asel Is About More Than Art
Want to Know the Truth About Art Basel?
Basel is not only—nor even primarily—about the fair itself.
It is equally about everything hidden from public view: the largest acquisitions, the most ambitious exhibitions, the artists who will define the coming decade. Most of these decisions are not made on the fair floor. That is why it is essential to arrive early, to be present everywhere, and, inevitably, to understand who you are with and where you stand within the conversation.
The most consequential discussions happen behind the scenes. This is where major transactions are negotiated, institutional collaborations are formed, and future artistic trajectories are quietly determined.
Knowledge of art history remains indispensable. Yet equally important is the ability to observe, to sense emerging shifts, and to be genuinely present where decisions are being made.
For art dealers and advisors, the work begins weeks before the opening. We study countless previews, analyse presentations, and identify the works that will shape the fair. Occasionally, we secure important pieces before the doors officially open.
Missing a truly exceptional work is always a risk. This year I managed to acquire some of the works I was hoping for—but only some. Others disappeared into museum and foundation collections long before the public had the opportunity to see them.
During the VIP programme, one encounters world-renowned curators, directors of leading museums and institutions, art fair executives, and major collectors. Within just a few days, the futures of countless artists are influenced. Awards are decided. Careers accelerate. New narratives emerge.
Most importantly, one begins to recognise the key movements shaping the world—not only in art, but also in science, politics, technology, and culture.
A Week Is Never Enough
I always look forward to Art Basel.
No matter how long I stay, a week never feels sufficient.
At Fondation Beyeler, the remarkable exhibition of Vija Celmins offered a profound reminder of the artist’s singular practice. Her painstakingly detailed drawings and paintings often resemble photographic images, yet every surface is created entirely by hand. One cannot help but wonder how the institution continues to surpass its own standards year after year.
On the lower level, Jordan Wolfson’s immersive VR experience delivered one of the fair week’s most memorable encounters. It was a compelling demonstration that virtual reality and serious contemporary art are not only compatible—they can enrich one another in unexpected ways.
Another annual highlight was Schaulager and Steve McQueen’s monumental exhibition Bass.
Occupying more than 4,300 square metres, the project functioned as a platform for examining profound social and political questions through an intricate fusion of moving image, light, colour, and documentary narrative. What I expected to be a brief ten-minute visit evolved into more than two hours of complete immersion.
The experience was deeply meditative—a world of sound, colour, and atmosphere that seemed suspended outside conventional time.
Unlimited and the Art of Scale
Monday began with a collectors’ and curators’ breakfast at Kunsthalle Basel featuring Ser Serpas and Dala Nasser.
Later came the much-anticipated opening of Unlimited, Art Basel’s platform for monumental installations and experimental works.
It is here that galleries and curators often introduce artists who challenge established definitions of art itself, transforming each presentation into a distinct experience.
Among the standout projects was Latifa Echakhch’s extraordinary installation presented by Kaufmann Repetto.
Untitled (Tears Fall) consists of countless suspended threads carrying glass beads that create a shimmering veil. The work evokes both water and human emotion while delicately balancing hope and melancholy, allowing beauty to emerge even from moments of fragility and decline.
Equally captivating was the hypnotic video work of Walid Raad and Oscar Murillo’s large-scale painterly installation examining the ways memory, identity, and human connection are continuously constructed, dismantled, and transformed by time and circumstance.
For those who favour more immediate sculptural languages, Claudia Comte (presented by OMR) and Lee Ufan (Lisson Gallery) offered powerful alternatives.
I could easily imagine one of Lee Ufan’s sculptures inhabiting a private garden. With prices ranging from approximately €100,000 to €700,000 for major installations, these works represent more than acquisitions; they are timeless presences capable of engaging generations to come.
Artists to Watch
One artist I have followed for many years finally appeared at Art Basel for the first time: Su Meng-Hung.
His installation Desolate Landscape on the Golden Screens transforms the traditional Chinese folding screen into a form of architectural painting, exploring the boundaries between image and space, tradition and contemporaneity.
At the very entrance of the exhibition, visitors encountered Erik Bulatov’s Forward.
The work functions as a powerful reflection on political repression and the manipulation of collective consciousness. Through the tension between vibrant colour and unsettling content, Bulatov questions narratives of progress shaped by authoritarian control and the erosion of individual freedom.
It is the first work visitors encounter upon entering the fair.
One could hardly imagine a more timely statement.
The Social Architecture of Art Basel
The following two days belonged to the VIP programme.
Breakfasts, exhibition openings, museum events, gallery dinners—and every evening eventually led to Les Trois Rois, where a queue invariably formed outside.
If you believe that a VIP pass, a reserved table, or influential friends guarantee access, Basel quickly provides a reality check: everyone here has a VIP invitation, a table, and influential friends.
Among the week’s highlights were a fascinating conversation with the director of Art Basel Hong Kong, an intense debate with a curator from one of the world’s leading art institutions, and a meeting with Olga Sviblova, whose energy and intellectual curiosity remain as inspiring as ever.
Then there was the Flying Dinner at Museum Tinguely, accompanied by Julian Charrière’s exhibition Midnight Zone.
Charrière’s investigation of underwater ecosystems unfolded through immersive environments that combined scientific observation with poetic sensitivity. Oysters, exceptional Ruinart champagne, and a guided tour of the exhibition completed the evening.
The exhibition was so compelling that I returned the following day to experience it again—this time alone.
Favourite Booths
Among my personal highlights at the fair were:
Kaufmann Repetto, with a refined installation by Latifa Echakhch, a delicate work by Pae White, and an entire room dedicated to Katherine Bradford. By the second day, nearly everything had been sold—a useful reminder for those predicting a downturn in the art market.
Galerie Krinzinger, presenting works by Waqas Khan, Secundino Hernández, and Marina Abramović.
Lisson Gallery, featuring Anish Kapoor, Leiko Ikemura, Hugh Hayden, and Olga de Amaral.
Goodman Gallery, where works by Kapwani Kiwanga sold almost immediately after opening.
And among many others: neugerriemschneider, 303 Gallery, Massimo Minini, Soft Opening, Chantal Crousel, Massimo De Carlo, and Meyer Riegger.
Until Next Basel
What makes Art Basel extraordinary is not only the quality of the artworks on view.
It is the convergence of artists, institutions, collectors, curators, ideas, and opportunities that creates a temporary ecosystem unlike any other in the cultural world.
The fair remains one of the few places where the future of contemporary culture can be observed taking shape in real time.
Until next Art Basel.