Art Basel 2024 with Olga Leffers
There are events that not only unite people with one idea and goal but also give an opportunity for development, "inspire" creators and creatives, attract connoisseurs and collectors, and shape the future and trends. One such event is Art Basel, which I visited this year.
What is Art Basel
Art Basel is by far the most prestigious art fair in the world, held annually in the Swiss city of Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. The concept of Art Basel has remained unchanged for more than fifty years—a showcase of contemporary art from around the world, displayed in various booths and designed to attract collectors, gallerists, artists, and art enthusiasts from every corner of the globe.
The first Art Basel exhibition took place in 1970 and was founded by three Swiss gallerists—Ernst Beyeler, Trudl Brückner, and Balz Hilt—who from the very beginning set themselves the task of providing art galleries of completely different levels and capabilities with a platform to showcase the works of artists, designers, photographers, and sculptors to an international audience. In other words, from the first days of its existence, Art Basel fulfilled the role of a kind of art hub, a kind of mediator between the gallery, the artist, and the buyer. For the ’70s, such a concept was, in fact, absolutely revolutionary.
Over the years, Art Basel has become a global cultural phenomenon, setting its own standard—a high bar for art fairs held all over the world.
Art Basel Locations
There are three locations in total. The main one is the fair in Basel, Switzerland, which takes place annually in June and is housed in the giant Messe Basel pavilion, an expansive exhibition space that houses galleries with individual rooms dedicated to personal presentations and curated sectors such as Unlimited, Parcours, and Statements. Everyone can experience completely different formats of contemporary art—from paintings and sculptures to large-scale, monumental installations, video art, and mass performances.
The second most important fair, Art Basel Miami Beach, which opened in 2002, became one of the major events in the international art calendar of those years. Held in December, it has a very different atmosphere from Basel. Which is not surprising, because Miami's noisy and often freaky art scene makes its presence felt, especially when you look at the visitors, who in the U.S. are always dressed more provocatively than in Switzerland. However, this is characteristic not only of art fairs but also of Fashion Weeks; just compare New York and Paris Fashion Weeks, for example.
Art Basel Miami is always about noisy parties, after-parties, scandalous performances, and discoveries of new talents. The third incarnation—Art Basel Hong Kong, founded in 2013, is oriented and focused on sales, especially for the dynamic art scene in Asia. Art Basel Hong Kong takes place in March. It showcases artworks not only from Asia but also from other countries, offering the world its unique perspective on contemporary art.
It doesn't matter which Art Basel we are discussing: each of the fairs includes a wide variety of different programs and events, including meet-and-greets and networking with artists, panel discussions, performances, and exclusive projects.
In the case of Art Basel, it is important to understand that the fair is not only a place to buy and sell works of art but also a fully-fledged center of creative exchange and direct dialogue—a place where artists, collectors, curators, and simply people attracted to art come together to celebrate, to some extent, the diversity and vitality of the contemporary art world. Yes, this is the poetic form in which I see the essence of Art Basel.
By the way, the event organizers do not forget about good deeds by creating various useful initiatives, including those aimed at supporting emerging artists and promoting cultural exchange between countries and their markets. Among the most prominent of these are the BMW Art Journey, a prize awarded to an artist for a creative journey around the world, and the Art Basel Cities program, which aims to develop cultural projects in different cities.
Art Basel is the undisputed benchmark for organizing contemporary art events, setting high standards for the entire industry and, importantly, promoting innovation and diversity, stimulating sales, and giving rise to new talent. This fair doesn’t just sell, it shapes the global art market, inspires new generations of artists, and allows art to be heard and, of course, seen.
Art Basel 2024
Every year, more than 250 international galleries descend on the small, industrial Swiss city, literally bringing with them by the truckload all the most interesting and expensive of the art world.
Without visiting this fair, it is impossible to objectively assess its scale, and believe me, it is huge!
In general, Art Basel itself takes place not only in the Messe Basel convention center with an area of 141,000 square meters but also all over the city and includes street installations, facade designs, performances, and much more. Alongside the main program, other art fairs and programs kick off, complementing Art Basel and contributing to its traffic. This year they are Unlimited, which presents monumental projects, installations, and performances; Parcours—a public art sector with installations in urban space; Film—with a film program including short and full-length films; and Conversations—a program of discussions and debates with the participation of influential figures from the art world.
As for the fairs that take place concurrently with the main fair, there are five of them this year:
1. Founded in 1996, Liste is a fair with a focus on contemporary art, emerging artists, and young galleries.
2. Photo Basel, Switzerland's only art fair dedicated entirely to photography.
3. The already-mentioned Parcours, with installations and performances throughout the city.
4. Design Miami/Basel—an event dedicated to collectible design.
5. VOLTA Art Fair—a fair supporting new and ambitious galleries.
It is impossible to see everything in three days; you would need to increase the number of hours in your day by at least ten. Therefore, it is very important to know in advance where to go, what to pay attention to, and what you can skip. Visiting Art Basel should be prepared for like going on a full scale three day tour.
