NewsArt market
Art Basel/UBS report: global art market dips 5% in ‘tricky year’ but private sales are up
Chinese and British markets take a hit amid trade wars and political unrest
NewsArt market
Send art, not staff: more than half of Art Basel in Hong Kong galleries take 'ghost booths'
Of the 104 exhibitors at the fair next month, 56 will take remote participation stands instead of travelling in person
PreviewArt market
Selling Tino Seghal's Zoom call in an online viewing room: Art Basel's Pioneers OVR reaches peak meta
Our pick of five artists to seek out on the fair's first digital presentation of 2021
NewsArt market
Asia’s art fairs pin hopes on vaccine rollouts
Spring events must negotiate ongoing travel restrictions and quarantines, and some organisers have already postponed
NewsArt market
Déjà vu: Art Basel postponed from June to September—again
Swiss fair was also delayed from June to September in 2020, before being cancelled altogether due to coronavirus
NewsArt market
Miami Beach launches residency programme to help artists and businesses in lieu of Art Basel tourism revenue
The initiative encourages property owners to lend their vacant spaces for free and offers $2,500 stipends to artists—but they may still need to pay rent
NewsArt market
Art Basel to make real-life appearance as fair partners with Fine Art Asia in Hong Kong
Local galleries have been invited by Art Basel to apply for participation in the November fair
NewsArt market
Class of 2020: five picks from Art Basel's online viewing room (another one)
The latest virtual fair, OVR:2020, limits 100 galleries to showing six works each, all produced this year—we pick our highlights
NewsArt market
Galleries cast doubt on the return of fairs in 2021 in latest Art Basel and UBS report
Covid-19 has forced galleries to cut staff by 33% on average as sales plummet 36% in the first half of 2020—and optimism is dwindling for next year
NewsArt fairs
Art Basel cancels Miami Beach edition in December
The fair's organisers say they have "no other option" as Covid-19 cases in Florida stay stubbornly high and US travel restrictions remain in place
NewsExhibitions
Basel’s new culture hub puts Caribbean artists, Picasso and Klaus Littmann’s nature project in the mix
Delayed by coronavirus, the new Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger has opened with the promise of free entry and catalogues for visitors
NewsArt market
James Murdoch's firm invests in Art Basel's embattled owner MCH Group
Media and entertainment investment firm Lupa Systems will become the events company's anchor shareholder, holding around a third of shares if approved on 3 August
NewsArt market
Might Rupert Murdoch be Art Basel's next big investor?
Media and television mogul is reportedly in negotiations to take a stake in art fair's Swiss parent company MCH Group
NewsArt market
To encourage galleries, Art Basel in Hong Kong relaxes application criteria for 2021 fair
Galleries no longer required to have a physical space, down payments cut from 100% to 25% of stand fees and automatic re-admittance for 2020 ABHK exhibitors
NewsArt market
How artists are adapting their work to virtual fairs and online viewing rooms
As Art Basel's online viewing room opens, Tracey Emin, Jim Shaw and Avery Singer speak about lockdown and creating for the digital sphere
NewsFilms
Shirin Neshat's award-winning films go online for 24 hours in mini film festival
Goodman Gallery is launching the video programme on 20 June—but you can watch Roja exclusively on The Art Newspaper website from tomorrow
NewsArt market
Art Basel cancels Swiss edition in September due to coronavirus concerns
Flagship fair will relaunch next June in Basel as organisers focus on delivering Miami Beach show in December
NewsArt market
Berlin dealer Johann König stages impromptu 'fair' to coincide with original Art Basel dates in June
"People are hungry for art in the original and the online viewing room can’t replace the personal experience,” the dealer says
NewsArt market
Art Basel's September fair thrown into further doubt
In frank letter, organisers scrap Monday deadline for exhibitors as Swiss authorities delay decision on large-scale events until 24 June
BlogThe Buck stopped here
Mega art dealers talk collegial spirit against a backdrop of Montauk bedrooms and cats
Art Basel's latest webinar featured David Zwirner, Sadie Coles and Jeffery Deitch talking about new plans for gallery collaborations
NewsArt fairs
Nada launches new collaborative fair model to help support galleries
Opening 20 May, the online fair requires no upfront fee and features around 200 galleries, all of which will share their profits
AnalysisArt market
How Covid-19 has forced the art market’s speedy digital conversion
In lockdown, many galleries have had a Damascene moment with online programming
NewsArt fairs
Will Art Basel actually happen in September? A letter to exhibitors suggests potential for more delays
Fair extends deadline to confirm participation until 1 June, but concedes "there are simply too many open questions" to know if the fair will happen at the moment
AnalysisArt market
Will art fairs return in 2020?
