"Dolphin" (2010) by American artist Jeff Koons
From the shocking to the sublime, Jeff Koons to Edvard Munch, Art Basel is arguably the best known marketplace for modern and contemporary art from across the globe. Culminating over the weekend with a record 92,000 attendees, the art fair has developed from a small gathering of gallerists in the Swiss city of Basel to become one of the biggest and most respected of its kind in the world.
Interview by Milena Veselinovic
From the shocking to the sublime, Jeff Koons to Edvard Munch, Art Basel is arguably the best known marketplace for modern and contemporary art from across the globe. Culminating over the weekend with a record 92,000 attendees, the art fair has developed from a small gathering of gallerists in the Swiss city of Basel to become one of the biggest and most respected of its kind in the world.
Interview by Milena Veselinovic
![<em>"Navaja Suiza [Swiss Army Knife]" (2014), by Mexican artist Pedro Reyes</em><br /><br />Since its founding in 1970, the show has grown to encompass 285 exhibitors from 34 countries, including well-known galleries like the <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitecube.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">White Cube</a> and the <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gagosian.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Gagosian</a>. It's not just glitzy brand names however -- shown above is an installation by <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pedroreyes.net%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Pedro Reyes</a>, a Mexican artist who often tries to imagine solutions to social problems though his work, and is known for using found materials.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/140620133115-art-basel-3.jpg?q=w_2400,h_1602,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
"Navaja Suiza [Swiss Army Knife]" (2014), by Mexican artist Pedro Reyes
Since its founding in 1970, the show has grown to encompass 285 exhibitors from 34 countries, including well-known galleries like the White Cube and the Gagosian. It's not just glitzy brand names however -- shown above is an installation by Pedro Reyes, a Mexican artist who often tries to imagine solutions to social problems though his work, and is known for using found materials.
Since its founding in 1970, the show has grown to encompass 285 exhibitors from 34 countries, including well-known galleries like the White Cube and the Gagosian. It's not just glitzy brand names however -- shown above is an installation by Pedro Reyes, a Mexican artist who often tries to imagine solutions to social problems though his work, and is known for using found materials.
Detail of "Montcalm Pool, Los Angeles" (1980) by British artist David Hockney
"We are always looking for pioneers, whether those are the pioneers of the day, or the people who were pioneers before they became incredibly important seminal figures," says Marc Spiegler, one of the directors of Art Basel, about the fair's selection process.
"We are always looking for pioneers, whether those are the pioneers of the day, or the people who were pioneers before they became incredibly important seminal figures," says Marc Spiegler, one of the directors of Art Basel, about the fair's selection process.
Need a steel dolphin or a giant bronze pumpkin to complete your collection? Head to Art Basel —
"Self-Portrait (Fright Wig)" (1986) by American artist Andy WarholThe event has a decidedly international flair, and not just when it comes to galleries and artists represented -- collectors from Asia, Middle East, North America and Eastern Europe all fly in to the picturesque Swiss town specially for the show. They do more than just browsing -- this year's biggest sale was a self-portrait by the legendary American pop-artist Andy Warhol, shown above, which went for $35m.
"Vampire II" (1895/1902) by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch
Other big hitters were Damien Hirst's installation "Nothing is a problem for me" sold for nearly $6m, and Ethiopian born artist Julie Mehretu's abstract canvass "Mumbo Jumbo", which went for $4.85m. The fair, however, also displayed works of titans of 20th century art, such as this painting by Edvard Munch seen above.
Other big hitters were Damien Hirst's installation "Nothing is a problem for me" sold for nearly $6m, and Ethiopian born artist Julie Mehretu's abstract canvass "Mumbo Jumbo", which went for $4.85m. The fair, however, also displayed works of titans of 20th century art, such as this painting by Edvard Munch seen above.
Need a steel dolphin and a giant bronze pumpkin to complete your collection? Head to Art Basel —
"Striding Figure II (Ghost)" (2012) by British artist Thomas HouseagoSo how do you strike a balance between the rarefied atmosphere of artistic endeavor, and the nitty-gritty of commercial transactions? "If people weren't selling art here, than there would be no fair," says Spiegler. "The success of the commercial galleries here is a sine qua non in the equation." Large scale work of British-born Los Angeles-based artist Thomas Houseago, like the one shown above, fetch in the region of $750,000.
