Toby Webster Reflects on LISTE Art Fair's Impact for Emerging Galleries

Toby Webster, cofounder of The Modern Institute in Glasgow, first exhibited at LISTE in 1999, driving from Glasgow to Basel with artists Jim Lambie and Simon Starling to install Lambie's floor piece. He recalls the experience as fun and spectacular, meeting numerous artists, gallerists, and curators. Webster notes that smaller fairs like LISTE, founded in 1996, allow galleries to take more risks due to affordability, enabling solo stands for artists and fostering collaboration among colleagues. While art fairs remain important, expectations for immediate sales have increased, though Webster advises younger galleries to stay true to their artists to stand out. E.Gutzwiller & Cie, Banquiers, a private bank founded in 1886 in Basel, has been LISTE's main partner since 1997, supporting it from the beginning. The Modern Institute, established in 1997, represents artists such as Martin Boyce, Jim Lambie, Eva Rothschild, and Cathy Wilkes. LISTE has evolved into a key fair for new galleries since its inception, with Webster's reflections part of a series by ArtReview ahead of the current year's event.