Art Basel Goes Into Damage Control After Stabbing at Miami Art Fair

The attacker has been identified as 24-year-old Siyuan Zhao.

Security takes 24-year-old Siyuan Zhao into custody after she stabs a visitor at Art Basel Miami Beach.

Art Basel is seeking legal advice after an incident Friday evening in which one patron stabbed another at the Art Basel in Miami Beach art fair, according to a source close to the fair who spoke to artnet News on condition of anonymity.

Friday night, Sara Fitzmaurice, president of Fitz & Co, which handles public relations for Art Basel, said in a statement:

At 5:20pm on Friday a visitor was assaulted by another visitor in the Nova sector of the fair. The attack was an isolated incident that was immediately secured. The suspect was apprehended by police who were at the scene within seconds of the incident. The extensive security provided by the Miami Beach Convention Center is supporting the investigation.

The victim was taken directly to the hospital and according to the Miami Beach Police Department the victim’s injuries are non-life threatening. Our thoughts are with the victim.”

The incident, which involved two women, took place near the booth of Los Angeles’s Freedman Fitzpatrick Gallery in the “Nova” section of the fair.

The attacker has been identified as 24-year-old Siyuan Zhao of New York. The victim accused Zhao of following her and repeatedly bumping into her. According to police, Zhao responded by stabbing her in the neck and shoulder. The aftermath was heavily photographed.

A tweet by WPLG Local 10 reporter Liane Morejon states that Zhao reportedly said she “had to watch her bleed.” In another tweet, Morejon provided a first look at her mugshot.

— Liane Morejon (@LianeMorejonTV) December 5, 2015

As per the news that the fair had consulted with an attorney, Fitzmaurice said in an email to artnet News, “I cannot confirm or refute if show management did or did not consult with an attorney.”