one takeaway from art basel it remains a buyers market

Art Basel 2025 saw cautious buying despite optimistic statements from major dealers like Pace's Marc Glimcher, who claimed sales velocity was as vigorous as any year. However, collector attendance was thin, with American attendance down for the second year running due to trade tensions and geopolitical concerns. Deals were closing at 20 to 30 percent below asking prices, confirming a buyer's market. Sales ranged from a $245 collectible Labubu figurine by Kasing Lung to works by Wei Libo, Joyce Joumaa, Lonnie Holley, Joan Jonas, Hao Ling, Sarah Lucas, and Rosemarie Trockel, with most activity under $1 million.

art basel 2025

Art Basel 2025 opened in Basel with VIP previews, featuring a mix of high-priced works like Félix González-Torres's $16 million performance piece and Yu Nishimura's fresh-to-market triptych at €375,000. The fair adapts to a shifting market with lower price points, faster decisions, and new sectors like Premiere for ultra-contemporary art, alongside global expansion including a new fair in Doha. Satellite events like Liste and the Basel Social Club offer alternative experiences, while curated booths, such as Gagosian's 30th-anniversary presentation, blend curatorial idealism with the fair format.

maike cruse basel

Maike Cruse, the new director of Art Basel's flagship fair in Basel, is preparing for the 2025 edition opening to VIPs next week. The fair will feature 285 galleries from around the world, including the Unlimited section for large-scale works and a conceptual wheat field by Agnes Denes originally planted at the World Trade Center in 1982, now growing at the Messeplatz. In an interview, Cruse discusses her transition from leading Gallery Weekend Berlin for a decade, the evolution of Basel as an art market hub, and her vision for rejuvenating the fair while maintaining its regional identity.

labubu art history

An ancient bronze artifact at China's Luoyang Museum has gone viral for its striking resemblance to Labubu, a wildly popular collectible toy created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung in 2015. The artifact, an Eastern Zhou Dynasty ceremonial danglu used as horse armor, dates to the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 B.C.E.) and is on display until August. Meanwhile, some internet users have drawn comparisons between Labubu and the Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu, sparking baseless conspiracy theories and TikTok warnings from overly devout Christians.

shows to see art basel

Art Basel returns to its Swiss namesake city from June 19 to 22, with VIP previews on June 17 and 18. The article recommends stepping outside the fair to explore top-tier exhibitions across Basel, including Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's rediscovered painting 'Tanz im Varieté' (1911) at Kunstmuseum Basel, a major survey of Medardo Rosso at the same museum, and a solo show by Thomas Ott at Cartoonmuseum Basel. It also highlights Clearing gallery's off-site project 'Maison Clearing' in a private house with works by over 40 artists.

Paint Drippings: Art Industry News February 23

paint drippings art industry news feb 23

This week’s art industry roundup highlights major shifts across the global market, including Art Basel’s announcement of 290 galleries for its flagship Swiss fair and Sotheby’s adjustment of its buyer’s premium rates. Significant personnel moves include Devyani Saltzman’s abrupt departure from the Barbican, which sparked an open letter from over 170 cultural figures, and Anne-Claire Legendre becoming the first woman to lead Paris’s Arab World Institute.

art basel miami beach 2025

Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 opened amid cautious optimism following the $2.2 billion New York auctions, with Google co-founder Sergey Brin and WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum spotted in Miami. Dealers reported strong sales, including an $18.5 million Joan Mitchell painting at Gray purchased by dealer Lillian Heidenberg. The fair introduced a new digital art section, Zero 10, sponsored by OpenSea and curated by Eli Scheinman, aimed at attracting crypto-wealthy collectors and younger audiences. Meanwhile, Art Basel hired Elena Soboleva, formerly of David Zwirner, as global head of audience growth and intelligence to engage the next generation of collectors.

jordan wolfson little room

Jordan Wolfson's latest virtual reality artwork, *Little Room* (2025), debuted at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel during Art Basel. The piece requires participants to undergo a full-body scan using 96 cameras, creating a detailed 3D model that is uploaded into a VR environment. Once inside, pairs of participants find they have swapped bodies, experiencing a disorienting and intimate encounter where they watch their own body being controlled by another person. The work involves a lengthy, ritualistic queue and a twelve-minute VR session that explores themes of identity, voyeurism, and technological mediation.

