There were many topics of debate on the table on the eve and opening of the 2024 edition of Art Basel in Basel. The unstable geo-political and economic scenarios, the competition with its Parisian sister which will arrive in the new location of the Grand Palais in October, the influence and interaction with the ongoing Venice Biennale. And again, the generational shift of collectors, with a transfer of wealth to the younger groups of enthusiasts, who still constitute an unknown for the art market – will they continue to buy art? Which? And through which channels? – and for its operators. Who had to deal with trends that were anything but unique and an audience that was not very large compared to previous editions.
How Art Basel 2024 went in Basel
“What is happening in the art market is difficult to describe and even more difficult to decipher”said the powerful gallery owner Dominique Lévy, co-founder of Lévy Gorvy Dayan, to Tim Schneider of The Art Newspaper. Meanwhile, the preview and opening days at Art Basel and Liste unanimously seemed less crowded than previous editions, and some exhibitors at the flagship fair underlined the absence of large numbers of American and Asian collectors for example, while the proposals in the stands seemed to some observers marked by prudence rather than experimentation. It doesn’t apply to everyone, obviously, just as it is impossible to trace a single trend on the commercial results of the event. Which certainly brought in several millions for the mega exhibitors, collected and communicated by the American and Anglo-Saxon press.
More interesting and varied however, to try to understand the outcome of these days, it seems to us to give the floor to the Italian gallery owners present at Art Basel and Liste, to hear directly from them what the impressions and results of this very long Swiss week were. And also try to understand if the fair model still holds up, given that there are few, if any, alternatives currently capable of covering that solid segment of sales that take place at fairs. Or whether the time has come, instead and again, to identify other options and experiences for the art system, far from the crowding of works and people and from visual and communicative saturation.
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The Italian galleries at Art Basel 2024 in Basel
Intact, second Raffaella Cortesethe value of Art Basel, still considered by all to be the most important fair in the world, not only as a marketplace, but also as a moment to trace ongoing phenomena and discover potential ones for art and its collecting. “It is always a valuable experience to better understand the evolution of collecting and its future direction, although I firmly believe that art should lead the way. Art Basel confirms itself as a fair of the highest quality level, with attentive collecting, capable of recognizing the ‘curated’ stands and showing art trends, in particular the proliferation of painting”. “Initial impressions are very positive”the Milanese gallery owner told us at the opening of the fair. “We have had an exciting start, with satisfactory sales and a constant flow of collectors with the joy of acquiring”. The following days were calmer, dedicated to negotiations with museum institutions.
“From the Market to the Supermarket”: the words of Massimo Minini from Art Basel
The reflection of the historic gallery owner is broad and thoughtful Massimo Minini: “It seems to me that we have reached a turning point that has been needed for some time. The turning point is determined by the fact that in the world there are too many fairs, too many artists, too many museums, too much of everything: quality does not always honor its promises and premises”he told us when we asked him for a comment on the first days of the fair, which we give you here, without touching a comma. “Culture and politics do not go together as has been evident for some time, for Italy it is enough to think of public monuments, the 2% law, the infamous ‘calls’, competitions for artists. All this national, regional, provincial and municipal commitment has not borne fruit of value despite the huge sum made available. The fact is that politics needs quantity, while culture needs quality. It is useless to remember the difficult relationship between Pasolini, Leonardo Sciascia, Elio Vittorini, and Togliatti’s Italian Communist Party. In this context, the fairs which are the spearhead of the market are unable to reverse the trend and I think I can say that the numerical increase in works, fairs, artists, etc., cannot fail to create serious problems”.
Sales at Art Basel 2024
“We have sold works by Anri Sala, whose frescoes are currently on display at the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Niele Toroni, Darren Almond, Ann Veronica Janssens, Diego Cibelli, Jana Schroeder”and now Alfonso Artiaco to speak, “there are still some negotiations that could be closed, because Basel is still the fair where sales are also made during the weekend”. “Despite the political-economic uncertainties of the day before, it was a satisfying edition. We worked well on the first day, then in the following days moments of interest alternated with long pauses. The collections present this year were mostly European, but we also worked with Asians. America not arrived”.
