Art Basel 2026 Defies Gloom with Top-Tier Booths
Despite pre-fair pessimism over Pace Gallery layoffs and New York gallery closures, Art Basel 2026 opened with a bang. Hauser & Wirth presented a metaphysical Giorgio de Chirico from 1916. Gagosian showed a 1990s Damien Hirst formaldehyde animal piece alongside a Francis Bacon. Gladstone featured a museum-quality Robert Rauschenberg, and Acquavella paired a Lucian Freud with an enormous Andy Warhol. The fair appears even more lavish than last year.
Key facts
- Art Basel 2026 took place in Basel, Switzerland.
- Pace Gallery had recently cut staff and artists.
- Top galleries closed in New York before the fair.
- Hauser & Wirth exhibited a 1916 metaphysical de Chirico.
- Gagosian showed a 1990s Damien Hirst formaldehyde animal piece.
- Gagosian's booth also featured a Francis Bacon.
- Gladstone displayed a museum-quality Robert Rauschenberg.
- Acquavella Galleries showed a Lucian Freud next to a large Andy Warhol.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Pace Gallery
- Hauser & Wirth
- Gagosian
- Gladstone Gallery
- Acquavella Galleries
- Art Basel
Locations
- Basel
- Switzerland
- New York
- United States
Sources
- Artslife —