Video Art Returns to Prominence at Art Basel Unlimited

At Art Basel Unlimited 2017, video art has reemerged as a dominant medium, signaling a shift in collecting trends and artistic inquiry. The section features works that explore the tension between viewing time and narrative time, such as Cory Arcangel's 'MIG 29 Soviet Fighter Plane and Clouds' and Ragnar Kjartansson's multi-screen theatrical piece. David Claerbout's 'The pure necessity' (2016) recontextualizes a Disney animation fragment, while Park Chan-Kyong's 'Citizen's Forest' (2016) examines community and nature. The renewed interest in video is linked to broader discussions on moving images in the age of streaming, digital media, and fake news. Sound emerges as a key theoretical node, with artists like John Akomfrah ('The Airport', 2016), Arthur Jafa ('Apex', 2013), and Julian Charrière and Julius von Bismarck ('Objects in mirror might be closer than they appear', 2016-17) using audio to enhance immersive experiences. Installations favor introspective narratives over spectacle, as seen in Adrian Piper's 'Food for the spirit' (1971/97) and Tacita Dean's large-scale drawing. The trend reflects a crisis in thematic exhibitions highlighted by the Venice Biennale and documenta 14, suggesting a break from the current art system's reliance on rediscovering artists and untapped markets. Notable historical works include Stan VanDerBeek's 'Movie Mural' (1965/68), Mike Kelley's 'Gospel Rocket' (2005), and Bruce Nauman's 'Walks in Walks out' (2016).