Apricot and Pink (2001), Bridget Riley. Courtesy Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert.
At the heart of the show, located in a hall designed by international architects Herzog & de Meuron (also Basel-based) are of course the galleries. This year, 290 of the world’s leading galleries will be showing the works of over 4,000 artists. The fair covers every aspect of Modern and Contemporary art, from paintings and installations to video and digital. If it’s hip, it’s in Basel!
Death Star II (2017-2018), Robert Longo. Courtesy Robert Longo. Metro Pictures. Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery.
But Art Basel is more than a shopping mall for the world’s biggest art collectors. The fair develops an ambitious programme of talks, screenings and exciting commissions. Unlimited is one such project, and it always get the crowd excited. This year, it will consist of 71 large-scale projects from Matthew Barney, Camille Henrot, Lygia Pape, Jon Rafman and many others.
Figa (2017), Pedro Reyes. Courtesy Pedro Reyes. Galeria Luisa Strina.
While “big names” abound at Art Basel, the fair also makes room for emerging artists with “Statement”, a space exhibiting eighteen young artists competing for the Baloise Art Prize.
Tornado (2000-2010), Francis Alÿs. Courtesy David Zwirner.
Finally, Art Basel doesn’t only happen in the Exhibitions Halls. The fair extends to the entire city of Basel, which lives to its beat for a weekend. The “Parcours” sector places site-specific sculptures and performances around Basel’s Münsterplatz, engaging the audience in surprising ways.
It might sound exclusive, but you can actually grab a ticket… What’s holding you back?
