Anya Gallaccio: Artists at Art Basel Miami Beach

Anya Gallaccio’s Motherlode Zinfandel (2005-2007) presents the wine connoisseur with a dilemma: to drink, or not to drink? Each edition holds six bottles of Zinfandel created according to the artist’s specifications, producing some unusual bouquets. These are described on the inside of each case in poetic detail. One bottle recalls the taste of sandy loam, gravel, boulders and witches’ grass, while another carries the aromas of concrete in the summer, frogs, starlings and possums. On view at Blum & Poe (C17), Motherlode Zinfandel is the fruit of a two-year collaboration with Zelma Long, the Californian winemaker, which began when New Langton Arts in San Francisco invited Gallaccio to make a site-specific work. The artist-vintage is limited to 250 pinewood cases ($1,250) or 100 cases in redwood ($2,500), comparable to the market price of non-art fine wines. This begs the question: how much would an empty bottle fetch on the secondary market? The artist has worked extensively with edible materials before—oranges, chocolate, and salt—continuing the rich tradition of artists using food, such as Daniel Spoerri, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and the author of The Futurist Cookbook, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. Gourmand collectors might consider pairing a glass of Gallaccio with Paul McCarthy’s chocolate Santa with Tree and Bell, which are on sale for $100 each at the stand of Maccarone (A1).