Art Basel 2025 brings tapestries and bas-reliefs back into fashion

The 55th edition of Art Basel took place in the Swiss city from 19 to 22 June, demonstrating the scale and energy of the global art scene. This year, 289 galleries from 42 countries took part, and the total number of visitors exceeded 88,000 - slightly less than the year before, but still impressive.

Organisers noted that all galleries reported strong sales in all price segments, confirming Art Basel's status as the world's leading fair. Art Basel director Maike Kruse said the event demonstrated "the sustainability and international reach of the global art market."

Bright highlights of the fair

Art Basel is traditionally famous not only for its commercial component, but also for its large-scale art projects. This year's key event outside the stands was an installation by German artist Katharina Grosse on the Messeplatz outdoor square in front of the fair's entrance. Grosse used an industrial sprayer to cover the square and surrounding structures with layers of bright pink paint, transforming the space in front of Messe Basel into a "chromatic environment". This monumental open-air mural is the artist's largest work to date, covering more than 5,000 m². Visitors stepping from the street into this colour extravaganza called CHOIR were instantly immersed in the world of art even before entering the exhibition halls.

Inside Messe Basel, galleries from all over the world - from established market leaders to debutants - exhibited on three levels. A new feature of the year was the Premiere sector, where 10 galleries presented specially selected works from the last five years, showcasing fresh voices of contemporary art. Favourite sections also returned: Statements (solo projects by young artists) and Feature (exhibitions of important figures of the twentieth century) . A special place was taken by the Unlimited Hall, a unique sector of large-scale works, installations and performances for the Basel Fair. In 2025 Unlimited presented around 70 monumental works selected by curator Giovanni Carmine. Among them were impressive projects that everyone was talking about, such as Andrea Buettner's series of huge tapestries, Felix Gonzalez-Torres's interactive "Go-Go platform" with a dancer appearing on the catwalk, Atelier Van Lieshout's utopian sculptural ensemble and Thomas Schütte's giant steel Engel ("Angel").

This year's set of Unlimited works was the largest in the sector's history, and a special evening screening of Unlimited Night (on Thursday 19 June) allowed the public to enjoy these works at an extended time.

The Parcours programme, curated in 2025 by Stephanie Hessler (Director of the Swiss Institute in New York), was back in action. Under the theme "Second Nature", more than 20 side-specific works were placed along Clarazsstrasse all the way to the Rhine and at other urban locations .

On Münsterplatz, for example, an 80-metre-long textile canopy by the duo Hylozoic/Desires, in St. Clara's Church the artist Selma Selman installed a touch-sensitive "monument-car", and on the facades and courtyards of the city one could find surprises from contemporary artists - from video installations to sculptures subtly integrated into the urban landscape.

Parcours turned familiar streets into an art quest, involving both sophisticated fair guests and casual passers-by.

Collectors, museums and awards

Art Basel in Basel is famous for attracting the world's leading collectors and experts to the city. According to the organisers, in 2025 the fair was visited by private collectors and patrons of art from more than 96 countries on all continents, as well as representatives of more than 250 reputable museums and foundations. Curators from major institutions - from New York's MoMA and London's Tate to Tokyo's Watari Museum and Cape Town's Zeitz MOCAA - walked the halls of Messe Basel alongside gallerists, artists and art scene celebrities. Many people come to Art Basel every year, and this socialising of professionals under one roof is as valuable as the sales themselves.

This year, for the first time ever, the Art Basel Awards ceremony, a new initiative of the fair, was held. on 19 June, at the height of the fair, 36 winners (Medalists) of the Art Basel Awards, who received medals for their contribution to the development of culture, were awarded at the historic Basel Town Hall. Among those honoured were artists, curators, institutional leaders and collectors whose achievements have shaped contemporary art. On the next day, 20 June, the first open Art Basel Awards Summit took place - a forum with the participation of the winners and the jury, where the current issues of the art world were discussed. Notably, one of the initiatives was the announcement of the Koyo Kuo Scholarship, an annual support programme for art professionals from African countries. Hosting its own award and summit demonstrates Art Basel's commitment to not only showcasing art but also influencing its development by encouraging new voices and ideas.

Artistic trends: from tapestries to anime

Beyond the official programme, Art Basel 2025 was a reflection of current trends in art. One notable trend is the renewed interest in textiles and tapestries. The stands of a number of galleries displayed large-format textile works: from abstract tapestries woven by hand to unusual installations made of fabric and threads. For example, Lisson Gallery brought to Basel a woven canvas by Otobong Nkang andOlga de Amaral's "sculptural"golden tapestries that transform fibre into shining art objects.

At the same time, many stands offered author prints and graphic works, from silkscreens to limited edition digital prints. These affordable formats are favoured by a new generation of collectors looking to start a collection with a small investment.

It is noteworthy that even the Art Basel shop has released special editions: collectible posters and T-shirts designed by Katharina Grosse, a limited-edition Labubu toy by artist Kasinga Luna, and previews of new works by Daniel Arsham and Amoako Boafo, available exclusively at the fair.