In my opinion, and judging by the news feeds, the UNLIMITED sector, dedicated to large-scale projects, turned out to be the most interesting of all those presented.
UNLIMITED
The Unlimited Art Basel sector, where the monumental works are located, is truly impressive. At least because of the enormity of the presented works, which, by the way, were especially numerous this year. Of all the ones I saw, I will highlight a few.
Giannis Kounellis, Senza Titolo.
A very beautiful installation that impressed me with its large-scale fabric sails, reminiscent of caravels and sea voyages.
Julio Le Parc. Zepelin de Acero.
On view for the first time at the Hermès Foundation in Tokyo, Zepelin de Acero is a peculiar exploration of light and movement that characterizes the work of Le Parc, who incidentally is one of the founders of kinetic and optical art. The combination of steel and light boxes creates a mesmerizing play of shadows and forces the viewer to constantly change their point of view to capture all the nuances of this complex composition.
Chiharu Shiota: The Extended Line
The kilometers of red threads hanging from paper figures suspended from the ceiling are truly mesmerizing. Having had a difficult battle with cancer, it is through this monumental 16 x 9 meter composition that Chiharu has attempted to convey life, death, and their inextricable relationship to each other.
Yayoi Kusama: Aspiring to Pumpkin's Love, the Love in My Heart
Yayoi Kusama's large-scale installation is entirely in her signature and familiar style. A giant, surreal bronze pumpkin is decorated with Kusama's legendary dots. All is according to the canons of the Japanese legend of pop art—dynamics expressed in the interaction of space and form.
Sam Falls: Spring to Fall
Falls is known for his masterful work with natural elements—for example, creating his works with the help of light and rain. Nature plays a central, pivotal role in his work, and Spring to Fall was no exception. The artist used a technique where branches, flowers, leaves, and pigment material are placed on the canvas, after which the canvas is left under the open sky. Sunlight and weather conditions then act as creators, producing unique prints and color transitions.
In addition to the large-scale UNLIMITED, something unique could be found at each of the venues.
At Design Miami/Basel, as always, there were quite a few interesting objects and exhibitions. This year, there was a special focus on the legacy of Italian designer Gaetano Pesce, with several exhibitions dedicated to his work, such as Pratt Chair no. 7 by Pulp Galerie and Fire Opens Stone Bench by Samuel Ross. Also of note are Ben Storms' solo exhibition from Objects with Narratives Gallery, Maxime Flatry's exhibition on the legacy of Jean-Michel Frank, and Franz West's solo exhibition from Eva Presenhuber Gallery. On another hand Liste is known for its support of rising talent and innovative approaches to art, features works from younger artists.
There were many beautiful ceramics, as well as interesting projects that worked with traditional, vintage materials and processing techniques. For example, India's Nolwa Studio collaborates with designers from around the world to present new visions and interpretations of traditional Indian crafts, such as Bidri, the ancient art of metalworking.
Generally, many booths revolved around the idea of preserving tradition. For example, Craft x Tech showcased the works of the Tohoku 2024 project, which combined Japanese crafts and modern technology. Lacquerware, furniture with intricate inlay, and textile products—all these were the result of cooperation between craftsmen from the Tohoku region of Japan and various international designers.
I was also absolutely captivated by the stand of Galerie Meubles et Lumières, which presented a unique collection of French designers from the avant-garde era of the 60s, including a flower from Jean-Pierre Laporte's armchairs.
It should be noted that there was so much art that at some point you might start to panic—how is it possible to have time to see everything? I'm not even talking about stopping to take it all in. But, as it is, so it is, and as my good art historian friend once told me: "Art does not need to be understood; it interacts with you on a cellular level. It is enough just to be in its field."
What's the bottom line?
Two hundred and eighty-five international galleries, including twenty-two participating for the first time, seventy monumental works and installations—this in addition to those presented in the Galleries, Feature, Statements, and Edition sections—and several thousand artists, designers, and sculptors. Art Basel 2024 turned out to be large and fascinating; I would even say too big, as it is simply impossible to see everything presented even during the allotted days.
Many participants, gallery owners, and investors were worried about the economic component of Art Basel, but these fears were dispelled like smoke on the day of the VIP opening of the fair. By noon of the first day, it became known that David Zwirner Gallery had sold Joan Mitchell's diptych "Sunflowers" for a record 20 million dollars. This occurred simultaneously with the news of the sale of works by Gerhard Richter (6 million dollars) and Yayoi Kusama (5 million dollars) by the same gallery.
Other galleries also had large sales, which cannot but please, because if art is sold, it means that someone needs it, and therefore — it will live.
