The Class of 2022: Meet 6 Fast-Rising Artists Having Star Turns at This Year’s Art Basel Miami Beach

Ready or not, Art Basel Miami Beach is upon us and the 20th anniversary edition of the fair in the U.S. promises to be filled with star-studded events, as well as plenty of ascendent talent to scout.

At this year’s Miami art week, there are plenty of artists who deserve your attention, but we narrowed it down to six upstarts whose careers we believe are primed to reach new heights. So whether you’re in the throes of JOMO or already starting to feel the FOMO for Art Basel, here’s a primer on the work you definitely can’t miss out on.

Cauleen Smith (b. 1967)

Who: Filmmaker and multimedia artist Cauleen Smith is known for experimental works drawing on the cinematic tropes of structuralism, third world cinema, and science fiction, which grapple with challenging themes such as the material realities faced by Black women today, opening up new worlds through the possibilities of imagination.

Based in: Los Angeles

Notable Resume Lines: Smith is a recipient of prestigious prizes, including the $250,000 Heinz Award in 2022 as well as the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Ellsworth Kelly Award. Her 2018 solo exhibition “Give It or Leave It” traveled from the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, to Seattle’s Frye Art Museum in 2019 and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2021. Her banners were part of the 2017 Whitney Biennial, followed by a solo exhibition of two films and drawings in 2020-21.

Where to See It: Meridians section and Morán Morán’s gallery booth, Art Basel Miami Beach.

What to Look Out for: An immersive installation Space Station (A Rock in a River), featuring film, shag carpet, and wall paper. One highlight is a kinetic sculpture Space Station: Two Rebeccas (2018), composed of disco balls and projected videos dedicated to Rebecca Cox Jackson, a Black spiritualist who founded the first black shaker community in the U.S., and her companion and protégé Rebecca Perrault. The light of the projections reflects off the wallpaper, creating a contiguous, otherworldly landscape. Smith’s signature banners will be installed at the booth of Morán Morán gallery that co-represents the artist along with Corbett vs Dempsey gallery.

Prices: $15,000–$200,000

Fun Fact: Smith’s feature debut, Drylongso, first screened at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, recently underwent restoration by The Criterion Collection, Janus Films and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The restored, higher resolution version was featured at the New York Film Festival in 2022.

Up Next: Smith’s solo show at Morán Morán is on view through December 22 in Los Angeles. She will have a solo exhibition at Aspen Art Museum in 2023.