Art Basel — Attraction in Basel

If you’re a buyer, I’m sure it’s phenomenal. Its main function is offering a commercial opportunity to the industry. I was expecting a curated experience, not a ‘world class art market’. For example, I asked for a list of exhibiting artists in alphabetical order and was told… no, we don’t do that, everything is categorised according to gallery/collector/collection, ie who owns/is selling what. Owners, not artists. Of course lots of the artworks are breathtaking and totally impressive but it can’t be compared to the Documenta. Maybe as a non-collecting art enthusiast I was expecting too much. I wanted to be introduced to next generation artists, experience the message of the works, get into eras, themes, not just say ‘wow, impressive’ (which I did). It would have helped to know this...

We enjoy the atmosphere at Art Basel. Even our children enjoy wandering through the exhibition for up to two hours. The entry fee for two grown ups is more than 100 CHF, children younger than 10 years of age enjoy a free entry. I do not recommend buying soft drinks as they are super expensive: we paid 24 CHF for two coke lights and two bottles of mineral water. On the top floor we took time to explore the world through the eyes of a new breed of artists. Personally I was inspired by some pieces of art but not a single piece of art from...

Definitely worth a visit if you can. It is not a curated museum so don’t expect that but you can see artwork from a wide range of contemporary artists in a trade setting where clients buy up the place in minutes. You snooze you lose so if you are thinking to buy a piece of art then act fast! Most however will be unlucky as dealers all give preference to their most loyal clients so just enjoy the art work for what...