Marc Spiegler
Art Basel wins Paris slot over France’s own art fair
The French art world was shaken on Jan. 26 by news that the Art Basel fair has swooped in to replace France's own, long-running FIAC at the Grand Palais in Paris.
The shock decision comes at a time when Paris is regaining its place as a pre-eminent center for art in the world, helped by a slew of new museums and the impact of Brexit on its main rival London.
Art Basel fair breathes life back into moribund market
Art Basel, the world's top contemporary art fair, has returned to the Swiss city after a year's gap due to COVID-19 curbs, drawing hordes of wealthy buyers and breathing life into a market devastated by the pandemic.
Political turmoil finds artistic outlet at Basel fair
Hundreds of glass bottles suspended in nets or hanging from chains hauntingly illustrate the horrors of the slave trade, while 40,000 golden bullets are poised menacingly above an egg-covered surface.
The global political turmoil has left its mark on many of the works on display at this year's Art Basel, the world's biggest contemporary art fair.