Art Basel 2026 opened on June 16th with an invite-only VIP preview, featuring 290 galleries from 43 countries and territories. The leading sale of the day was Hauser & Wirth's sale of Pablo Picasso's *Le peintre et son modèle dans un paysage* (1963) for $35 million, marking a major transaction at the fair.
This sale underscores the continued strength of the high-end art market, with blue-chip works commanding top prices even amid broader economic uncertainty. The strong VIP-day activity signals robust collector demand and reinforces Art Basel's role as a bellwether for global art market trends.