As coronavirus lockdowns are extended across much of the world, leaving galleries unable to trade, hopes are fading that autumn events will be able to go ahead
NewsBaselworld
Rolex, Patek Philippe and Chanel walk out of MCH group’s Baselworld
Future of the Swiss watch and jewellery fair, which is owned by Art Basel's parent company, now hangs in the balance
NewsArt fairs
Frieze offers full refunds to exhibitors after cancelling its New York fair due to coronavirus
The fair will also launch a new online viewing room feature at no cost to planned exhibitors and will apply reimbursements to future editions
Newscoronavirus
Masterpiece London cancels 2020 June edition as UK cracks down on coronavirus spread
The move follows news that Art Basel will postpone its 50th anniversary edition until September and New York's major auctions pivot to June
Newscoronavirus
After much speculation, Art Basel postponed to September due to coronavirus
Swiss art fair is the latest of numerous fairs to be moved to the autumn, as the pandemic decimates the art world calendar
BlogArt market
Pyjamas and cava: the diary of an Art Basel VIP in an online world
A blow-by-blow account of the Hong Kong digital viewing rooms that launched this morning
NewsArt Basel
Art Basel announces exhibitors for its 50th anniversary edition this June
More than 20 galleries will take part in the flagship Swiss fair for the first time
AnalysisArab Spring
The ripple effect of the Arab Spring
Political upheaval across the region presents challenges—and opportunities—for artists and collectors
NewsArt market
Art Basel launches online viewing rooms following the cancellation of its Hong Kong edition
The debut of the digital initiative was moved to March to offer exhibitors a sales platform for the works they planned to show
NewsArt Basel Hong Kong
'With changes come opportunities': first reactions to the cancellation of Art Basel in Hong Kong
Local galleries are determined to forge ahead after the fair announced it will not take place this year in light of coronavirus fears
NewsHong Kong
'The arts will continue to thrive': Hong Kong galleries band together in face of coronavirus fears
Local dealers plan to forge ahead with exhibitions even if Art Basel decides to cancel this year's edition of the fair in the city
NewsArt Basel
Growing unease among Art Basel in Hong Kong dealers as WHO brands coronavirus a ‘global emergency’
The fair's directors, meanwhile, say postponing or cancelling the fair “is a complex process”
PreviewThe Year Ahead 2020
Newcomers and stalwarts: highlights from the 2020 fair calendar
Art Basel celebrates its 50th anniversary and new fairs in London and New York join the fray
NewsArt Basel in Miami Beach 2019
Art Basel helps Hong Kong exhibitors offset extra costs
Fair organisers says the discounts are not "incentive to do the fair" but are "part of an effort to mitigate their additional expenses"
NewsArt fairs
Art Basel cancels $15,000 per ticket Abu Dhabi conference
The first Art Basel Inside was due to take place in February 2020, over the same dates as Frieze Los Angeles
PreviewArt Basel
Venice Biennale is still ringing the Art Basel sales till
Artists showing in Venice are brought en masse to the fair as galleries leverage exhibition exposure
BlogIn the frame
Toddler sends €50,000 sculpture flying at Art Basel
BlogArt Basel 2019
Art Basel diary: Robert Indiana's spooky sculpture and a rogue rat
Plus, would Marcel Duchamp approve of a snow-globe urinal?