From Mazzoleni the response to the project on the stand was satisfactory, in particular for The Landscape Painter by Giorgio de Chirico “which has captured the attention of collectors from different parts of the world. The first day saw the sale of two works by Salvo (with prices between 150,000 and 450,000 euros)”also protagonist in the section Unlimited with the monumental pastel over 8 meters long The triumph of Saint George.
It was making its debut at Art Basel Thomas Brambilla of Bergamo. “The fair has gone very well so far. We brought a solo show by Klaus Rinke and sold one of his works. Then we concluded a negotiation for two works by Lynda Benglis, so we can be very satisfied, especially since this is our first participation in Art Basel”.
“Art Basel confirms itself as a very high quality fair, with an attentive audience that has allowed us to work very satisfactorily with all the artists proposed”is the comment more or less halfway through the gallery fair Artfully Invernizzi of Milan, which in Basel presented a personal exhibition of Mario Nigro with works belonging to the cycle of Total space of the 1950s, in dialogue with works by François Morellet, Günter Umberg and Philippe Decrauzat.
The Italian galleries at Liste 2024 in Basel
It seems that sales at Liste, the most consolidated emerging fair there is, were lukewarm and without major peaks. With additional difficulties, as if there weren’t any already, for young and mid-career galleries, who however courageously continue to bet on research proposals without which it would be truly difficult to imagine a future for the art supply chain.
“This year too, Liste proved to be a dynamic fair of primary importance due to the quantity and quality of contacts collected”is the comment of Enrico Polato, founder of Capsules Shanghai / Venicewhich continues: “From a purely commercial point of view, compared to the frenetic pace of previous editions, this one was characterized by a more reflective and cautious climate”. Few institutions marked the fair with their presence according to Laveronica, who was however happy with the visibility and appreciation for the work in the stand of Alejandra Hernández, the youngest artist at the Modica gallery. The outcome of the fair was more satisfactory than past editions Martina Simetiwhich sold several works, including one by Sylvie Auvray, to Swiss, French and German collectors.
Basel according to collectors and professionals
Thumbs up come on collectors Andrea Fustinoni and Fabio D’Amato on the quality of the proposals at Art Basel, “which also gave us the opportunity to meet some artists we approached for the first time, and at Liste, where interest was attracted in particular by Fanta from Milan, from whom we optioned a work by Lorenza Longhi, Ciaccia Levi, from whom we acquired a complete photographic series of Zoe Williams, we found the work of Sarah Benslimane from Madragoa very beautiful, while at Art Basel from ChertLüdde we took a large painting by Patrizio Di Massimo, one of his unmade beds, for the miramArt collection of the Grand Hotel Miramare, and by Gregor Staiger for the first time a work by Walter Pfeiffer for our private collection. And again a small portrait of Paul P from Green Naftali.”
The collectors Giovanni Scarzella and Camilla Previ of the found Liste in line with their expectations Scarzella collectionwho mentions the works of Nicola Martini from Clima and those of Dan Herschlein from Matthew Brown among his favourites, along with those of Juliette Minchin from the Benichou Gallery in Art Basel Statement. And a more than positive opinion on Emilio Isgrò’s intervention in the Messeplatz and above Unlimited – “It’s always the most interesting section!” – as well as on exhibitions in the city, from Fondation Beyeler to the Kunstmuseum Gegenwart.
“Basel remains a nerve center of the art market, despite the fact that many collectors, especially American ones, have marked their visit this year and will come to Europe for Art Basel Paris. However, those present were motivated”commented the art advisor Mattia Pozzoniwhich continues: “At Art Basel I found Jeffrey Deitch’s stand very beautiful, inspired by Edward James’ home, with a bedroom of furniture decorated by Keith Haring. And then the exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler, which really manages to excite and propose something new. A round of applause for the technicians who move multi-million dollar works amidst the flow of tourists!”.
Cristina Masturzo
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