My first Art Basel: Stefan von Bartha by As told to Chloe Stead

My first Art Basel: Stefan von Bartha

As told to Chloe Stead
The Basel gallerist on an art fair childhood, and hanging Tinguely with his father

For Stefan von Bartha, Art Basel has always been a family affair. As the youngest son of the prominent Basel-based gallerists Margareta and Miklos von Bartha, he has been a regular fixture in the Von Bartha booth since he was six weeks old. Here he reflects on his childhood memories of Art Basel, as well as his first experiences in charge.

Stefan von Bartha
Stefan von Bartha

‘Growing up in Basel, Art Basel has always been the highlight of my year. Even as a child I thought it was so cool that we had a booth at this international art fair and that I could help my parents install the artworks. I was six weeks old the first time I went to fair and I’ve been every year since. Some of the collectors that my parents were closest to had children, so for me it was just like meeting up with friends. I didn’t understand that it had anything to do with business at the time. It was only when I got older that I realized it was part of how we could afford our house and why my parents got nervous when certain people showed up.'

Niklas von Bartha with art works by Fortunato Depero, Felix del Marle and Olle Baertling, 1978. Photography: Christoph Markwalder. Courtesy of von Bartha.
Niklas von Bartha with art works by Fortunato Depero, Felix del Marle and Olle Baertling, 1978. Photography: Christoph Markwalder. Courtesy of von Bartha.

‘I have lots of memories from those early years, but there’s one in particular that sticks out. When I was around five years old, I was helping take artworks from our car to the booth – back then my parents would just drive up to the entrance of the fair and unload everything themselves – and I asked my dad what he was going to do with the art deco elephant that I was carrying. I loved this elephant, which we always had on a desk in the gallery, and when I realized we weren’t going to take it home with us I started crying. I made such a scene in front of the other dealers that my father told me I could have it as a present as long as I shut up!'

Margareta and Miklos von Bartha with Lisa Baertling, c.1974. Photography: Olle Baertling. Courtesy of von Bartha.
Margareta and Miklos von Bartha with Lisa Baertling, c.1974. Photography: Olle Baertling. Courtesy of von Bartha.

‘My father and I are very close, but when it comes to organizing things we couldn’t be more different. The first time I was in charge of our Art Basel presentation, which was when I took over as director in 2008, we had a massive argument about where to hang a Jean Tinguely. I ended up saying, ‘Look either you do it or I do it,' and since then we have a rule that my father isn’t allowed to come to the booth for the first day and a half of install. We start on Friday morning before the opening and on Saturday – after 15,000 WhatsApp messages with my mother – my parents arrive.'

Von Bartha’s booth at Art Basel. Photography: Margareta von Bartha. Courtesy of von Bartha.
Von Bartha’s booth at Art Basel. Photography: Margareta von Bartha. Courtesy of von Bartha.

‘We also have a lot of fun though. One year, a very elegant lady passed by the booth with her assistant. When she caught sight of my mother, she looked at her from head to toe and then gave her the ‘ok’ sign before walking away. My father and I looked at each other and then at my mother, who was wearing a very beautiful pink outfit, and when we asked what was going on, she said, ‘That was Jil Sander and this is one of her dresses.’ It was so hilarious - my mother is still very proud of that moment.’ 

Top image: Installation View of Florian Slotawa's exhibition 'Customized Logistics' at von Bartha, Basel, 20 March – 13 June 2020. Courtesy of the artist and von Bartha. Photo by Ben Koechlin.