The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
Imagine a world filled with art at every turn; a sculpture in every corner, a painting on every wall. A world bursting with color, where dull and empty spaces simply do not exist. A world of dreams, where human imagination and ingenuity are taken to extraordinary heights. This is the world you enter when you take your first steps into Art Basel, the biggest contemporary art fair of the year. The Art Basel in Switzerland is among the international art community’s most anticipated annual events. It is held every June in Basel, an idyllic cobblestone town that could pass as a work of art in its own right. The fair showcases paintings, sculptures, installations, photography, and pieces that use mediums no one has ever dared try before. Though its main purpose is to exhibit and celebrate contemporary art, the fair is also known for festivities like spectacular parties, live performances, and master classes taught by world-renowned artists. Art Basel is a sensory overload of the most prestigious variety.
The first Art Basel was held in 1970, when three Swiss gallerists named Ernst Beyeler, Trudy Bruckner, and Balz Hilt brought together artists, curators, and critics from all over the globe. It hosted 90 galleries from 10 different countries. After the fair’s initial success, the global art market was changed forever. In time, the fair began to feature legendary modern artists like Chagall and Picasso. Art Basel became a platform where both established and emerging artists could show the world what they were made of.
The fair has risen in popularity to the point that cities like Miami and Hong Kong have begun to hold their own Art Basels. However, the Art Basel in Switzerland remains the most esteemed, which is why artists everywhere aim to someday bring their best work to Basel.
Every June since Art Basel’s inception, the Messe Basel is transformed into an exhibition hall that showcases over 4,000 artists. The space is divided into various sectors, including galleries, statements, and features. The most popular section is divided into thousands of unique art galleries. Moving from one gallery to another is like stepping through a portal into a new dimension with entirely different shapes and colors. The works may be shadowy and haunting, or they could be colorful and surreal. From floor-to-ceiling murals of the ocean to charcoals of the human body’s delicate contours, the Art Basel gallery sector is a treasure trove of modern masterpieces.
The statements sector is dedicated to highlighting pieces by emerging artists contending for the highly coveted Baloise Art Fair Prize. This is always an exciting sector to visit because it paints pictures from the perspective of the youth. Many of these solo projects are bold, bright, and thought-provoking. Every piece has a special touch that sets them apart from the rest. It’s as if each work leaps out at you until you pay attention. The artists often engage with contemporary concerns such as digital obsession, environmental issues, and personal identity. The statements sector is a space for artists of the future to let their voices shine and be heard.
Though similar to the gallery sector, the feature sector is a much more precisely curated space. The pieces in this sector are thoughtfully put together to convey a particular sentiment. Everything, from the way the paintings are hung, to the position of the installations, is taken under extreme consideration to ensure that each part complements the others. Being in the feature sector feels like being immersed in an experiential work of art, where every act means something beautiful and significant.
These three sectors are a mere fraction of what the art fair has to offer its visitors. History is made every year at Art Basel. Whether you want to enjoy the fair’s loud and lavish festivities, or reflect quietly on the perfect harmony of a painting’s swirl of colors, attending the Swiss Art Basel is the cultural experience of a lifetime.
Written by Camille Rosas
