Art Basel 2019: Notes from the Preview

12 June 2019

Art Basel is known worldwide as the most important art fair. Every year during the early days of summer, artists, galleries, collectors and art lovers find their way to the main event in Switzerland.

Those who are familiar with the art world also know that, in 2019, the fair already had sister fairs in Miami Beach and Hong Kong.

Together with a few important clients, we attended the 2019 preview. The preview is just that: an early look at the fair for a hand-picked number of guests, a few days before the public opening. It shows the work without the crowds and gives artists, collectors and galleries the best conditions to talk to each other.

A gallery has to make important decisions when applying for a spot at Art Basel. A stand is a considerable expense, and a gallery that does not sell well above its cost takes a painful loss. This is particularly challenging for younger talents who do not have the support or the platform of established artists. For the professionals, it is a calculated gamble each year. One gallery described it as being like Christmas: you always have a beautiful tree, but you never know what presents you will find beneath it.

The only thing that is certain is change.

The way that artists express their creativity is ever changing. One remarkable trend is that the canvas is no longer the key medium. So much art is created in different dimensions, and art is no longer static. In 2019, the world of art had four dimensions, and artists were using them to the full, with great enthusiasm. One of those artists is our good friend Fabrice Ainaut.

Artist Tip: Fabrice Ainaut

Fabrice is a French artist of the “art concret” movement. He studied art in Tarbes, France, and at the age of 16 he left to discover Africa, where he lived for five years in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso before returning to France. He settled near Paris to pursue his career, working in the studio of the artist Carmelo Arden Quin until 2010 and then in that of Julio Le Parc, a leading figure of Op art and kinetic art.

Art Basel is always worth the trip. Veltracon Lifestyle and its expert partners assist with any inquiry about art: we find, buy and sell pieces on our clients’ behalf, and we enjoy working in the world of art for its endless creativity and its many unique personalities.

Special thanks to our friends at Art Basel and BMW for inviting us in 2019.