Art Basel

Art Basel

Art Basel stages the world's premier Modern and contemporary art shows, held annually in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. Founded by gallerists in 1970, Art Basel has been a driving force in supporting the role that galleries play in the nurturing of artists, and the development and promotion of visual arts.

In addition to showing exciting works by world-renowned artists, Art Basel is always innovating, thus expanding its platform for new artists who represent the vanguard of the visual arts. Its worldwide reputation – earned over the last forty years – for showing work of the highest merit, and attracting the world's leading gallerists and collectors, has made Art Basel the place where the art world meets.

 

 

Marc Spiegler, having been director of Art Basel since 2007, oversees the development of the organization across the three shows. Annette Schönholzer, director of new initiatives, leads the defining and development of new art world initiatives for Art Basel. Magnus Renfrew, former director of ART HK, is the director for Asia.

Art Basel’s parent company, MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd, is a marketing company in Europe. Each year, the company organizes roughly twenty key international and national trade and consumer exhibitions, including the Baselworld Watch and Jewelery Show.

Art Basel maintains an international network with over twenty Global VIP Relations Managers covering five continents, who build and strengthen relationships year-round with art world luminaries, art collectors, business leaders and decision-makers.

Participating galleries for Art Basel shows are selected by committees composed of international gallerists who normally serve for several years. A fresh application process begins each year and all galleries must reapply.

Art Basel works with curators who present a selection of international artists and emerging talents. Recent guest curators include: Christine Y. Kim, associate curator of contemporary art at Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Gianni Jetzer, director of the Swiss Institute, New York; Jens Hoffmann, deputy director, Jewish Museum, New York and Hans Ulrich Obrist, co-director, Serpentine Gallery.