Jean-Michel Basquiat's iconic 1982 painting, 'Untitled,' a work that shattered art market records, will be a central feature at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) starting this June. This acclaimed piece is part of the 'Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols' exhibition, which promises to offer a comprehensive look into the artist's impactful career. The show, opening on June 25th, coinciding with the FIFA World Cup, will include a curated selection of nine paintings and one sculpture, inviting a global audience to delve into Basquiat's distinctive artistic universe.
The exhibition's centerpiece, 'Untitled' (1982), is a profound example of Basquiat's recurring motif of human heads. This particular canvas captivates viewers with its monumental skull, featuring piercing red-and-white eyes set against a vibrant blue backdrop. Its historical significance is underscored by its sale for an astonishing $110.5 million at Sotheby's in 2017 to Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, making it the most expensive artwork by an American artist at that time. More recently, Kenneth C. Griffin reportedly acquired the piece from Maezawa for an estimated $200 million in 2024, highlighting its continued monumental value and prestige within the art world.
Kenneth C. Griffin, CEO of Citadel LLC and the lender of the artworks for the exhibition, emphasized the importance of bringing such a collection to Miami. He noted that the timing, amidst the FIFA World Cup, presents an unparalleled chance for international visitors to experience significant visual art from the Americas. Griffin expressed pride in collaborating with PAMM to present Basquiat's works, recognizing their unique capacity to forge connections across diverse communities and generations.
Beyond 'Untitled,' the exhibition features other notable works that illuminate Basquiat's thematic depth and artistic prowess. Among these are 'Untitled (Tenant)' (1982), a poignant depiction of a skeletal figure expressing distress against a backdrop of urban decay, and 'In Italian' (1982), a complex composition that interweaves human forms with enigmatic texts like 'Diagram of the Heart Pumping Blood' and 'Sangre Sangre.' These pieces collectively underscore Basquiat's engagement with themes of identity, society, and mortality.
The curation of 'Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols' is a collaborative effort between Megan Kincaid, curator of the Kenneth C. Griffin Collection, and Franklin Sirmans, PAMM's director. Sirmans brings a wealth of experience to the project, having been involved in the artist's posthumous 1992 retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Brooklyn Museum's 2005 traveling exhibition. His deep understanding of Basquiat's oeuvre is crucial to presenting a nuanced and insightful exhibition.
Sirmans articulated the exhibition's objective, stating that it aims to encourage a re-evaluation of Basquiat, moving beyond his status as a market phenomenon or pop icon to appreciate him as a rigorous, self-taught master of painting and form. By assembling works rarely seen together in such depth, the exhibition invites audiences to engage in a contemplative examination, fostering a fresh perspective on an artist whose name is widely recognized, yet whose intricate layers warrant further exploration.
This exhibition represents a significant opportunity to engage with Basquiat's rich artistic legacy, offering a deeper understanding of his complex narratives and profound impact on contemporary art. Through a carefully curated selection of his most compelling works, PAMM seeks to highlight the artist's enduring relevance and his ability to transcend mere fame, establishing him firmly as a pivotal figure in art history.