As you may have heard, despite war in Syria, refugees escaping conflict and poverty, a crazy Korean popping of missiles, the US economy going wobbly, Donald Trump being nominated for US Republican presidential candidate and going wobbly, a crack down on censorship here, there and, well, there, a terrorist attack on a gay nightclub in Miami, England voting for obscurity (did you know about their referendum this week?), DESPITE ALL OF THAT, Art Basel did just great. Orgasmic sums of money changed hands (just read the post-Basel press releases). But there was also great art. Oh and it was rainy. SO rainy.
Notes & Memes Performance art, Jannis Kounellis, Seth Price, pavilions, architect designed booths, immigration, refugees, surveillance, green trousers (again),…
Chinese art No, not much this year, except for some major works in Art Unlimited: Ding Yi, Cheng Ran, Colin Siyuan Chinnery, Birdhead. And not many galleries: ShanghART, Vitamin Creative Space, Long March Space, and Galerie Urs Meile and Galleria Continua, and Marlborough had a Song Yige, and Thaddaeus Ropac had a Yan Pei Ming. Hmm. But compare the prices: great art from China is cheap compared to (often not so great art) from Western galleries, or even Chinese art in Western galleries.
Classics & Masters Art Basel is not just about selling famous one-name artists—the Picassos, Pollocks and Warhols—but also about remembering other masters, whether still living—Haim Stainbach, Jannis Kounellis, and Liang Shaoji and Seth Price; or not—László Maholy-Nagy.
Feature section
Statements This is the section for young, emerging galleries with solo-presentations.
Always painting Because…there is always painting…but Art Basel is where you will find the best (that is purchasable).