An Art Advisor’s Best of Basel: From Blockbuster Shows to Quiet Masterpieces

Art Basel is considered the mothership of all art fairs. One of the oldest fairs of this type, it has maintained and grown its importance over the decades. Located in a city where the Rhine weaves through centuries of history, it stands as a discreet power player, commanding global significance in the most sophisticated and quiet manner. The city that is, the fair, is not as quiet an affair.

The annual summer tradition brings together the world´s most influential galleries and those on the forefront of presenting emerging talent, seasoned and newly impassioned collectors, museum directors and board members, as well as many other parties affiliated with all the above.  

For anybody working in an advisory capacity with collectors, our work starts weeks before the doors to the fair swing open. We study dozens of previews, giving us a sense of the artworks that will be presented to make sure we do sufficient research and sometimes secure prized pieces ahead of the official opening.

And while this year the pressure to commit to purchases well in advance was less palpable, you still want to avoid missing out on a gem. More on these shortly. 

Art Basel Unlimited Wows

Art Basel kicked off with Unlimited, the title giving away the program: Artworks pushing the boundaries of the square canvas and classic pedestal-sized presentations command the space of a gigantic hall. I am in awe of the art handlers for their installation genius. Their hard work can easily be forgotten once you step into perfectly polished booths. But especially when seeing art of such a monumental scale, I try to remind myself of the challenges that must have been faced during the installation processes.  

It´s always hard to pick favourites but I was particularly touched and mesmerized by the Untitled Go-Go Dancing Platform by Felix Gonzales-Torres, the politically very poignant In God we Trust by Danh Vo, and Marinella Senatore´s We Rise by Lifting Others, which might as well be the contender for the most urgently needed credos.

I should mention the striking installation The Earth Eaters by the Brazilian artist Luiz Zerbini, calling us to reflect on the ecological damages inflicted to our planet and so many more, given that yes, the works presented are indeed unlimited.

A Classic Basel Night: Dinner Then Drinks at the Trois Rois

After a quick outfit change, I headed to dinner, hosted jointly by two legendary gallerists. Seated next to one of the eponymous founders, he entertained our part of the table, with such charm and fascinating anecdotes, joking in contagiously joviality with all sides of the table—from the director of one of the most important European private museums to the brilliant curator of one of New York´s most important landmark institutions as well as a collector who´s sharp and surprisingly fitting analogies of the art-market to various sports competitions were a much needed breeze of fresh air on this scalding evening. And as any year in Basel, I headed to the Trois Rois for drinks to catch up with friends from all corners of the (art) world. 

Visiting the Fondation Beyeler

I didn´t stay too long because Tuesday started with an early morning tour of the Fondation Beyeler, kindly hosted by Sotheby´s and granting exclusive access to what for me is one of the world´s most beautiful architectural jewels and serene settings in which art can possibly be experienced. It currently exhibits Vija Celmins, an artist I first encountered a decade ago—impressed by her mesmerizing and poetic studies of seascapes, desert surfaces, and nocturnal skies. The Fondation Beyeler show includes major international loans of historical pieces. These strikingly realistic, gentle, and subtle, yet unforgivingly exacting paintings call you to stop and stand still, get lost and transported gazing into them. 

The 2025 Edition of Art Basel

Back to the main event and reason we go to Basel: Seeing more art, but this time, art that is for sale. Greeted at the Messeplatz by Katharina Grosse´s CHOIR, this year´s largest artwork was drenched in thunders of swirling white and magenta sprayed across the entire square and walls. Once past the security, I started on the ground floor, where the more established positions are shown, ahead of moving to the first floor for the younger positions. 

My camera roll was brimming with many personal highlights that stirred my curiosity, intrigued me, or simply confirmed my love for certain artists and giants of art history. There were works by artists whose oeuvre I so deeply admire, and discovering expressions of their greatness never ceases to fill me with a fresh sense of awe.

There were works by artists whom I thought I knew, but suddenly, one single work makes you reconsider, and you gain a newfound admiration. There were works by artists whose ongoing creative reinvention doesn´t simply reaffirm your profound fondness, but pushes your boundaries and makes you question preconceived notions of understanding. 

Having talked for three days straight about them, I will let you enjoy this little personal collection without further yak. I am still reminiscing all the wonderful conversations with old and new friends as I hopped on a plane to London only to head into the previews for the upcoming June auctions with more exciting art!