Art Basel Unlimited 2023: A Carnival of Kitsch and Copies

Art Basel's Unlimited section in 2023 featured 76 large-scale projects, the highest number in six years, but was criticized for prioritizing spectacle over substance. The critic Alberto Fiz describes the section as a 'nauseating amusement park' dominated by giant toys, kitsch, and derivative works. Notable pieces include Augustas Serapinas' gym installation with ancient plaster weights, Guillaum Bijl's mattress shop, Firelei Báez's reconstruction of Haiti's Sans Souci Palace, Francis Upritchard's dinosaur-turtle hybrid, and Hiroki Tsukuda's cyborg insectoid. The author highlights a lack of originality, pointing out two nearly identical installations by Yinka Shonibare and Ibrahim Mahama placed opposite each other, and Serge Attukwei Clottey's work 'Sea Never Dries,' which closely resembles that of his mentor El Anatsui. Fiz suggests that collectors are opting for cheaper copies over originals, as Anatsui's works fetch up to €2 million while Clottey's remain under €50,000. The article also notes the absence of socially engaged themes like racism, #MeToo, and gender equality that dominated previous editions.