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Gen de Art

Art Basel in Basel 2023: Gen de Art’s Guide to the Premier Art Event of the Year

Art Basel 2023 is shaping up to be an exceptional event, bringing together art enthusiasts, collectors, and renowned galleries from around the world. The fair will take place in Basel, Switzerland, from June 15 to June 18. With 284 leading international galleries participating, visitors can expect to see a diverse range of artworks across various mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, and digital creations.



The fair is thoughtfully divided into different sectors, each offering a unique and engaging experience for attendees. Alongside the remarkable presentations in the Galleries, Feature, Statements, and Edition sectors, Art Basel 2023 will feature 76 large-scale installations and performances in the Unlimited sector. Notably, the Kabinett sector will make its debut at the Basel edition, spotlighting distinct curated exhibitions within the main booths of exhibitors. These curated sectors demonstrate Art Basel's commitment to delivering exceptional art experiences both within the halls and throughout the city.


Art Basel 2023 will also elevate public programming by showcasing 24 site-specific public art projects in the Parcours sector. These projects will transform Basel's public spaces, inviting visitors to engage with art in unexpected and immersive ways. Additionally, artist Latifa Echakhch will activate the city's Messeplatz, further enriching the public art offerings. As part of its commitment to accessibility, Art Basel's Conversations series will be free to the public and explore thought-provoking topics of care, collectivity, and connectivity. The Film program will present a distinctive lineup of surveys, documentaries, and a special program dedicated to sci-fi and magical realism, further enhancing the intersection of art and cinema.

Vincenzo de Bellis, the Director of Fairs and Exhibition Platforms, expressed his anticipation for the upcoming edition of Art Basel in Basel, emphasizing the show's ambitious curation within exhibition halls and across the city. This premier event will bring together the international art world, creating a platform for collaboration, inspiration, and the celebration of contemporary art.


Whether you are an art collector, enthusiast, or simply curious about contemporary art, Art Basel 2023 in Basel, Switzerland, promises a captivating and immersive experience that showcases the very best of the global art scene.


Unlimited

Unlimited, the unique sector dedicated to large-scale art projects, will present 76 exceptional installations and performances. Curated by Giovanni Carmine, Director of the Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen, Unlimited offers exhibitors the opportunity to showcase monumental artworks, including sculptures, wall paintings, photo series, and video projections. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore Firelei Báez’s immersive installation titled ‘the vast ocean of all possibilities (19°36’16.9″N 72°13’07.0″W / 41°30’32.3″N 81°36’41.7″W)’ (2022), Diamond Stingily’s single-channel projection ‘How Did He Die’ (2016), Monica Bonvicini’s suspended swing installation called ‘Never Again’ (2005), Carlos Cruz-Diez’s participative artwork ‘Environnement Chromointerférent (Paris)’ (1974), Olaf Nicolai’s performance-based artwork ‘Ménage de la maison’ (2022), Martha Jungwirth’s 9-meter-long monumental triptych ‘Memorial II (Triptychon)’ (2021), and Khalil Rabah’s sculptural assemblages titled ‘Relocation, Among Other Things’ (2018).


Sea Never Dries by Serge Attukwei Clottey

Photo: Gen de Art


Parcours

Parcours returns to Basel's city center, offering 24 site-specific projects and performances under the theme "Word of Mouth." Curated by Samuel Leuenberger, founder of SALTS exhibition spaces, Parcours explores art as a means of social and political communication. This year's edition invites visitors to engage with installations and performances in unique locations such as libraries, financial institutions, domestic gardens, and underground tunnels. Highlights from Parcours include Laure Prouvost's new video work "No More Front Tears" (2022), a selection of wall carpets by Noa Eshkol at Bau- und Verkehrsdepartement Basel-Stadt, Julian Charrière's mesmerizing "Controlled Burn" (2022), and Jacolby Satterwhite's captivating presentation alongside Luís Lázaro Matos's "Shhh!"

