Art Basel 2025: Kanye West, Jeff Koons Swaps, and a Rhineland Summer Camp

Art Basel 2025 unfolded as a mix of high-stakes dealing and surreal social encounters, with Kanye West and Bianca Censori making a late-night appearance at Gagosian's Trois Rois party. Jeff Koons's Loopy (1999) was swapped out of Gagosian's booth for Picasso and Bacon works. The fair saw strong sales: Marianne Boesky placed a Mary Lovelace O'Neal canvas with a European museum for $1.5 million, and CFA sold Dana Schutz's The Health (2026) to a Lebanese foundation for $1 million. Liste fair offered a more intimate counterpoint, with galleries like Gratin, King's Leap, and Chris Sharp reporting institutional interest and a less transactional atmosphere. Basel Social Club featured a fetish-themed bar by Stems Gallery, and a performance by Bianca Censori in front of Vanessa Beecroft's work at Unlimited. The author reflects on the fair's social dynamics, comparing it to summer camp, and notes the absence of American collectors. The Knicks' NBA Finals win and SpaceX's IPO creating new millionaires were discussed as potential boons for the art market.