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New York Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Is Contemporary Art's Most Important Fair Losing Its Luster?
Checking the price of that multimillion-dollar Picasso … Hearing about that must-see exhibition on a tram … Discussing the latest art world gossip over that overpriced glass of Grüner Veltliner … The rituals of Art Basel, the world's biggest and most prestigious contemporary and modern art fair, never seem to change. But Art Basel's flagship event in Switzerland now faces formidable challenges. The 289 gallerists from 42 countries participating in this year's edition of the fair, whose V.I.P. preview opened on Tuesday, are trying to make sales at a time when the art market is in a slump and the world is in turmoil. (The fair opens to public visitors on Thursday and runs through Sunday.) This hitherto must-attend fixture also faces strengthening competition from Art Basel's own Paris edition in October, with all the allurements the French capital has to offer, particularly for American visitors. A new fair in Qatar, scheduled for February, was announced last month, and Art Basel also has offshoots in Hong Kong and Miami Beach. This means international collectors can be more selective about their travels. 'We've been coming here for 15 years and we still think Art Basel in Switzerland is the most important fair — the others are just repetitions,' said Igor Lah, a Lucerne-based Slovenian collector who is opening a 25,000 square-foot private museum in Slovenia next year. 'If you want to know what's going on in the art market you have to come here,' Lah added. Art Basel's Swiss mother ship is known as the event where the world's top dealers present their A-plus material. Recent disappointing results at New York's bellwether auction season in May, where a $70 million Alberto Giacometti sculpture failed to sell, appeared to turn consignors toward dealers, and there were plenty of trophy-quality works for private sale here in Basel. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
South China Morning Post
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Art Basel
Art Basel Your comprehensive guide to the latest trends and happenings surrounding Art Basel Hong Kong, the city's largest annual contemporary art fair.
