See Basketball-Themed Art and Slo-Mo Dunk Videos at the NBA’s Exhibition During Art Basel Miami Beach

Sports and art don’t often mix,
but basketball is something of an exception. Shaquille O’Neal
curated two art shows (“Size DOES Matter” and “Shaq Loves People”
in 2010 and 2014, respectively) pulling in big-name artists like
Ellen Gallagher, Ron Mueck, and Cindy Sherman. Former NBA stars
Amar’e Stoudemire, Grant Hill, and Elliot Perry are big-time
collectors. Carmelo Anthony once sat for a Kehinde Wiley portrait.
And Wiley making the portrait proves that artists are equally
inspired by the game of basketball, its personalities, and its
aesthetics. That’s the premise behind “Momentum,” a multi-sensory
exhibition staged in collaboration with the NBA that will be on
view at the Nautilus by Arlo hotel in South Beach during Art Basel
Miami Beach.

“You look back at 1977 when Robert Indiana did the MECCA Floor for the Milwaukee Bucks: art
and basketball have always had a relationship,” says Justin Montag,
co-founder of Franchise magazine, referring to the
basketball court painted by the late artist. Montag and Chris Dea,
who curated “Momentum” together,  launched Franchise
launched in 2016 as a way to explore the deeper connections of the
NBA through a cultural lens. Their latest issue features Milwaukee
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo on the cover, photographed by
Nigerian-born British artist Ruth Ossai, as well as a mix of
artists inside, from Lauren Halsey to Devin Troy Strother.

“Momentum” will be like a live
version of the magazine, says Montag. Strother, Andrea Bergart,
Andrew Kuo, Ashley Teamer, and Eric Yahnker—all of whom have
employed basketball as a subject—will show work in a centerpiece
group exhibition, “Center Court.” Montag hopes that it will attract
lovers of both art and basketball to the exhibition, and perhaps
educate those who love one more than the other.

“It’s really similar to what my hope is for the magazine,” he
says. “If someone picks up a magazine or someone comes to exhibit,
and they’re a fan of the NBA, maybe they’ll learn about Andrew Kuo
or Devin Troy Strother. And vice versa: if someone’s a fan of one
of the artists and comes to the show, maybe they’ll have a new
appreciation for the game.”

Visitors in Miami will come across works like Yahnker’s portrait
of LeBron James and Yoda (Shut Up & Dribble You Must Not
(2019)); Bergart’s colorful acrylic on canvas basketball-based
designs; and Strother’s multimedia painting of a pick-up game being
played with a Tyrannosaurus rex (let’s have a game of jungle
ball (2019)).

“I think some artists love the
game, and they actually continuously watch the game, and they are
inspired by the game, and it influences their work. While I think
other artists at times might not necessarily be the biggest
basketball fans but from a visual point of view, they have an
appreciation of the motion, the court, the movement, the players,
the league itself right now,” says Montag.

And visitors may even run into a basketball player or two if
they stop by. Montag says that there are two Miami Heat home games
during Art Basel—versus the Chicago Bulls and the Washington
Wizards—and that one of the players they’ve featured in
Franchise, Rui Hachimura of the Wizards, has been personally
invited.

Beyond the art exhibition, the
show will also have four other sections, including “Tunnel Vision”
(a recreation of the tunnels players run through to get to the
court) and “The Archives,” a mix of memorabilia and jerseys, plus a
chance to see the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy—the trophy
given to the team that wins the NBA championship—up close and
personal. Montag says the genesis of the show was actually spurred
by a visit to the NBA head offices in Secaucus, New Jersey; he left
wanting to share this archival material with the
world. 

Sneaker fanatics will flock to “Beyond the Arc,” which will
display historically notable footwear, from the Jordans worn by
Michael Jordan during the “flu game” (in which he scored 38 points
during the NBA Finals despite being ravaged by illness) and the
pair of Adidas worn by Liz Cambage during her WNBA record-breaking
53-point performance.

Elsewhere, fans can experience a
video installation of famous dunks slowed down and zoomed into to
create a kind of multimedia dissection of these gravity-defying
moments. It’s moments like that, for Montag, that showcase
basketball for what it truly is: a genius-level control of the body
that’s akin to dance. “When you watch that motion on the court,” he
says, “it definitely feels like an art form to me.”

“Momentum” will be on view December 4 through 8 at the
Nautilus by Arlo hotel at 1825 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved in
advance.

The post See Basketball-Themed Art and Slo-Mo Dunk Videos at
the NBA’s Exhibition During Art Basel Miami Beach appeared
first on artnet News.