Art Basel 2012: The Recap

This year, Art Basel was huge––in the most literal sense. The three hundred plus galleries that set up camp in the main pavilion alone (!) made for an expansive fair. But on top of that, the quaint and historic Swiss city teemed with even more art.

In a neighboring venue, 61 artists, including Franz West, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, and House Calls host Richard Phillips, presented large-scale installations as part of Art Unlimited, the fair's multi-media exhibition platform. Artists also presented works around Basel's historical center for Art Parcours, Art Basel's site-specific series of works and performances that were free and open to the public. There were many highlights to the fair, but the Beyeler Foundation's scenic Jeff Koons opening (pictured at left), which displayed the artist's work in a collection that included Picasso and Rothko, certainly topped my list.

With the countless talks and film screenings, museum openings, and other fairs happening simultaneously (like LISTE––which exhibited emerging galleries and artists in an industrial building with a tower overlooking the city––SCOPE, and VOLTA), there were plenty of stimulating things so see, hear, and do throughout the 3-day period.


 
Jeff Koons at Beyeler Foundation

Beyeler Foundation

Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons

Franz West at Art Unlimited

Richard Phillips' First Point, starring Lindsay Lohan

Olaf Nicolai
 
Sam Samore at Team Gallery
 
Ryan McGinley at Team Gallery
 
Rob Pruitt at Gavin Brown's Enterprise

Joelle Tuerlinckx

Roe Ethridge at Andrew Kreps Gallery

David Lamelas at Jan Mot

Amanda Ross-Ho at The Approach

Urs Fischer at Sadie Coles

Urs Fischer at Gavin Brown's Enterprise

John Waters at Marianne Boesky Gallery

Rob Pruitt at Air de Paris

Nicolas Krupp Gallery

Cindy Sherman at Metro Pictures