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Last year, we reported that Miami Art Week, which centers on Art Basel Miami Beach, was gaining traction among art world players from Asia, with more dealers, advisors, and collectors making long-haul trips to explore American markets. This year, the presence of Asia in Miami has risen to a new level, thanks in large part to the initiative of U.S. outfits, and members of the Asian diaspora are receiving unprecedented exposure.

“Asian diasporic artists have been showing more and more in recent years but certainly not to the same level as other artists groups in the U.S. market,” Miami dealer David Castillo told me. There has “never been a survey of Asian art in Miami, in a museum or gallery,” Castillo said, and so he was in the process of installing one. Titled “Alien,” it has been curated by artist Yesiyu Zhao and opens on December 3 at his gallery with more than 40 artists from the Asian diaspora working across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Castillo said that, when Zhao approached him two years ago with the concept for the exhibition, he thought it would be a great fit with his gallery’s foundational interest in ideas like cultural alienation. “The term ‘alien’ here transcends the realm of science fiction, capturing the real and often harsh realities of displacement, immigration, and the pervasive sense of being an outsider in any environment,” he said.

Untitled Art 2023. Image by World Red Eye @worldredeye.

An entire art fair is also part of this story. Untitled Art, which takes place on the sands of South Beach, has adopted “East Meets West” as its curatorial theme. Its guest curators are Kathy Huang, the managing director of art advisory and special projects at Jeffrey Deitch, and Jungmin Cho, of Seoul’s White Noise space. The fair hoped to expand its “geographical reach” and “integrate voices” that are “underrepresented in the traditionally Western-dominated art world,” Clara Andrade, Untitled Art’s director, said.

To those coming from Asia, the theme might sound puzzling at first, especially if you are familiar with Hong Kong, which is known for its East-meets-West heritage. But Andrade said that the fair chose the theme to “challenge the concept of ‘East.’” Its aim is to look as “the wider Asia-Pacific region, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Asian diaspora,” she said.

The fair will have 172 exhibitors from 34 countries, and Asian galleries have a notable presence in both the main and emerging sectors. They include Richard Koh Fine Art (Bangkok/Singapore), Vin Gallery (Ho Chi Minh City), Con_ (Tokyo), Mou Projects (Hong Kong), Starch (Singapore), Christine Park Gallery (Shanghai), and Space Willing N Dealing (Seoul). Galleries run by diasporic gallerists, such as A.I. in London and Nunu Fine Art (New York/Taipei) are also exhibiting. In addition, artists of Asian heritage are among the highlights, like the Cambodian American artist Tidawhitney Lek, presented by London’s Victoria Miro Projects, and the Korean American artist Christina Yuna Ko, presented by the New York-based Selenas Mountain. A Special Projects sector will feature projects addressing the concept of the East and diasporic identities.

Will the strong presence of Asian artists and galleries in Miami help to stimulate the market for Asian diasporic art? Phil Zheng Cai, partner and curator at the New York-based Eli Klein Gallery, which is participating in the Art Miami fair, is feeling positive. “Not only is the volume of collectors looking into Asia going up, but it is also a more observant, understanding, and knowledgeable collector base,” Cai said. “In the past, people would buy art based on just an ‘Asian’ tag, but in recent years, more collectors are buying off the artists’ practices, storytelling, and careers in general. This is a healthy turn in our opinion, which promotes longevity.”

But the most encouraging development is that Asian art is now better integrated into the global art discourse, Cai said. “It continues to inspire us to work with new artists from lesser-known Asian regions and artists who have diverse backgrounds across cultures.”

May this be a rewarding conclusion to a turbulent year.

This article was originally published in The Asia Pivot on November 27.