ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Art Basel 2018: 10 Must-See Booths and a Shift in Strategy

festival-fair · 2026-05-04

The 2018 Art Basel commenced with a muted vibe, suggesting a possible downturn in the conventional fair model. Dealers observed a decrease in innovative pieces, many of which had been showcased before. In light of this, Art Basel introduced a new consulting service focused on cultural-territorial marketing, launching in Buenos Aires in September as part of the 'Art Basel Cities' project. Noteworthy exhibits included Neugerriemschneider (Berlin) showcasing works by Olafur Eliasson and Ai Weiwei; Gavin Brown (New York, Rome) featuring Sturtevant and Ed Atkins; Matthew Marks (New York) with pieces by Katharina Fritsch and Jasper Johns; Jocelyn Wolf (Paris) presenting works by Santiago de Paoli; along with contributions from Galerie Neu, Juana de Alzpuru, Anthony Meier, Annely Juda, Tanya Bonakdar, and Catriona Jeffries.

Key facts

  • Art Basel 2018 opened with a subdued atmosphere and a sense of fatigue.
  • The fair announced a new consulting service for cultural-territorial marketing.
  • Art Basel Cities initiative will launch in Buenos Aires in September 2018.
  • Neugerriemschneider booth featured Olafur Eliasson, Ai Weiwei, Jorge Pardo, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Elizabeth Peyton, and Pawel Althamer.
  • Gavin Brown booth included Sturtevant, Ed Atkins, and multiple Jannis Kounellis works.
  • Matthew Marks booth showed works by Katharina Fritsch, Jasper Johns, and Ellsworth Kelly.
  • Catriona Jeffries displayed 52 acrylic paintings by Ron Terada.
  • Annely Juda exhibited works by Christo, David Nash, François Morellet, Max Bill, and David Hockney.

Entities

Artists

  • Olafur Eliasson
  • Ai Weiwei
  • Jorge Pardo
  • Rirkrit Tiravanija
  • Elizabeth Peyton
  • Pawel Althamer
  • Sturtevant
  • Ed Atkins
  • Jannis Kounellis
  • Thomas Byrle
  • Katharina Fritsch
  • Jasper Johns
  • Ellsworth Kelly
  • Santiago de Paoli
  • Katinka Bock
  • Hans Schabus
  • Diego Bianchi
  • Guillaume Leblon
  • Manfred Pernice
  • Claire Fontaine
  • Tom Burr
  • Yngve Holen
  • Andreas Slominski
  • Alicia Framis
  • Sandra Gamarra
  • Jim Hodges
  • Josef Albers
  • Gerhard Richter
  • Donald Judd
  • Christo
  • David Nash
  • François Morellet
  • Max Bill
  • David Hockney
  • Ernesto Neto
  • Martin Boyce
  • Tomàs Saraceno
  • Ron Terada

Institutions

  • Art Basel
  • Neugerriemschneider
  • Gavin Brown
  • Matthew Marks Gallery
  • Jocelyn Wolf
  • Galerie Neu
  • Juana de Alzpuru
  • Anthony Meier Fine Arts
  • Annely Juda Fine Art
  • Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
  • Catriona Jeffries Gallery
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Basel
  • Switzerland
  • Berlin
  • Germany
  • New York
  • United States
  • Rome
  • Italy
  • Paris
  • France
  • Madrid
  • Spain
  • San Francisco
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Los Angeles
  • Vancouver
  • Canada
  • Buenos Aires
  • Argentina

Sources