Unlimited 2024 at Art Basel: Monumental Works and Italian Presence

The Unlimited sector of Art Basel 2024 in Basel features monumental and museum-scale works, with a strong Italian presence. Despite perceptions of a crisis at Basel due to collectors favoring Paris, Unlimited exudes power, solidity, and quality. This year's scale surpasses 2023. Performances include Seba Calfuqueo, Reto Pulfer, and Ryan Gander (with a robotic chimpanzee). Notable video works include Lu Yang's impactful piece. Political works include Reinhard Mucha's tile installation lamenting old Milan, Kader Attia's monument to the Intifada, and Francis Offman's books supported by calipers used by Belgian colonizers to measure Rwandan facial profiles. Mario Ceroli's 1968 work with 365 white flags greets visitors. Ceroli, from Abruzzo, is experiencing a revival after a recent show at Cardi Gallery in Milan and a planned presence at Palazzo Citterio in December. Other Italian artists include Salvo Mangione (soon at Pinacoteca Agnelli), Jannis Kounellis (Venetian sails from the 1993 Biennale), Nathalie du Pasquier (after a Macro show), and Dan Flavin's neon works alluding to Andrea Palladio. Monumental paintings include Sam Falls' 50-meter work, a Keith Haring painting, and Dominique Fung's piece. Allan McCollum presents 1,200 paintings each with a common first name. Intimate installations feature Miriam Cahn, Ulrike Ottinger, and Francisco Sierra's small fish paintings on horizontal plinths.