The 39th edition of the international art show closed on a very high note. The 300 exhibiting galleries considered this year’s Art Basel a great success. The 60,000 visitors to Art 39 Basel included not only art collectors, museum professionals, and art enthusiasts from all over the world. A great many artists were also drawn to the event, among them Ellsworth Kelly, Thomas Ruff, Takashi Murakawi, Tony Oursler, Pipilotti Rist, Ernesto Neto, Andrea Zittel, Isa Genzken, and Dan Graham, to name only a few. Some 2,300 media representatives from all continents came to see what the international art market has to offer.
All the participants in Art 39 Basel considered it a very good year, their responses ranging from satisfied to enthusiastic. Visitor interest was reported to be extraordinarily high. Never before have so many major art collectors from all over the world come to Art Basel. Never before has the show attracted so many famous artists.
The results of the Art Unlimited platform, showcasing works that exceed the scope of traditional art-fair exhibition booths and frequently even of gallery and museum spaces, were extremely positive. There were 70 projects on display: installations, video projections, large-scale paintings, and outsize sculptures. Numerous artists created new works specifically for Art Unlimited and installed them themselves. Enthusiasm was not restricted to the galleries and artists alone: experts and the general public alike judged this year’s edition of Art Unlimited to be one of the best since its inception in the year 2000.
Art Basel Conversations were a huge success. Attracting several hundred people every day, they featured distinguished experts discussing such subjects as the development of new art institutions in Eastern Europe, the collection and preservation of media art, and the work done by gallerists operating at the margins of the global art market. The premiere of Art Basel Conversations was a discussion between the two artists Lawrence Weiner and Jorge Pardo.
The Art Lobby discussion platform gave visitors several opportunities daily for personal encounters with leading members of the international art scene, among them artists such as Jorge Pardo, Patti Smith, AA Bronson, Richard Meier, and many more.
The Art Statements sector, with its 31 one-person shows of young artists, was a further audience magnet.
The ten projects on Exhibition Square, in front of the international art show buildings, surprised and delighted visitors. They were an effective demonstration of the way contemporary artists deal with art in public space.
The Art Edition sector, where international publishers present prints and multiples, also attracted great interest.
The idea of presenting artists in dialogue in the Art Premiere sector earned praise from the public and was described as exhilarating.
The Art Film sector at the Stadtkino Basel, featuring films by and about artists, has meanwhile become a popular institution. The evenings with films by Isaac Julien and Lawrence Weiner attracted particular interest.
Never before have there been so many exhibitions and events in the area during Art Basel.