art basel party june social diary

ARTnews sent correspondents Daniel Cassady and George Nelson to cover the social scene at Art Basel, documenting their experiences across three nights of parties, dinners, and cocktail hours. Cassady's journey was marred by travel delays, but he eventually attended a dinner hosted by Thaddaeus Ropac at Safran Zunft, a garden party by Sean Kelly Gallery, and a late-night gathering organized by multiple galleries. Nelson arrived smoothly and joined Cassady for drinks, noting the challenges of street noise and cabbage smells near their Airbnb.

asian collectors and dealers art basel

Asian collectors and dealers are increasingly choosing to skip Art Basel's flagship Swiss edition in favor of Art Basel Paris, citing the French capital's more appealing experience. Amid a market contraction, figures like Monique Leong are skipping Basel for the second year, while others such as Kankuro Ueshima, Rosy Wu, and Kazunari Shirai still attend. Notable appearances include K-pop star RM of BTS, who made his first public appearance after military service as Samsung Art TV's global ambassador. The fair saw Asian languages spoken widely, and young first-time collectors brought private guides to maximize their visit.

meret oppenheim basel

A new exhibition at Hauser & Wirth's Basel location, timed to Art Basel, reexamines the legacy of Swiss artist Meret Oppenheim, 40 years after her death. The show aims to move beyond her famous 1936 work *Object (Breakfast in Fur)*, presenting the full breadth of her practice across sculpture, painting, readymades, and wearable art. Curated by Josef Helfenstein, the exhibition positions Oppenheim as a multifaceted artist who resisted the labels of Surrealist muse and pop star, highlighting her irreverent, medium-defying approach.

katharina grosse messeplatz art basel interview

German artist Katharina Grosse, known for her immersive spray-painted installations, will create a monumental painting titled "CHOIR" across the entire Messeplatz in Basel during Art Basel. The project, curated by Natalia Graboska, involves spray-painting the 53,800-square-foot pedestrian precinct in shades of magenta, marking the first time a painter has been commissioned to take over the entire square. In an interview with ARTnews, Grosse discusses her evolution from early experiments with spray guns in Marseille to key works like "Untitled" (1998) at Kunsthalle Bern and "The Bedroom" (2004), and her upcoming 2026 show at the Munch Museum in Oslo.

francis bacon pope

The Nahmad family sold a Francis Bacon painting titled *Pope* (1958) for $15 million at the VIP opening of Art Basel. The work, which had been purchased by Helly Nahmad gallery for $6.6 million at a Sotheby’s auction in 2019, was the second-highest known price at the fair, trailing only a $40 million Louise Bourgeois *Spider* sold by Hauser & Wirth.

kenny schachter art basel report

Kenny Schachter recounts his fraught journey from Newark to London for his curated Paul Thek exhibition at Thomas Dane Gallery and the 56th edition of Art Basel in Switzerland, describing a near-crash landing and widespread anxiety among U.S. attendees about returning home amid FAA cutbacks and immigration fears. He highlights Mary Lovelace O’Neal’s presence at Jenkins Johnson as his Basel highlight, dismisses panic over a single unsold Giacometti as overblown, and critiques art journalists for lacking real market experience, while sharing conversations with collectors Mera Rubell and Dakis Joannou.

paint drippings art industry news jun 16

This week's art industry roundup covers major developments across art fairs, auction houses, and galleries. Ahead of Art Basel in Basel, Artnet's Editor-in-Chief Naomi Rea investigates how the trade lost control of the pricing narrative amid a market breakdown. The Armory Show announces its 2025 edition with over 230 galleries and new curated sections, while Frieze will open a gallery space in Seoul. Sotheby's London will auction Pauline Karpidas's collection estimated at over $81 million, and a rare Rodin marble sold for $1.2 million. Caroline Lang steps down as chair of Sotheby's in Switzerland after four decades. Gallerist Kamel Mennour donates 180 works to Paris's Musée d'Art Moderne, and Marian Goodman Gallery now represents the estate of Ana Mendieta.

the art market has lost its grip on price

Former Sotheby's rainmaker Brooke Lampley, now a director at Gagosian, discusses the art market's loss of control over pricing, citing a failed $70 million Alberto Giacometti bust at auction as a symptom of deeper market confidence issues. The article traces the evolution of art pricing from opaque, dealer-driven norms to a data-rich system enabled by Artnet's Price Database in 1989, which fueled a price spiral and attracted speculators. Now, in 2025, the market faces a correction with auction sales down 27.3 percent to $10.2 billion, and buyers are pausing as traditional pricing signals become scrambled.

