I spent my first afternoon at Art Basel getting lost.
I wandered through a maze of 122 gallerists showcasing artwork from around the world. I eyed impressive ceramics created by Paloma Varga Weisz, captivating photos shot by Gordon Parks, and striking paintings by Pat Steir. I turned corners that I thought were familiar and discovered new art instead.
Above me were another 100-plus galleries presenting works. In the building next door, an exhibit the size of three football fields had enough installations for an entire afternoon of viewing. There were film showings throughout the day, a packed schedule of Q&As, and public artworks scattered across the town of Basel, Switzerland.
Collectively, this made up Art Basel, the world’s premiere art show, where more than 250 gallerists feature 4,000 artists.
Beyond the show’s official programming, the Swiss town comes alive each summer for the event. Other art fairs vie for visitors’ time. Photo Basel and the Liste Art Fair Basel are hosted on the same weekend. Plus, the town is home to dozens of art museums worth visiting.
To put it simply, Art Basel is overwhelming.
It’s a hectic week of art, but even as someone outside the art profession, I understood its appeal. Art Basel is my favorite kind of overwhelming — one with endless opportunities to explore.
Before arriving in Basel, the art fair felt vaguely familiar
I can’t pinpoint the first time I heard about Art Basel.
It could’ve been five years ago when a duct-taped banana was listed for $120,000, or it might have been years earlier. Growing up in Florida, I’m sure I heard murmurs about Art Basel Miami, one of the four locations where Art Basel fairs are held each year.
For a long time, I didn’t think the event was for me. I’m not a museum curator or a gallerist, and I don’t have millions to spend on artwork. (Art Basel reported that its largest sale this year was made by the gallery David Zwirner. It sold Joan Mitchell’s “Sunflowers” for $20 million.)
Plus, Art Basel is a place to be seen. Celebrities like Serena Williams have been spotted, visitors spend afternoons crossing paths with millionaires, and influencers have been lured to the fairs in recent years.
I wasn’t sure where or if I fit into that lineup, but I arrived in Basel on June 13 to find out.
As a first-time visitor, understanding how Art Basel works was confusing. After arriving, getting lost, and navigating a disorganized app, I finally began understanding how the massive event works.
Art Basel is a show with multiple sectors in multiple locations. Some sectors are self-described, like the film or magazine sector. Then, there’s the main sector, which fills two floors of a large hall. Here, 250 galleries from around the world showcase art.
Next door to the main sector, visitors can explore Unlimited, a hall dedicated to large-scale installations. And then there’s the Parcours sector, involving art installations scattered around the town.
Essentially, art is everywhere. Unless there’s someone or something specific you want to see, wandering was the best approach to take it all in.
You don’t have to be an artist or art buyer to enjoy the event
I assumed I wouldn’t know a single artist featured, but I was proven wrong after just a few moments in the Unlimited sector.
At the front of the hall was a 150-foot-long Keith Haring work titled “Untitled (FDR NY) #5-22.” I didn’t need a plaque to know the artist; Haring’s figures are easily recognizable.
Another recognizable piece sat catty-corner to Haring’s project. I knew an organic shape dotted with black spots must have been created by Yayoi Kusama. I explored her exhibit, Kusama, three years ago at the New York Botanical Garden.
Throughout the week, I spotted more familiar artists and was introduced to many new ones. Francisco Sierra’s full-size conceptual aquarium and Alfredo Jaar’s powerful neon messages captivated me.
Plus, it was clear I wasn’t the only visitor wandering the fair as a spectator. During the weekend, the Unlimited hall was filled with crowds watching artist performances on water rights by Seba Calfuqueo and peering into the hundreds of mirrors that made up “Zepelín de Acero” by Julio Le Parc.
Meanwhile, gallerists were eager to dive into the artwork they displayed, and artists proudly described their inspiration for pieces.
You can’t explore Art Basel without exploring the town
When you travel across the world for an art show, it’s hard not to squeeze in some sightseeing.
So, in the windows when I wasn’t viewing art, I was roaming through the Swiss town. The town is located on the banks of the Rhine River, so I spent a lunch break on the river’s edge, eyeing the historical buildings lining the waterfront.
If it had been warmer, you would’ve seen me floating down the Rhine with a Wickelfisch, a colorful waterproof bag locals tote during the summer months.
For those itching for even more art, theaters and popular museums like the Museum Tinguely and Fondation Beyeler present even more work.
But my favorite way to experience the town was through Art Basel’s Parcours exhibit. Across Basel, a hotel, brewery, church, restaurant, and stores exhibited art.
I stepped inside a partly abandoned shopping center. Between a closed nail salon and textile store, artist Mandy El-Sayegh covered the floors and walls and transformed two empty store spaces to feature her large-scale paintings.
Nearby, Eric Hattan used materials he scavenged to build towers and structures that were constantly being changed and transformed during the art show.
The installations prompted me to walk down random Basel streets and stumble upon what the city offers beyond its top tourist attractions.
By the end of my weekend at Art Basel, I discovered an art fair that — no matter your background — stimulated discussion, encouraged me to reconsider my beliefs, and left me in awe.
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