Art Basel’s flagship show returns to Basel from June 19-22, 2025, with Preview Days on June 17-18, promising to be one of the most ambitious and transformative editions in the fair’s storied history. This year’s program extends far beyond the traditional gallery walls, reimagining the entire city as a canvas for contemporary art while celebrating the industry’s most visionary voices.
The fair will bring together 289 leading galleries from 42 countries and territories, showcasing an extraordinary range of works spanning from early twentieth-century Modern pioneers to groundbreaking contemporary talent. As the premier event of the global art market, Art Basel continues to set the standard for discovery and connection in the art world.
A City Transformed by Color
Perhaps the most striking feature of this year’s edition will be German artist Katharina Grosse’s bold takeover of the Messeplatz. Using her signature spray gun technique, Grosse will transform the square and surrounding structures into a vivid chromatic environment that challenges conventional perceptions of public space. Curated by Natalia Grabowska from London’s Serpentine, this large-scale intervention promises to disrupt the familiar urban landscape through the anarchic power of color. Grosse describes her vision with characteristic intensity: “I want to paint the world. I swing my gun and everything it comes into contact with changes color. Color becomes anarchic. It allows me to fight categorizations.” This ambitious project exemplifies Art Basel’s commitment to pushing boundaries and creating memorable encounters between art and architecture.
Monumental Works and Intimate Discoveries
The Unlimited sector, curated for the fifth time by Giovanni Carmine, will present 67 large-scale installations that challenge spatial and conceptual boundaries. Among the highlights, Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ poignant “Untitled (Go-Go Dancing Platform)” from 1991 will offer daily moments of joy and vulnerability as a dancer in silver lamé performs for just five minutes before disappearing. This ephemeral work encapsulates the artist’s exploration of desire, loss, and political resistance.Andrea Büttner’s “Shame Punishments” extends her ongoing investigation of shame and visual culture, while Caroline Achaintre presents “Gobbler,” one of her largest textile works to date—a supersized biomorphic mask that embodies her signature ghostly and animalistic qualities. The sector will also feature Martin Kippenberger’s conceptual subway entrance that leads nowhere, a powerful metaphor for access denied and urban alienation.
Second Nature: Blurring Boundaries
The acclaimed Parcours sector returns under the curatorial guidance of Stefanie Hessler, Director of New York’s Swiss Institute, exploring the theme of “Second Nature.” This public art exhibition will stretch along Clarastrasse toward the Rhine, transforming the urban environment into an immersive journey that questions what we perceive as natural or artificial. A standout installation will be Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser’s “namak halal / namak haram,” an 80-meter textile work at Münsterplatz that references the British colonial Inland Customs Line in India. The double-sided installation features botanical drawings on one side and termite motifs on the other, addressing themes of exploitation, resistance, and the complex relationship between nature and power. Other Parcours highlights include Selma Selman’s commemorative installation in St. Clara Church, combining painted car hoods with evocative soundscapes, and Yu Ji’s site-responsive sculptures at the Rheinfelderhof Hotel, which will be activated daily with offerings of freshly baked bread created by the artist.
Celebrating Vision and Innovation
This year marks the launch of the Art Basel Awards, the first industry program of its kind to celebrate trailblazing artists, curators, museums, patrons, and cultural innovators. Thirty-six medalists will be honored at a premier reception during the fair, followed by the inaugural Art Basel Awards Summit on Friday, June 20—a public event that will bring together the most influential voices in the global art world.
The Kabinett sector returns with 24 curated projects within galleries’ main booths, offering intimate thematic presentations that deepen the fair’s dialogue. Highlights include Beijing Commune’s presentation of Hu Xiaoyuan’s “I Am Rooted, But I Flow,” exploring time and materiality through diverse mediums, and Nagel Draxler’s showcase of Martha Rosler’s iconic “Diaper Pattern” from 1973, a powerful feminist commentary on domestic labor and political resistance.
A Cultural Ecosystem
Art Basel 2025 represents more than a commercial fair; it embodies a vision of art as a transformative force that can reshape our understanding of space, community, and possibility. Director Maike Cruse emphasizes this expanded mission: “With the Art Basel Awards Summit, we’re expanding the dialogue around innovation, fostering global connections, and honoring those whose work is redefining the art world. This is Art Basel’s commitment to pushing boundaries, not only within the fair but across the city and the cultural landscape.” The fair’s integration with Basel’s renowned cultural institutions and the return of The Art Basel Shop, featuring curated lifestyle products, further demonstrates how contemporary art can permeate every aspect of urban life. As visitors navigate between gallery presentations, monumental installations, and site-specific interventions throughout the city, they will experience art not as a separate realm but as an essential part of human experience. Art Basel 2025 promises to challenge, inspire, and transform, cementing Basel’s position as a unique cultural destination while advancing the global conversation about art’s role in shaping our shared future.
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image: Courtesy of Art Basel
