As Art Basel kicked off, VIPs and collectors hurried through Agnes Denes's wheat field installation on the Messeplatz to be the first to witness the monumental works, interactive installations, and captivating performances at the fair's Unlimited sector. Early Instagram posts of these spectacular pieces serve as a way for industry insiders to showcase their prestigious First Choice VIP status. The event allows for a slower pace of viewing and socializing before the main fair's opening on Tuesday.
This year, Art Basel's selection committee, led by Giovanni Carmine, director of the Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen, chose 70 projects from 93 galleries for the esteemed showcase. Among the eye-catching installations was Mario Ceroli's "Progetto per la pace" (1968), presented by Cardi gallery, featuring a series of white flags planted in a floor of earth and hay, symbolizing a call for international peace.
Despite ongoing geopolitical instability and inflation concerns, the atmosphere at the fair was cautiously optimistic. The European Central Bank recently lowered interest rates by 0.25%, the first cut in nearly five years, while asking prices seem to be stabilizing. However, many of Basel's high-end buyers are American, and central banks in the U.S. and U.K. have yet to follow suit. Advisor Sibylle Rochat noted that the market tends to react with delay and that positive political news is needed to boost human optimism.
Unlimited showcases works that are often too large for traditional art fair booths, attracting a different collector base, primarily museums and private foundations. Notable attendees included collectors Paul Ettlinger and Lucca Hue Williams, Frieze Masters director Nathan Clements-Gillespie, and Fondation Cartier director Chris Dercon. Alex Logsdail, CEO of Lisson Gallery, emphasized that these presentations are as much about showcasing an artist's grand vision as they are about potential sales.
Early favorites on social media included Alex Da Corte's wooden cabin with neon flames (presented by Sadie Coles HQ), Christo's wrapped Volkswagen Beetle at Gagosian, Martin Margiela's faux fur stage for Bernier/Eliades gallery, and Lutz Bacher's irreverent chess game featuring 20th-century icons. Anna Uddenberg's "Premium Economy" installation, shown jointly by Meredith Rosen Gallery and Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler, captivated viewers with its performance of women in business attire mounting pseudo-functional chairs, priced at €180,000.
At Lisson, Ryan Gander's animatronic gorilla, "School of Languages" (2022), attracted attention as it attempted to count on its fingers, a commentary on the negative aspects of numeracy. Gander, who believes art is an exchange of dreams, conversations, and ideas rather than capital, noted that unconventional works that don't resemble traditional art often capture the public's attention.
Kader Attia's anti-war work "Intifada: The Endless Rhizomes of Revolution" (2016), presented by Nagel-Draxler, featured a forest of leafless iron rebar trees emerging from rubble, with slingshots bound to their branches. The artist clarified that the work is about the history of violence and the agency of resistance, not a call for violence. Thaddaeus Ropac and Lehmann Maupin jointly presented Liza Lou's glittering glass bead-covered chain-link cage, "Security Fence" (2005), which reclaims the hostile architecture of post-apartheid South Africa.
As the week progresses, the art world eagerly awaits to see if the abundance of ideas and conversations at Unlimited will translate into substantial sales. While a 1970 Donald Judd work presented by Gagosian, with an asking price "in the eight figures," may be the most expensive piece at Unlimited, rumors suggest David Zwirner will showcase a Joan Mitchell "Sunflowers" work on its booth with an $18 million price tag. As Agnes Denes's wheat field transforms from green to gold under the Basel sunshine, the question remains: will gallerists reap a similar bounty by the week's end?