NewsBauhaus
Big birthday is a boon for Bauhaus
Works on the stands at Art Basel show the market for artists associated with the German movement is hotting up in this centenary year
NewsArt Basel 2019
Art Basel Messeplatz artist Alexandra Pirici demands compensation for underpaid performers
The system of dividends is a way to address the "immense amounts of unpaid or underpaid labour" that support the art world, she says
InterviewLawrence Abu Hamdan
Interview: Lawrence Abu Hamdan—a self-styled 'private ear'
Your voice reveals much more about you than you think—and the Turner Prize nominee and Parcours artist is listening
FeatureArt Basel 2019
The human side of AI
How do algorithms see and shape the world? An exhibition at Basel’s HeK explores the often uncomfortable coexistence of humanity and AI
InterviewAndrea Bowers
Interview: Andrea Bowers discusses power dynamics post #MeToo
The artist, whose work is causing a stir at Art Basel, aims to keep alive conversations on the toxic nature of power that sparked the feminist social movement
BlogArt Basel 2019
Art Basel diary: celebrity-spotting, nimble octopi and a bratwurst that cuts the mustard
Plus, Alvaro Barrington has designs on Notting Hill Carnival
NewsCommercial galleries
Salon 94 gallery is moving to a huge property on Manhattan's Upper East Side
The founder of the art and design space plans to consolidate the gallery programme
InterviewWilliam Kentridge
Interview: William Kentridge on his life lessons
Self-interrogation is central to the work of the South African artist, whose latest piece on show at the Kunstmuseum Basel poses a series of questions that get half-answered
BlogArt Basel 2019
Art Basel diary: horseplay with Harry and Meghan and fairgoers prove it's never too old for swinging
Plus, bath time with a very young Jeff Koons
CommentMotherhood
When life happens, just remember that art fairs will be 'fine without you for a while'
Melanie Gerlis asks whether the art world is compatible with parenting
FeatureArt Basel 2019
Bringing up baby: making motherhood work in the art world
Being a mother has been cast as career suicide by Tracey Emin and Marina Abramovic. We speak to four women in the art world who beg to differ
BlogArt Basel 2019
Art Basel diary: crime, casinos and cocks
Plus, a pumped-up Mark Zuckerberg
NewsGagosian Gallery
Gagosian's pop-up gallery in Basel to become permanent
Mega-dealer says “world-class museums” and Ernst Beyeler’s legacy are behind the move to keep the space beyond Art Basel week
PreviewArt Basel 2019
Art meets dance in Alexandra Pirici's living time capsule at Art Basel
Sixty dancers will enact "performative environment" on the Messeplatz in Basel every day this week
FeatureClimate Change
How the art world is going green
Those within the art world who advocate for environmentally friendly practices are finding a sector willing to do its part.
NewsArt market
Gagosian to go off-piste with first pop-up show during Art Basel
Continuing Abstraction show will run off-site throughout the fair, featuring artists such as Willem de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler and Theaster Gates
ArchiveArt Basel
A lesson in attending Basel on a budget
Is it possible to attend an event where extravagant expenditure is commonplace without paying for the privilege?
NewsArt market
Art Basel owner sells stake in Art Düsseldorf to fair organisers Sandy Angus and Tim Etchells
Angus says he is also keen to buy MCH’s share in the India Art Fair as the group divests its regional art fair portfolio
BlogIn the frame
Art Basel to unite across continents to celebrate 50th anniversary
Podcast
Art Basel in Hong Kong, Richard Lin and the Met’s World Between Empires
We talk to Marc Spiegler, global director of Art Basel; discuss the forgotten artist Richard Lin; and speak to the curators of a New York exhibition on the ancient Middle East. Produced in association with Bonhams, auctioneers since 1793.
