About Parcours

Curated for the third time by Stefanie Hessler, Director of Swiss Institute (SI) in New York, Art Basel’s public art sector unfolds along Clarastrasse, connecting the fairground with the Rhine with one installation on view across the river near Bankverein. Under the guiding principle of ‘Conviviality,’ Parcours 2026 presents ambitious projects that explore how we live together. The artists embrace both the beauty and complexity, moments of connection as well as the ruptures that shape shared life. Across the selection, several thematic threads emerge: The artists examine rituals, myths, and beliefs; interspecies dependencies and ecological awareness; and architectures of public space as well as their ideological underpinnings. They explore choreographies, rhythms, and movements—both individual and collective—as well as diasporic memory, intergenerational transmission, and cultural translation. They articulate political resistance and dissent; discuss labor and attached value systems; and experiment with digital realities and technological co-authorship. Through over 20 largely new and site-responsive projects, Parcours presents an international, intergenerational prism of contemporary life.