Art 36 Basel

Title: You're In (Silver Coke Bottle), 1964/67
Artist: Andy Warhol (American 1928-1987)
Medium: Silver Paint on Glass Bottle with Metal Cap.
Dimensions: 20.3 x 6 cm.
No.1937.7 in the second volume of the catalogue raisonné
Image Courtesy: Galerie Blau, München and Art Basel

The spectacular Art Basel will hold its 36th annual exhibition during the beautiful June summer in northern Switzerland. Over 50,000 artists, collectors, gallery owners and art aficionados are expected to attend if prior years are any indication of what will happen at the world's foremost art show!

Picasso, Warhol and Rothko will be prominently on view along with the exciting developments in the world of contemporary art. Nearly 300 international galleries, representing all corners of the earth, will exhibit at the juried art show.

Title: Tête, 1928
Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish 1881-1973)
Medium: Charcoal and oil on canvas
Dimensions: 25 ¾ x 18 1/8 inches
Image Courtesy: Acquavella Galleries, Inc., New York and Art Basel

Untitled, 1959
Artist: Mark Rothko, (American 1903-1970)
Medium: Oil on paper mounted on masonite,
Dimensions: 37 5/8 x24 1/2 inches, (95.5 x 62.2 cm)
Image: Courtesy Thomas Gibson Fine Art, London
and Art Basel

Art Basel is ever evolving and, given the success of last year's Professional Day, it will be repeated this year.  Held on Friday June 17th. It consists of presentations directed at museum employees, art dealers, collectors and importantly the artists! This year there will be a unique exhibition of Artists' books.

Seventeen one-person performances will be staged, showcasing upcoming talent. Each project was specially created for Art 36 Basel, for example Kristina Solomoukha's installation. The Ukraine native, now a Parisian, draws a parallel between film editing and urban space assembly with Basel Project using multiple sequences. Divided into five elements:

• Neon Light
• Projection Shed
• Red Light House
• Billboard
• Green

Title: Basel Project, 2004
Artist: Kristina Solomoukha
Installation: watercolors, sculpture, video
Image Courtesy galerie martinethibaultdelachâtre, Paris and Art Basel

Title: Photo-souvenir: Il soffito Arlecchino, 2003
Artist: Daniel Buren
Image Courtesy: Galleria Continua, San Gimignano and Art Basel

Unique.  That is Art Basel! How to allow the artist the time and space required to express their individual or collective thoughts in a show? Take it outside the normal size of a gallery or even an art exhibition into a 12,000 sq. m. hall giving 72 projects the ability to be viewed, including works by Daniel Buren and Walter de Maria alongside emerging talent.

The square in front of the main building will whet the art fans appetite as the public space is used as a display area. Among the artists selected for this fascinating opportunity are Tongua, Jonathon Monk and Jean-Michel Othoniel, many of whom envisioned site-specific creations and installations for Art 36 Basel!

Untitled, 2005
Artist: Tunga
Image Courtesy Luhring Augustine Gallery, New York and Art Basel

Title: Femme assise, 1949
Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish 1881-1973)
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 116 x 89 cm
Image Courtesy: Landau Fine Art, Inc., Montreal
and Art Basel Miami Beach

Art Basel is so popular it has crossed the pond and has a venue in Florida during the annual Art Basel Miami Beach in the wintertime. Switzerland beckons but for those who can't visit the original, or feel a year's delay is too long to wait to do it again, then the US venue beckons.

Art Basel

www.artbasel.com

Swiss Tourism

www.myswitzerland.com