A new satellite art fair called Africa Basel has launched in Basel, Switzerland, founded by artist Benjamin Füglister and Photo Basel director Sven Eisenhut-Hug. The fair brings together 18 galleries, half from Africa, in a 14th-century building that once housed Dieter Roth's studio. Participants include non-commercial organizations like Ghana's Nubuke Foundation and Zambia's Modzi Arts, with prices ranging from SFr3,000 to SFr150,000. The fair aims to provide a platform for galleries specializing in contemporary African art and its diaspora to enter the global scene.
The fair matters because it capitalizes on growing global interest in contemporary African art while addressing gaps in representation—Zambia, for example, has been largely absent from the conversation. By including non-profit organizations and galleries from across the continent, Africa Basel offers a commercial and curatorial space that prioritizes inclusion and cultural preservation. Its location in Basel, home to the influential Art Basel fair, positions it to connect African galleries with international collectors and institutions, potentially reshaping the market's geography.