• Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers

Magic City Moves

There isn’t one definitive Art Basel Miami Beach experience. Everybody rushes around chasing their own bliss. And while the parties and brand activations might have been toned down—sorry, no Rihanna this year—many attendees said the quality of the artwork on offer was better and the prices were more realistic.

art basel miami
The political and financial moment now favors the art market—the election is resolved, and there are no obvious financial headwinds for the kinds of people who buy art—but the cultural moment, the zeitgeist favors waiting. Photo: Giorgio Viera/AFP/Getty Images)
Marion Maneker
December 8, 2024

Sitting at his booth at Art Basel Miami Beach, David Nahmad, the eldest and leading member of the transatlantic art dealing family, expressed regret for having sold so many of his prized pieces years ago. Many of them have returned to market for prices, he said, that were 10, 20, even 50 times higher. “But you also have to bear in mind that the cash has lost its value,” the patriarch said. “Fifty years ago, a painting worth $100,000 was a lot of money. Today, with $100,000, you can spend one week in a luxury hotel.”