Need a steel dolphin and a giant bronze pumpkin to complete your collection? Head to Art Basel —
"With every stencil a revolution, one after another" (2009) by Moroccan artist Latifa Echakhch"On the other hand, it's not enough to just do a platform for buying and selling art -- we have created an expectation that an art fair will be a place where you can learn about art, where you can meet people who are not involved in the commercial aspects but are curators, museum directors and so forth," Spiegler adds.
"Torsion, Variation" (1974, 1975) by Russian artist Naum Gabo
Organizers pride themselves on being on the pulse of the latest trends in the art world, and are keen to include new, experimental works: "It's clear that digital art is becoming more and more interesting in time. We will find a way to integrate it in the fair, and showcase the work of these artists who are digital natives," says Spiegler. The work shown here is by Russian artist Naum Gabo, a pioneer of constructive sculpture.
Organizers pride themselves on being on the pulse of the latest trends in the art world, and are keen to include new, experimental works: "It's clear that digital art is becoming more and more interesting in time. We will find a way to integrate it in the fair, and showcase the work of these artists who are digital natives," says Spiegler. The work shown here is by Russian artist Naum Gabo, a pioneer of constructive sculpture.
'Salut les potes!' by Martial Raysse
The show is divided into several sectors showcasing diverse work, which ranges from young emerging artists, who compete for the Baloise Art Prize worth $33,000, to works by established figures like Martial Raysse whose sculpture is shown above. Artworks are also interwoven into different neighborhoods of the city.
The show is divided into several sectors showcasing diverse work, which ranges from young emerging artists, who compete for the Baloise Art Prize worth $33,000, to works by established figures like Martial Raysse whose sculpture is shown above. Artworks are also interwoven into different neighborhoods of the city.
"Continuel Mobile - Sphere rouge" (2001 - 2013) by French-Argentinean artist Julio Le Parc
The Unlimited sector is where works whose size transcends the limits of a traditional art fair booth are housed, and their full scale and impact can be taken in.
The Unlimited sector is where works whose size transcends the limits of a traditional art fair booth are housed, and their full scale and impact can be taken in.
"Pumpkin (M)" (2014) by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama
One of the highlights of this year was a project named 14 rooms, where artists were asked to create different situations to which visitors could be exposed to. In one room people were encouraged to touch each other in the dark, and in another they had to weave their way through a group of marching dancers to reach the wall opposite them. Seen above is Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's sculpture which resembles a giant bronze pumpkin.
One of the highlights of this year was a project named 14 rooms, where artists were asked to create different situations to which visitors could be exposed to. In one room people were encouraged to touch each other in the dark, and in another they had to weave their way through a group of marching dancers to reach the wall opposite them. Seen above is Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's sculpture which resembles a giant bronze pumpkin.
Want a steel dolphin and a giant bronze pumpkin for your collection? Head to Art Basel —
'Refrigerator' by American artist Rob Pruitt Each edition of Art Basel is shaped by its host city, and Marc Spiegler says that the fact that the Swiss base might not have as much much cosmopolitan allure as its counterparts in Hong Kong and Miami might actually be an advantage: "It's not a city where much else is going on that competes with the show. It's not a place where you have a lot of film stars or the same amount of night life as in Hong Kong or Miami. Even if you're going out until four in the morning, you're going out with a museum curator and members of the art world," says Spiegler.
"French Cancan" (ca. 1941-43) by French artist Francis Picabia
He adds: "It's a city abuzz with culture. You can go for a swim in the Rhine at eight am and end up having a conversation with a great gallerist from New York, and an artist from Asia. There's so much going on that careers can be made just by chance." Shown here is work by French avant-garde painter and poet Francis Picabia.
He adds: "It's a city abuzz with culture. You can go for a swim in the Rhine at eight am and end up having a conversation with a great gallerist from New York, and an artist from Asia. There's so much going on that careers can be made just by chance." Shown here is work by French avant-garde painter and poet Francis Picabia.
"Reason with No Horn" (2006) by Japanese artist Katsura Funakoshi
When it comes to the future, Art Basel organizers say they want to expand their offering with works from regions not traditionally represented at blockbuster art shows: "We are actively on the lookout for galleries from Africa which are ready and able to participate in Art Basel," says Marc Spiegler, "right now we only have galleries from South Africa, and we would like to see more from the rest of the continent."
When it comes to the future, Art Basel organizers say they want to expand their offering with works from regions not traditionally represented at blockbuster art shows: "We are actively on the lookout for galleries from Africa which are ready and able to participate in Art Basel," says Marc Spiegler, "right now we only have galleries from South Africa, and we would like to see more from the rest of the continent."
