir Patwardhan were sold to collector friends of the gallery, while works by younger artists like Zaam Arif and Shrimanti Saha found new homes with collectors from New York and Peru, respectively. “Overall, an encouraging response for our debut participation. We have a good feeling for the rest of the week,” Roshini told Observer. Among the highlights in the Vadhera booth is Gauri Gill’s The Americans, a series of archival pigment prints created between 2000 and 2007 exploring the South Asian diaspora in the U.S.
Another New York establishment, Peter Blum—with a booth anchored by a museum-grade sculpture by Nicholas Galanin and Luisa Rabbia’s epic monumental panel in Meridians—also experienced early sales that defied expectations. Several works by the evergreen artist Alex Katz sold, alongside more experimental voices like Martha Tuttle and Marina Adams, each priced in the $200,000-250,000 range.
Peter Blum. Courtesy Peter Blum /
Other galleries working in the lower to mid-tier price range also performed well in the main section, showcasing a broad range of talent. Crèvecœur secured early sales for two works by Yu Nishimura, selling at primary prices between $70,000 and $90,000—despite his recent auction record of $711,200—along with works by Emma Reyes ($70,000) and Clio Sze ($20,000). Document Chicago also had a satisfying turnout, selling Anneke Eussen’s U-turn 05 (2024), made from recycled glass shards and plexiglass, for $28,000 to a private collector in Florida.
Several sales were also reported by London dealer Pippy Houldsworth, including a seminal painting by Jacqueline de Jong for €180,000, as well as works by other in-demand artists from her roster, such as Wangari Mathenge ($80,000), Katy Moran (£42,000), Qualeasha Wood ($20,000), KV Duong (£14,000) and Liorah Tchiprout (£8,000).
Jan Kaps also reported an enthusiastic response to Melike Kara’s new series of layered coffee-infused abstractions, presented in a solo booth near Meridians. Priced at $40,000, several pieces sold on the first day, prompting the gallery to rehang additional works from this subtle new series. In this body of work, Kara has removed all archival materials and wording, opting instead to allegorically address diasporic trauma and displacement—thereby moving beyond identity politics.
Nearby, Los Angeles-based Nicodim Gallery also reported strong sales at Art Basel Miami, with the brightly colored characters by Ángeles Agrela proving popular among Latino collectors. Two pieces sold for $55,000 each. The gallery also placed two Rae Klein works in the $25,000-30,000 range, alongside Teresa Murta’s four works, which sold for $16,000-22,000 each. Isabelle Albuquerque’s hybrid piece sold for $18,000 and a work by Devin B. Johnson sold for $30,000, as his near-sold-out show comes to an end in New York.
Art Basel Miami Beach attracted 285 exhibitors this year. Courtesy of Art Basel