price check art basel basel 2025

Art Basel in Basel has concluded, with galleries reporting hundreds of sales despite low expectations set by lackluster New York auction results. Dealers shared prices ranging from $1 million to $17 million, with top sales including David Hockney's *Mid November Tunnel* (2006) at Annely Juda Fine Art ($13M–$17M), a Ruth Asawa sculpture at David Zwirner ($9.5M), and a Gerhard Richter painting at David Zwirner ($6.8M). Other notable transactions include works by Keith Haring, Mark Bradford, Georg Baselitz, and George Condo, though many galleries provided only price ranges and withheld exact titles or mediums.

art basel 2025 sales report

Art Basel 2025 in Switzerland, now in its 55th edition, opened with 289 exhibitors amid a soft and unpredictable art market. Major sales included a Ruth Asawa sculpture for $9.5 million at David Zwirner, a Gerhard Richter painting for $6.8 million, and a Keith Haring from 1983 for $3.5 million at Gladstone. The top reported sale was David Hockney's 'Mid November Tunnel' (2006) for $13-17 million at Annely Juda Fine Art. Hauser & Wirth headlined with a moody Mark Rothko from the early 1960s, while galleries adopted strategies of offering wide price ranges and diverse styles to hedge against market uncertainty.

art basel 2025 major works sales

Art Basel 2025 opened in Basel, Switzerland, with nearly 300 leading galleries showcasing high-value artworks despite a turbulent art market. Major works include a Gerhard Richter abstraction (1987) at David Zwirner, priced around $30 million, a Ruth Asawa hanging sculpture sold for $9.5 million, and Picassos at Pace and Helly Nahmad Gallery, with the latter's *Femme nue couchée jouant avec un chat* (1964) listed at $28 million after fetching $21.2 million at auction two years ago. The fair runs through Sunday, offering rare opportunities to view and purchase blue-chip pieces.

Tina Kim Gallery announces representation of the estate of Kim Lim.

Tina Kim Gallery has announced U.S. representation of the estate of Kim Lim, the British Singaporean sculptor and printmaker. The gallery will debut Lim's work at Art Basel in June, followed by a solo exhibition in New York in spring 2027—the first solo presentation of her work in the United States. Axel Vervoordt Gallery will continue to represent the artist's estate.

The Art World This Week: 20 June 2025

This week's art news is dominated by the opening of Art Basel 2025, where dealers reported a strong start with numerous six-figure sales, including a David Hockney painting at Annely Juda Fine Art for $13–17 million and a $9.5 million Ruth Asawa sculpture at David Zwirner. Other major developments include the Museum of Modern Art announcing a major Marcel Duchamp survey for 2026, the reopening of a historic Paris building (temporary home for Centre Pompidou) after a £395 million rebuild, and the Studio Museum in Harlem receiving a significant gift from Vancouver real estate magnate Bob Rennie. The article also covers gallery representation changes, awards, and the passing of sculptor Joel Shapiro and businessman/art patron Leonard Lauder.

The 10 Best Booths at Art Basel 2025

Art Basel 2025 opened on June 17 with its VIP preview at Messeplatz in Basel, Switzerland, under intense heat. The 55th edition of the fair features 289 galleries from 42 countries, including 19 newcomers, and introduces a new Premiere section for mid-sized galleries showing recent works. Despite a challenging art market, the VIP day saw packed booths, international crowds, and strong sales of six- and seven-figure works, with dealers expressing optimism. The fair also includes returning sections like Statements and Feature, plus Art Basel Unlimited for monumental works, alongside concurrent events such as Liste Art Fair and museum shows by Jordan Wolfson and Steve McQueen.

Art Basel’s Soft Opening Belies Strong, Swift Sales Across Tiers

Art Basel's 2025 edition opened with a soft atmosphere that belied strong and swift sales across all price tiers. Major galleries reported significant transactions: David Zwirner sold 68 works including a $9.5 million Ruth Asawa sculpture and a $6.8 million Gerhard Richter painting; Gladstone placed a $3.5 million Keith Haring piece; and Thaddaeus Ropac sold a €1.8 million Georg Baselitz and a $1.8 million James Rosenquist painting to a European institution. White Cube, Hauser & Wirth, and Tina Kim Gallery also reported robust sales, with works by artists such as Dana Schutz, Marlene Dumas, Yayoi Kusama, and Ha Chong-Hyun moving quickly. However, mid-tier galleries like Marianne Boesky Gallery noted more cautious, eye-driven buying rather than the frenzied chasing of past years.

