The vibe of the Pulse art fair is fairly established yet still boutique, meaning you’ll recognize many of the artists but discover a few surprises here and there.  A play-by-play of our favorites follows.

Andy Diaz-Hope at Schroeder Romero, New York - The two pieces on display at this year’s fair were among the most memorable of the entire week.  Diaz-Hope’s process is remarkable: he photographs a scene then dissects the image into a grid, inserting each tiny segment into an individual pill capsule.  The images, often gritty portraits and urban scenery, offering commentary on drug culture and the promise of better living through self-medication.

Chris Larson at Magnus Müller Gallery, Berlin - We love when art is more than a two-dimensional piece on a wall.  “Deep North” by Chris Larson first hooks you in with eerie photos of an interior covered in frost.  You then watch his eight-minute video piece in which three women operate a Leonardo da Vinci-like wooden contraption that manufactures ice blocks inside the frozen house.  The clacking of the wood cogs and the scraping of ice create a rhythm that beautifully accompanies the cold magic of the scene.  In sum, one to watch.

Clemens Krauss at DNA, Berlin - Krauss takes an unfinished canvas and builds figures out of paint, a futuristic impressionism elevating Monet to the nth power.  The new works at Pulse show small groups of people from above, as if God is playing them like chess pieces.  His gallery installation from 2006 is just as successful.

Tim Bavington at Mark Moore Gallery, Santa Monica - The Las Vegas-based artist composes his arresting canvases by taking songs (Helter Skelter, Iron Man) and coding each note as a different color, painting lines with varying thickness according to the length of each tone.  Think Barnett Newman on Ecstasy.

Osang Gwon at Arario Gallery, Seoul- Winner of just plain awesome and weird award.  Life-size figurative sculptures covered in C-prints with a coating of shiny sealant.  See here for more.

Quote of the day: “This is the first year I didn’t buy something at NADA… maybe because I put in a swimming pool.” - Glenn O’Brien, at the ALS “Art War” paintball fight at The Raleigh.

- Kelsey Keith

Tags: miami art basel, pulse