Warner shows new work at Art Basel

Art Basel, an international art fair with three annual shows in Switzerland, Florida, and Hong Kong, brings together artists, buyers and students and showcases contemporary works by established and emerging artists. Ranked as the premier art show of Europe, the Basel fair offers a choice platform for renowned artists and galleries from June 15 – 18.

Each year, Davidoff Cigars, an associate partner of Art Basel, commissions artwork for a set of limited edition products. Warner was selected to create five images for the 2017 collection. One thousand impressions of each of his five designs have been produced and are now available to the public.

In addition, Warner created a special series of three prints in which he projected the Nature Reimagined images onto himself and made self-portraits.

These images, limited to 25 copies of each, were also debuted at the Art Basel Collectors’ Lounge.

Warner also showed new work at Basel Meeting Point, a popup event hosted by Davidoff Art Initiative in collaboration with My Art Guides. The artist created an installation and invited visitors to stand in the light of his projected animation and be photographed.

The installation was a hit, as visitors queued daily for their chance to be a part of it, said a media release.

“We made hundreds of photos of the many visitors and printed the photographs on the spot as a take-away for each participant,” Warner said.

His limited edition and collector’s edition works were also available and on display at Basel Meeting Point.

Albertine Kopp, manager of the Davidoff Art Initiative, said: “It has been extremely enriching to discover more of Rodell Warner’s world and approach to the arts while working with him on the Davidoff Limited Art Edition.

“Especially during Art Basel, Rodell opened up a whole new view and created wonderful connections with the installation at the Basel Meeting Point.

The collaboration could not represent better the aim of the programme, it is all about creating, connecting and tasting the new world.” The experience was a positive one for the artist as well: “This was my first visit to Europe, and my first time at a major art fair,” he says. “I learned a lot. It was incredibly inspiring, to say the least.

“Now I’m creating a new body of work and will soon be occupying a studio at Alice Yard’s Granderson Lab in Belmont.” Warner is a recipient of the 2011 Commonwealth Connections International Arts Residency and the 2014 summer residency at NLS Kingston.

His works have also been exhibited at The Whitney Museum of American Art, and The National Gallery of Jamaica.