Cause for cheer at Art Basel as strong preview-day sales take many galleries by surprise

Major international galleries reported unexpectedly strong sales on the preview day of Art Basel, despite geopolitical tensions, stock market volatility, and uncertainty over US tariffs. Thaddaeus Ropac sold works by Georg Baselitz, James Rosenquist, and Robert Rauschenberg, while Gagosian, David Zwirner, Pace, and Hauser & Wirth also reported multimillion-dollar sales, including a Ruth Asawa sculpture for $9.5 million and a Pablo Picasso painting priced at $30 million. Many dealers expressed surprise at the speed and volume of sales, which defied the broader international environment.

Art Basel 2025

Art Basel 2025 opened with strong preview-day sales, surprising many galleries after a tough year in the art market. Dealers reported a 'buyer's market' with price reductions and flexibility, while high-priced works by Jeff Koons, Michael Armitage, Adrian Ghenie, and Frank Bowling sold. The fair introduced a new section called Premiere for works made in the past five years, aimed at easing participation for small to mid-sized galleries. Satellite fairs including Africa Basel, Liste, Volta, and Maze Design Basel also launched or celebrated anniversaries. Other highlights include the Baloise Art Prize awarded to Rhea Dillon and Joyce Joumaa, a Holbein drawings rehang at Kunstmuseum Basel, and a visa denial for artist Richard Mudariki. Qatar took center stage ahead of a new fair in 2026, and limited-edition Labubu figurines caused a frenzy at the Art Basel Shop.

art basel best of art guide

Cultured's "Art Basel Best of Art Guide" highlights key exhibitions and events in and around Basel, Switzerland, during the summer art season. Featured shows include Jordan Wolfson's VR installation "Little Room" at Fondation Beyeler, a Medardo Rosso retrospective at Kunstmuseum Basel, a Meret Oppenheim showcase at Hauser & Wirth, the second annual "Air Service Basel 2025" group show at Lo Brutto Stahl, Suzanne Lacy's video installation "By Your Own Hand" at Museum Tinguely, and works by Ser Serpas. The guide provides practical details such as dates, locations, and insider tips for each exhibition.

‘To this day, I can’t get it out of my mind’: Tobias van Gils on missing out on Maurizio Cattelan's orchid

Tobias van Gils, founder of the Zurich-based investment firm MLT Capital, discusses his art collection in an interview with The Art Newspaper. He shares his early collecting journey, recent acquisitions like a large mountainscape by Harold Ancart, and his regret over missing out on Maurizio Cattelan's blue orchid work "Meat" (2024). Van Gils also mentions launching the MLT Art Foundation with his wife to house their collection and support art programming focused on children. He offers personal insights on his decision-making process, favorite artworks, and tips for navigating Art Basel.

What does a so-called ‘buyer’s market’ look like at Art Basel?

At Art Basel 2025, a consensus has emerged among dealers and advisers that the fair represents a 'buyer's market,' characterized by slow sales, modest expectations, and increased negotiating power for collectors. Galleries are offering discounts of 20-30% below asking prices, particularly for works under $1 million, though open discussion of discounts remains taboo in Switzerland. Some dealers, like Tim Blum of Blum gallery, acknowledge a paradigmatic shift, with galleries adapting by focusing on established artists and estates, while still seeing demand for reasonably priced younger artists.

art basel 2025 blue chip galleries sales trend

ARTnews analyzed publicly reported sales from five blue-chip galleries—Hauser & Wirth, Pace, Thaddaeus Ropac, White Cube, and David Zwirner—at Art Basel 2025, finding a combined total over 35% lower than in 2024, around 8% below 2023, and just over 20% down from 2022. The high-water mark was $204 million in 2024, boosted by eight-figure works from Hauser & Wirth. Meanwhile, the number of artists sold by these galleries rose steadily from 109 in 2022 to 157 in 2025, indicating a shift toward broader, less concentrated inventory. Dealers reported mixed sentiments, though seven-figure deals still occurred, and some noted that market uncertainty has led to more scattershot presentations with wider price ranges.

the art angle canyon art basel adrien brody

The Art Angle podcast team reviews three major art stories from June. First, Canyon, a new museum-like venue dedicated to immersive video art, has been announced for New York's Lower East Side. Second, the team discusses the outcomes of Art Basel in Switzerland, the art world's most important fair, and ongoing volatility in art pricing. Third, they examine the buzz—and mockery—surrounding Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody's painting exhibition in New York City. Culture editor Min Chen joins host Ben Davis and senior editor Kate Brown to analyze these developments.