Art Basel Switzerland is a natural gravitation point for the major art collectors from Europe, the America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East due to the vast selection of blue-chip galleries attending the fair. As we already know from the official report of the 2019 Basel Art Fair in Switzerland, the art market is going as strong as ever.
In this article we would like to share the latest trends in art, interesting controversial discussions about blockchain, and how AI might revolutionise art makings in the near future. News from this year’s fair is highly promising.
Firstly, successful sales reached up to $20 Million. One of the most effective sales that took place this year were:
Giacometti’s painting ‘Caroline’ (1963) exhibited by Landau Gallery. The painting was sold for $18.5 million. ‘Caroline’ by Alberto Giacometti was secured for the fair from a private New York collection.
‘Versammlung’ (1966) by Gerhard Richter was priced at $20 million, represented by David Zwirner Gallery and was lucratively sold on the first day of the private views held on Tuesday.
Overall, nearly 290 galleries from around the globe were showing artworks from the most desirable artists. These ranged from the 20th-century Modern art to the most contemporary pieces available.
Also, the importance of other Art fairs trends has to be mentioned and discussed, as well. During Art Basel week various art events are taking place in the city, as well as two parallel art fairs: Liste and Volta.
Liste is one of the legendary art fairs in Basel, which has been showcasing emerging galleries since 1996. This venue has contributed to many years of discovery in contemporary art, highlighting the latest trends presented by a new generation of artists year on year. 2019 Liste under the direction of Joanna Kamm welcomed a series of conversations on the subject of new artistic strategies including blockchain. One of the speakers at the panel was the Kei Kreutler CEO of financial software company Gnosis, a forecasting and information platform on the Ethereum Blockchain.
Another art fair in Basel is VOLTA, notorious for being « the place to be for discovery ». This year, backed-up by its 15th anniversary, the fair has brilliantly celebrated contemporary art and creativity. This year’s edition of VOLTA Basel gathered together 79 art galleries across four continents to introduce new art by young and emerging artists working in different styles and mediums. 2019 Volta choice of young talents is an excellent sign for blockchain industry according to COART art advisor Anna Fern as younger generations are open for new ways to blossom, seeking to become the first artists to embrace the blockchain art market.
It is difficult to ignore the influence of Venice Biennale in Italy, which is echoing the choice of the artists presented at the Art Basel Unlimited as well as the leading fair. For instance, the critical position of Jannish Kounelli and his monumental installation with 13 hospital beds and carved steel bodies’ Untitled’ was at the Unlimited sector. Recent visitors of the Fondazione Prada in Venice could have also had the pleasure to see Jannish Kounelli’s vast retrospective dedicated to the artist, after his death in 2017. An additional example of this connection between Venice and Basel is the Barbara Wien Gallery and her marvellous representation of Jimmie Durham at the gallery booth. Jimmie Durham is the recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement of the 58th International Art Exhibition of Venice Biennale.
One of the latest news is Gianni Jetzer’s final appearance at the area. For 2020 it has been announced that Giovanni Carmine will become a new curator of Art Basel’s Unlimited sector in Switzerland which is a lot promising as he is not only an independent curator and art critic but also has experience in being the director of the Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen. Gianni Jetzer, who curated the Art Basel Unlimited sector for eight years has delivered a remarkable final show with strong emphases on the current socio-political issues. Furthermore, he confidently directed the spotlight at female artists.
All in all, news form Art Basel 2019 are indicating movement towards more new era of Art market meaning with blockchain, new emerging artists and less conservative decisions.
