Did I mention I’m reposting material from Art Basel this week? Because I am.
Installation View, ShanghART Supermarket, Art Basel. Photograph AFC
ShanghART supermarket wasn’t the best art I saw at Basel yesterday, but I probably enjoyed it the most. Priced in Chinese currency the convenience store carries virtually every product you might want, but would never find in Miami Beach. Chinese yogurt, frozen dumplings, pock and countless other items fill the store, a would-be break from the Entenmann’s strong hold on fair cuisine. “Divide by seven”, a woman explains to me when I ask how to calculate the price in American dollars without adding that the store was only selling the packaging. I suppose she thought it was obvious to most, what with the empty plastic pop bottles lining the back shelves. Well, not to me. Add this layer of meaning to ShanghART Supermarket: extended art fair viewing without food may cause a viewer to miss a detail or two.
Interior View, ShanghArt Supermarket, Art Basel. Photograph AFC
Installation detail, ShanghArt Supermarket, Art Basel. Photograph AFC
