Your essential guide to Art Basel in Basel 2021

The anticipation is rising: Artworks are arriving in droves, gallerists are packing their suitcases, and the booth walls are up. Art Basel’s 2021 Swiss edition promises to be a memorable reunion for the art industry. There’s little time and a lot to see. To make the most of the week, here are a few tips.

Every year, Art Basel invites one artist to propose a project for Messeplatz, the large public square linking the two exhibition halls. This year, not one but two artists will do the honors. Cecilia Bengolea will stage energizing dancehall-inspired performances on the fountain, while Monster Chetwynd will create a sculptural installation inspired bySalvador Dali and animated by performers in giant translucent balls or zorbs. Expect energizing dance numbers and a healthy dose of the poetically absurd. Details of the performances can be found in our Events Calendar.

Curated for the first time by Kunst Halle St Gallen’s director Giovanni Carmine, Unlimited is back in force with museum-sized projects by artists including Etel Adnan, Frank Bowling, Olafur Eliasson, and Kris Lemsalu among many others. Discover Carmine’s selection of highlights here.

Experience the fantastic variety of Modern and contemporary art on view in the show’s Galleries, Statements, Feature, and Edition sector. Consult our floorplan to find out where your favorites will be located, and dive into Art Basel Stories  for a more in-depth look at this year’s protagonists and highlights.

Art Basel Live will bring the excitement of the fair online. Online Viewing Rooms with over a hundred galleries and upwards of 1,400 artworks - some featured at the fair, others complementing our exhibitors’ displays - will be accessible as of Thursday, September 23, 2pm CET. Special Viewing Rooms dedicated to our Unlimited and Parcours sectors will open on Monday, September 20, 3pm CET already. If you'd like to preview the fair before it opens to the public, that is possible as well: On Wednesday and Thursday, three exclusive Online Walk-throughs, led by leading artworld experts, will be broadcast on artbasel.com/live/walk-throughs. Art Basel Live will also unfold on our social media channels. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, Weibo, WeChat for exclusive behind-the-scenes content, artist interviews, daily tips – and become part of the Art Basel world with the hashtag #artbasel. 

The Parcours sector is once again taking over the city of Basel. Curated by SALTS founder Samuel Leuenberger, it gathers 20 projects in locations off-the-beaten track locations across town. Hanne Lippard’s sound installation will fill the Pharmacy Museum, Sarah Sze will take over the façade of the old university museum overlooking the Rhine, and Thomas Bayrle will install his monumental iPhone Pièta in a deconsecrated Church.

The Film program will celebrate all things moving image. Held at the bijou Stadtkino and curated this year by Vdrome’s co-founder Filipa Ramos, it showcases strong female positions from legendary performer and video artists Joan Jonas to historic figures like Ana Mendieta and Hilma af Klint.

Do not miss our Conversations program, where major figures such as artists Rachel Whiteread, Daniel Buren, Wu Tsang, and Sophia Al-Maria, collectors Ingvild Goetz, and Michael Ringier, and a further host of compelling speakers will discuss the issues that have been shaping contemporary culture. A particular highlight is ‘NFTs in the art world: beyond the hype’ looking at how artists are using the possibilities of blockchain technology to distribute and sell artworks – which will be moderated by artist Simon Denny. Conversations starts on September 22 and is accessible to the public free of charge. 

Enjoy the show!