Art Basel Unlimited returns to its roots with museum-scale works

Art Basel's Unlimited section, known for its spectacular large-scale installations, has shifted in recent years due to rising costs—galleries pay 19,000 Swiss francs for participation—leading to extensive use of drywall partitions that make the space resemble a traditional fair. Last year's edition hit a low point, but the 2016 edition cautiously returns to its origins, though still filled with drywall. About ninety artists are exhibiting, many with older works not conceived for the occasion, reflecting ongoing market challenges. Notable projects include Dan Graham's transparent installation at Lisson Gallery, Ai Weiwei's temple on glass bubbles at neugerriemschneider, Davide Balula's mimed sculptures at frank elbaz/Gagosian, Pablo Bronstein's drawings at Herald St/Franco Noero, Elmgreen & Dragset's audio confrontation of auctioneers at Helga de Alvear, Mike Kelley's American history at Skarstedt, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Krzysztof Wodiczko's CCTV mechanism at Carroll/Fletcher, Hans Op de Beeck's petrified garden at Marianne Boesky/Continua/Krinzinger, Steven Pippin's pencil balanced by cameras and micromanipulators at Gavin Brown, Dieter Roth's flat waste archive at Hauser & Wirth, and James Turrell's auto-remixing at OMR. Italian artists include Emilio Isgrò's canceled Encyclopedia Britannica at Tornabuoni, Jannis Kounellis's coats at Sprovieri, and Gilberto Zorio's microphones with Larsen effects at Lia Rumma.