Art Basel Faces Self-Competition as Paris Fair Rises
Despite a decline in attendance, Art Basel in Basel reported impressive sales, with Hauser & Wirth achieving $20 million for a Gerhard Richter and $35 million for a 1963 Picasso. Gray sold David Hockney's Studio Interior #2 for $8.5 million, while Gagosian secured a high-seven-figure sum for an untitled 1984 Willem de Kooning. The fair launched a 'Basel Exclusive' initiative, showcasing unique pieces, including a Picasso at Almine Rech priced around $6 million. Additional sales featured works by Elizabeth Peyton, John Baldessari, and Nicolas Party. Although few American collectors were present, U.S.-based advisors attended. The Paula Cooper Gallery received the inaugural Art Basel Gallery Legacy Award during a dinner accompanied by a Swiss drum-and-fife ensemble.
Key facts
- Hauser & Wirth sold a Gerhard Richter for $20 million and a 1963 Picasso for $35 million.
- Gray sold David Hockney's Studio Interior #2 (2014) for $8.5 million.
- Gagosian placed an untitled 1984 Willem de Kooning with a private Asian collection for a high-seven-figure sum.
- Art Basel Paris, launched in 2022 and expanded in 2024, is competing with the flagship Basel fair.
- The 'Basel Exclusive' initiative withheld works from PDF previews, unveiling them only at the event.
- Almine Rech placed a Picasso for around $6 million via Basel Exclusive.
- David Zwirner sold Elizabeth Peyton's Transmission (E, rose) for $1.2 million.
- Paula Cooper Gallery received the first Art Basel Gallery Legacy Award.
Entities
Artists
- Gerhard Richter
- Pablo Picasso
- David Hockney
- Willem de Kooning
- Elizabeth Peyton
- John Baldessari
- Nicolas Party
- Hayal Pozanti
- Marina Rheingantz
- Antonio Tarsis
- Patricia Fernández Carcedo
- Hana El-Sagini
- Yalda Afsah
- Liza Lacroix
- John Gerrard
- Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
- William Mapan
- Andreas Gysin
- Benjamin Godsill
- Todd Levin
- George Newall
- Rob Teeters
- Louise Bourgeois
- Helen Frankenthaler
- Pierre Soulages
- Lynne Drexler
- Doris Salcedo
- Vera Molnár
- Nairy Baghramian
- Ibrahim Mahama
- Eli Scheinman
- Trevor Paglen
- Stefanie Hessler
- Maike Cruse
Institutions
- Hauser & Wirth
- Gray
- Gagosian
- Almine Rech
- David Zwirner
- Sprüth Magers
- Xavier Hufkens
- Jessica Silverman
- Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel
- Casey Kaplan
- Gypsum Gallery
- Galerie Molitor
- Magenta Plains
- Fellowship
- Bitforms
- Max Estrella
- ArtBlocks
- Nguyen Wahed
- Paula Cooper Gallery
- Art Basel
- Art Basel Paris
- Wall Street Journal
- Thaddaeus Ropac
- White Cube
- Galerie Lelong & Co.
- Zero 10
Locations
- Basel
- Switzerland
- Paris
- France
- United States
- Ukraine
- Germany
Sources
- Artslife —
- Artnet News —