Unlimited returns in force at Art Basel 2022 with monumental works

Art Basel's Unlimited section, dedicated to large-scale and monumental works, made a strong return to its canonical June dates in 2022, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. While drywall partitions have proliferated compared to the pioneering early 2000s editions, genuinely giant works in adequate spaces are abundant. Video installations, though few, are particularly captivating. Wall works and paintings suffer somewhat, except for Francis Alÿs's small-scale paintings about borders, barbed wire, and fences between states, which magically command the section's muscularity. Impactful works include those by Andrea Zittel, Leonardo Drew, Folkert de Jong, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and Isa Genzken. Few works were produced specifically for the fair; many are older pieces reinstalled for the occasion.