Noa Eshkol, The Four Seasons, ca. 1980

cotton, sisal, wool, lurex, rayon, lamé, sateen, polyester, jersey, cotton crepe, silk taffeta

484 x 484 cm

© The Noa Eshkol Foundation for Movement Notation, Holon, Israel

Courtesy The Noa Eshkol Foundation for Movement Notation, Holon, Israel, and neugerriemschneider, Berlin

Photo: Jens Ziehe, Berlin


Kabinett

Making its debut at the Basel show, Kabinett is a sector dedicated to curated and thematic presentations within galleries' main booths. With 13 presentations from 14 galleries, Kabinett offers a focused and immersive experience, allowing visitors to delve deeper into an artist's practice. Highlights from Kabinett include Anri Sala's intriguing series "Untitled (Map / Species)," Hugh Steers' allegorical paintings capturing the essence of New York in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and a collection of works by Débora Arango, Feliza Bursztyn, Beatriz González, Luz Lizarazo, Luis Roldán, and Icaro Zorbar. Additionally, Henrik Håkansson's piece "Untitled Swarm (Sturnus vulgaris) #3" promises to captivate audiences.

David Byrd, Butcher Shop, 2009

Courtesy the artist and Anton Kern Gallery, New York


Messeplatz

The city's Messeplatz will feature a captivating site-specific presentation by Moroccan, Swiss-based artist Latifa Echakhch, curated by Samuel Leuenberger, Curator for Parcours at Art Basel. Echakhch, who represented Switzerland at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, has a rich tradition of working with deconstructed stages – symbols of wreckage and ruins – to reveal the hopes and possibilities contained within. A sprawling superstructure in Messeplatz will serve as a backdrop for a series of live concerts and performances organized in collaboration with Luc Meier, Director of La Becque Artist Residency. These musical acts explore the fundamentals of sound and music-making as a shared experience between artists and audiences. Beyond the performances, the various islands and stage settings will be open to the public for singing, reciting poetry, sharing knowledge, or simply finding respite.

Film

Curated by Filipa Ramos and Marian Masone, the Film program will present a week of artists' cinema projects. This year's program boasts a diverse lineup, featuring films that delve into artist Nan Goldin's activism, the work of Simone Forti, and thought-provoking documentaries exploring social and political issues. Notable highlights of the Film program include Penny Siopis' 'Welcome Visitors!' and 'The Melt Goes on Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons' by Judd Tully and Harold Crooks.

Simone Forti, News Animation with Manny The Rabbit, Dance Theater Workshop (film still), 1988.

Courtesy Simone Forti, The BOX Gallery, Los Angeles and Galleria Raffaella Cortese, Milan


Conversations

Curated by Emily Butler, Conversations assembles thought leaders to engage in discussions on the key topics shaping the art and cultural landscape. This year's edition will delve into the themes of care, collectivity, and connectivity, addressing subjects such as artist-led spaces in Africa, parenthood in the arts, the future of museum architecture, and the implications of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. Noteworthy highlights from this year's Conversations series include Lina Ghotmeh's exploration of the Architecture of the Future Museum, alongside Klaus Biesenbach, Kulapat Yantrasast, and Jacques Herzog. Additionally, Lubaina Himid will discuss her installation 'A Fashionable Marriage' from 1986, Khanyisile Mbongwa, curator of Liverpool Biennial 2023, will delve into the Biennial's central theme, 'uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things,' alongside artists Nolan Oswald Dennis and Belinda KazeemKamiński, Gallerist Amrita Jhaveri, economists Dr. Clare McAndrew and Sophie Perceval will reflect on the findings of The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2023. Moreover, during Unlimited Night on Thursday, June 15, attendees will be treated to a sonic performance by Julianknxx. Accompanied by singer Anaiis and a choir, this multidisciplinary artist's short film, 'In A Dream We Are at Once Beautiful,' portrays the experiences of African diasporic communities in Switzerland.


Conversations | (Co-)Creating with AI: The Artist’s View, 2023

Roger Wattenhofer © ETH Zurich / Marguerite Humeau © Tim Craig for Avant Arte / Susanne Treister

 

PROJECT DETAILS

Name: Art Basel 2023 Location: Messe Basel exhibition center, Basel, Switzerland Dates: June 15 -18, 2023

Website: https://www.artbasel.com

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