Pérez Art Museum Miami to Present Basquiat Exhibition Featuring Ken Griffin's Collection

The Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) will present an exhibition titled 'Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols' from June 25, featuring approximately ten works by Jean-Michel Basquiat from the collection of Kenneth C. Griffin. The show includes nine paintings and one sculpture, focusing on themes such as portraiture, language, and composition. It is curated by PAMM director Franklin Sirmans and collection curator Megan Kincaid, with support from Griffin's Griffin Catalyst initiative. Among the loans is Basquiat's 1982 painting 'Untitled,' which set an auction record of $110.5 million at Sotheby's in 2017. Originally purchased by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the work was reportedly acquired by Griffin in 2024 for around $200 million. Other notable pieces include 'Untitled (Tenant)' (1982), 'Pez Dispenser' (1984), and 'In Italian' (1983). The museum aims to attract visitors during the FIFA World Cup matches hosted in Miami, with Griffin noting the exhibition's timing aligns with the global event. Sirmans emphasized the show's focus on Basquiat's artistic rigor rather than his market status, highlighting Miami's cultural context as fitting for the artist's themes of migration and hybridity.