Basel Art Week 2013

Empfangen werden die diesjährigen Besucherinnen und Besucher der Messe Art Basel von einer Favela-Siedlung. Der japanische Künstler Tadashi Kawamata liess aus gefundenen Materialien Holzhütten zusammenbauen, die als Snackbar dienen. Als zynischer Auftakt zu den hochpreisigen Kunstgeschäften im Inneren der Messehalle stimmen die an einen Slum erinnernden Baracken auf den Messebesuch ein. „Mutig“ sagen die einen, „unpassend“ oder „Sozialkitsch“ die anderen.

He had been around during the day already. It was just a rumour first, then turned out to be real: On Wednesday night, around midnight, artist Kanye West gave an impromptu listening party for his upcoming album Yeezus at the Design Miami/ Basel in newly opened Hall 1 at Basel’s Messeplatz. Free and open to the public, but announced on short notice. After an introductory presentation that should help the 2000 guests to classify him within the art world, Mr. West performed a track from the album a capella. After the show, he said goodbye to every single guest individually with a handshake and a sound byte here and there…

Since 2010, Art Basel’s projects in public space are not limited to some exhibits on Messeplatz in front of the fair, but involves as a specific neighorhood in the city of Basel, where visitors can explore artworks in unexpected spatial situations. And there are quite a few public art projects beyond Art Basel’s official sector.

June 10 to 16 is this year’s „Art Basel Week“: A full week full of art, turning Basel into the capital of arts, or at least the epicenter of the global art market.

While Art Basel 44, the leading international art fair and raison d’etre for all surrounding activities, won’t open its doors to the public before Thursday, the event cycle is starting on Monday already. This includes exclusive previews for the media and the first-class VIP (yes, there are different levels of VIP here in Basel), but also quite a few events open to the broad public.