NewsArt Basel in Hong Kong 2019
Fair share: parity for Asia’s female artists gains ground at Art Basel in Hong Kong
While men still dominate the local market, there are signs of progress towards equality in Hong Kong this week
PreviewArt Basel in Hong Kong 2019
US-China tension creates buyer’s market in Hong Kong
Despite a burgeoning arts scene in the city, worries persist that the trade war and economic uncertainty could affect business at Art Basel in Hong Kong
NewsLaw
French court fines Art Basel backer UBS €3.7bn for tax evasion and money laundering
The conviction follows a seven-year investigation into the Swiss banking giant by French authorities
PreviewPolitics
Latin American galleries reassess sales strategies for Miami Art Week after border crackdown
Trump's decision to station 15,000 troops at the country's southwest border has further soured political relations between the US and its South American neighbours
NewsArt Basel
Art Düsseldorf exhibitors react to MCH Group's decision to sell stake in fair
Art Basel owner's move has divided the opinions of dealers, but Art Düsseldorf's founders remain optimistic
NewsArt market
Art Basel owner backs off from its regional fairs
MCH Group is selling its stakes in Art Düsseldorf and India Art Fair and will pull out of Singapore’s Art SG
NewsArt market
Art Basel introduces new booth pricing structure to subsidise younger galleries
Dealers say it is a ‘step in the right direction’ but acknowledge there is a long way to go to redress the balance
NewsExhibitions
Artists and projects announced for first Art Basel Cities Week in Buenos Aires
September event marks end of first year of the initiative overseen by Cecilia Alemani, the director of High Line Art, New York
InterviewArt Basel 2018
Collector's Eye: David Brolliet
The Swiss collector discusses his love of Lichtenstein, his regret at not buying a Subodh Gupta when he had the chance and hanging art on his refrigerator
InterviewArt Basel 2018
Collector's Eye: Grazyna Kulczyk
The Polish art lover on her fascination with female artists and how she wishes she could have been seated at Judy Chicago's Dinner Party
CommentArt Basel 2018
Rapper pays $18.5m for work at auction but the artist gets nothing—is the system in need of reform?
Anny Shaw asks if auction houses and dealers should pay their dues to the artists from whom they profit
PreviewArt Basel 2018
Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzlinger: Where the wild things are
From getting fit to analysing your tears, Swiss artists’ installation at the Museum Tinguely invites visitors to dive right in
NewsArt Basel 2018
Chinese collector scoops up McArthur Binion painting at Unlimited
Nine other works by the US artist sold on Lehmann Maupin’s stand at Art Basel
InterviewArt Basel 2018
Theaster Gates: ‘There’s no better Madonna than my mother’
Artist sets up printing press in Basel to explore ‘Black Madonna’ theme
NewsThree to see
Three to See: Basel
From a gesamtkunstwerk designed to awaken the senses to a five-decade survey of Bruce Nauman
NewsArt Basel 2018
Controversial collection of early Basquiat drawings on show in Basel
Works were created by the artist when he was sleeping on a friend’s couch in Manhattan
NewsArt Basel 2018
Galleries at Art Basel pay tribute to ‘generation of giants’
Works and archival material at several stands at the fair honour big names in the art world who have died this year
BlogArt Basel 2018
A Russian artist with a really long cape and more Art Basel gossip
Plus, we fall head over heels for Vezzoli
Podcast
Podcast episode 36: Berlin Biennale and Art Basel
We explore the two big European art world events of the past week: Arsalan Mohammad is in Berlin with the curator Serubiri Moses and the critic and curator Annika von Taube, and Ben Luke speaks to Melanie Gerlis, writer for the Financial Times and The Art Newspaper, on the line from Basel.
BlogArt Basel 2018
When the love don’t last at Art Basel and more gossip
Plus, how Picasso kept Ernst Beyeler on his toes
InterviewArt Basel 2018
Sam Gilliam: a life beyond the frame
With a show of his unstretched canvases at the Kunstmuseum Basel, the lyrical abstractionist is enjoying a late resurgence in popularity
CommentArt Basel 2018
Could fairs publish sale prices? Don’t hold your breath
“For all the supposed desire for transparency, no one will make the first move”
NewsArt Basel 2018
Swiss galleries forge ahead despite the global squeeze
New initiatives, fair subsidies and a focus on Swiss artists help dealers to adapt
NewsArt Basel 2018
What are the limits of Art Basel’s Unlimited?
Sector has raised the bar for large works, but price and size do not always match
NewsArt Basel 2018
Liste feels the weight of Cuban history
Cuban artist uses exact amount of black ink used to write key parts of constitution for work
FeatureArt Basel 2018
Are art awards really worth winning?
Winning a prize can give an artist international exposure, but the question of who really benefits—critically and commercially—is an increasingly vexed one
CommentArt fairs
The world of art fairs is going to change for good—and only the better-funded fairs will survive
From hybrid online ventures to new subscription models, mass events in the art world won't look the same post-pandemic
Melanie Gerlis