ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Art Basel 2025: 11 Best Booths Selected by Artribune

festival-fair · 2026-04-26

Art Basel 2025 commenced against a backdrop of global challenges, including tariffs, energy crises, climate issues, pandemics, warfare, populism, and threats from AI. Despite these adversities, the event presented high-quality artworks and achieved satisfactory sales, suggesting a rebound in the market. Italian galleries stood out by effectively merging risk, culture, and commerce. The fair introduced a new Premiere section for contemporary pieces. Artribune noted 11 remarkable booths: Marian Goodman featuring Thomas Struth and others; Massimo de Carlo's innovative 'pass-through' booth; Tucci Russo's refined setup; Michael Werner showcasing circular pieces by James Lee Byars and others; and a display with Tschabalala Self. STPI presented Lee Bul, while Layr designed a dramatic installation. Bekhbaatar Enkhtur exhibited bronze sculptures, and Magazzino paid tribute to Lucio Amelio with works by Warhol and others. Thomas Brambilla honored John Giorno at his booth.

Key facts

  • Art Basel 2025 opened amid global crises including tariffs, energy, climate, pandemics, wars, populism, and AI.
  • The fair showed high-quality offerings and decent sales, confirming market recovery signals.
  • Italian galleries demonstrated resilience and balanced risk, culture, and commerce.
  • Feature and Statements sections were well-curated; a new Premiere section featured recent works.
  • Marian Goodman's booth included works by Thomas Struth, Lawrence Weiner, Dan Graham, Andrea Fraser, Giuseppe Penone, Julie Mehretu, Tony Cragg, Gabriel Orozco, and Steve McQueen.
  • Massimo de Carlo's 'pass-through' booth design encouraged entry with small rooms on both sides.
  • Tucci Russo offered an elegant booth with works by Thomas Schutte, Tony Cragg, Daniel Buren, Giulio Paolini, Giuseppe Penone, and Christiane Löhr.
  • Michael Werner presented three circular works by James Lee Byars from the 1950s and 1980s.
  • STPI from Singapore featured Lee Bul and Natee Utarit with an antique red palette.
  • Layr's booth was transformed into a theatrical set for Gaylen Gerber and Martin Kippenberger.
  • Bekhbaatar Enkhtur showed bronze wall sculptures of fantastic animals.
  • Magazzino's tribute to Lucio Amelio included Andy Warhol's Vesuvius, Joseph Beuys, Elisabetta Benassi, and Alessandro Piangiamore, curated by Graziano Menolascina with design by Vincent Darré.
  • Thomas Brambilla dedicated his booth to John Giorno with works from 1989, his first visual pieces produced in Italy.

Entities

Artists

  • Thomas Struth
  • Lawrence Weiner
  • Dan Graham
  • Andrea Fraser
  • Giuseppe Penone
  • Julie Mehretu
  • Tony Cragg
  • Gabriel Orozco
  • Steve McQueen
  • James Lee Byars
  • Markus Lüpertz
  • Frank Auerbach
  • Kurt Schwitters
  • A.R. Penck
  • Georg Baselitz
  • Tschabalala Self
  • Franz West
  • Sam Falls
  • Karen Kilimnik
  • Ugo Rondinone
  • Lee Bul
  • Natee Utarit
  • Gaylen Gerber
  • Martin Kippenberger
  • Bekhbaatar Enkhtur
  • Berlinde De Bruyckere
  • Julião Sarmento
  • Bruno Pacheco
  • Laurent Grasso
  • Andy Warhol
  • Joseph Beuys
  • Elisabetta Benassi
  • Alessandro Piangiamore
  • Enzo Cucchi
  • Marta Naturale
  • Chiara Enzo
  • John Giorno
  • Thomas Schutte
  • Daniel Buren
  • Giulio Paolini
  • Christiane Löhr
  • Lucio Amelio
  • Massimiliano Tonelli
  • Thomas Brambilla
  • Graziano Menolascina
  • Vincent Darré

Institutions

  • Art Basel
  • Marian Goodman Gallery
  • Massimo de Carlo
  • Tucci Russo
  • Michael Werner Gallery
  • STPI
  • Layr
  • Magazzino
  • Thomas Brambilla Gallery
  • Artribune
  • Tefaf Maastricht

Locations

  • Basel
  • Switzerland
  • Zurich
  • Singapore
  • Vienna
  • Milan
  • Rome
  • Bergamo
  • Maastricht
  • Netherlands

Sources