From June 16 to June 19, the international art fair of contemporary art was held in Basel, Switzerland. 289 galleries from 40 countries took part in the main show. Together with the leading players of the art market like Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, Pace, and David Zwirner, 19 exhibition spaces that had not previously exhibited stands at Art Basel received the right to present their collections. We want to present several works that have attracted the most active attention of the guests of the fair this year.
What is Art Basel?
Art Basel is undoubtedly the world’s largest art event. This is one of the most important international art fairs. The event was founded in 1970 by local gallerists Ernst Beyeler, Trudy Bruckner, and Balz Hilt. In its first year of operation, Art Basel attracted more than 16,000 visitors who viewed works presented by 90 galleries from 10 countries.
In five years, the scale of Art Basel has expanded and covered almost 300 exhibitors from 21 countries, which attracted 37,000 visitors. By 2015, under the leadership of Art Basel Global Director Mark Spiegler, the Basel exhibition attracted 98,000 visitors in six days.
Expanding its reach and influence every year, Art Basel has become one of the most important art events of the year. Answering the question of what is Art Basel the most appropriate answer: this is a truly international art event. Art Basel provides a platform for artists and galleries around the world.
Art Basel is a comprehensive art exhibition. It not only provides a space for international artists to exhibit their works but also does not impose restrictions on the type of works of art displayed. Art Basel collaborates with a Kickstarter called Crowdfunding Initiative. It provides visibility and support for projects from global non-profit organizations. These projects include a range of programs related to art and education, such as artist residencies, public installations, educational programs, and much more.
The main importance of Art Basel is year-round events and programs. Art Basel Cities is one of the projects, launched in 2016, that aims to create cultural events and programs throughout the year. The initiative collaborates with selected cities in a multi-year partnership to curate an exciting program that will give the art world the opportunity to discover cities from around the world and invest in long-term cultural development goals.
Art Basel also supports Emerging Creatives. The BMW Art Journey Award, supported by BMW, is a grant that supports aspiring creatives by giving them the chance to embark on their own, personally planned artistic journey. The winning artists, who are selected twice a year, can go to their chosen place to explore new ideas, and themes and create new works. The lucky artists are selected from a shortlist of three finalists identified at the Art Basel exhibitions in Hong Kong and Miami.
Art Basel attracts visitors, artists, and galleries from all over the world, and also hosts international teams and councils. This is the global council of Art Basel patrons, which includes 168 leading international private collectors. The Council allows the platform to work closely with private patrons to develop their exhibitions and other initiatives.
Since Art Basel is a commercial enterprise, its scale can be of great importance for artists and galleries. This is an important place for selected artists where they can showcase as well as sell their work to a global network of collectors.