Another notable trend is the return of bas-relief and three-dimensional painting. Many artists are exploring the intermediate zone between painting and sculpture: at the fair one could see canvases with layers and shapes "growing" on the surface, extending into the space of the hall. Such relief works make the bas-relief genre relevant again in a modern way. For example, galleries specialising in the post-war avant-garde showed objects at the intersection of painting and sculpture - there were works in which paint and material form a physical texture, referring to the experiments of the mid-20th century, but with a new conceptual filling. The audience reacted vividly to these "three-dimensional paintings", discussing where painting ends and the art object begins.

Finally, it is impossible not to mention the rejuvenation of pop art under the influence of anime and mass culture. The spirit of the new wave of pop-art aesthetics was evident at the fair: many young artists draw inspiration from comics, manga and video games. As a result, the stands were filled with colourful images combining the irony of Andy Warhol with the visual language of Japanese cartoons. Large-format paintings with characters reminiscent of anime characters were juxtaposed with vinyl figures and toy sculptures elevated to the rank of art. This synthesis was particularly appealing to young people: the works with obvious references to pop culture were always crowded. This is a fresh breeze - the generation of thirty-year-old collectors who are replacing the old guard are interested in art at the intersection of the high and the mass. Art Basel 2025 sensitively caught this mood: from stands with neon colours and quotes from comics to special projects (like the Labubu toy mentioned above), everywhere it was felt that pop art was experiencing a new youth.

Parallel events: young fairs and art in the streets

During Art Basel, art life in Basel is not limited to the main fair centre. Traditionally, other fairs are also held on the same days, as companions to the big show. In 2025, the Liste Art Fair, the famous "little sister of Art Basel", which celebrated its 30th anniversary, attracted special attention. Founded in 1995 as a platform for young gallerists, Liste celebrates its anniversary while maintaining its reputation as an outpost for new names. In the old brewery building where the fair is held, the atmosphere was buzzing: 99 galleries from 31 countries brought works by the most relevant emerging artists. Almost half of the participants are exhibiting at Liste for the first time, which confirms the fair's status as a launching pad for future stars. Here one could see daring experiments - from kinetic installations and sound sculptures to paintings combining the seemingly incompatible. Liste has always been renowned for discovering new trends, and this anniversary edition was no exception: under the arches of the old brewery, a young artistic spirit was simmering, attracting curators and scouts in search of the "new big name".

Another notable venue of the Basel Art Week was the Volta fair, which celebrated its 20th edition this year. Volta was originally created as a more intimate alternative to Art Basel, and is often described as a "less flashy but no less prestigious" fair. In 2025, Volta moved to a new spacious venue (Hall 4.U at Messeplatz), bringing together more than 70 galleries from 29 countries. As always, the emphasis here is on young and niche galleries, and the Solo presentation format allows for a focus on one artist per booth. Regional sections were strong at Volta this year: separate groups of galleries from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa brought local authors whose names are still little known to the general public. It is at such stands that one can often discover a "dark horse" - an artist who, in a year or two, may shoot onto the big stage. Collectors, tired of the glitz of the main show, were happy to stroll through Volta, noting the quieter atmosphere but still high level of work. Thus, Volta retains its status as a serious fair for connoisseurs who prefer a thoughtful approach without too much glamour.

Basel's urban art week was not limited to galleries and fairs - art took to the streets and even the railway station. An unusual project called ArtboxExpo (Artboxy Live) took place in the west wing of Basel SBB central railway station. From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the fair, a "digital open stage" operated here: in the station building, screens and stands displayed works by artists from all over the world, and on a fixed schedule, the authors themselves created their works right in front of the audience. Passengers in a hurry to catch a train suddenly found themselves in an improvised art exhibition - they could view digital paintings, graphics, videos and catch an artist at work.

In addition, there were many exhibitions and events taking place throughout Basel in conjunction with the fair. Museums prepared high-profile exhibitions: the Fondation Beyeler showed Vijej Selmins' delicate graphics and a VR installation by Jordan Wolfson, the Kunstmuseum Basel opened a retrospective of sculptor Medardo Rosso, and the Museum Schaulager presented a new large-scale project by Steve McQueenay. On the banks of the Rhine, the alternative art festival Basel Social Club took place in a former mansion - a daring mix of exhibition, performance and party that has brought together young bohemians for the fourth year in a row. And even the Swiss government celebrated its Swiss Art Awards - the winners of the annual competition among local artists were awarded in the neighbouring pavilion.

Ukrainian artists in Basel

At Art Basel 2025, as part of the Statements section, Ukrainian artist Sana Shakhmuradova Tanska presented her powerful, mythopoetic canvases in the booth of Poland's Gunia Nowik Gallery, raising profound themes of memory and war.

At Volta Basel, Ukrainian art was represented by Andriy Kozakov's solo project (curatorial platform Cincinnati Art Underground) and Rukh Art Hub, which presented Nina Murashkina with her expressive painting and ceramic works.

In addition, Ukrainian collage artist Olena Hrynevych participated in Artboxexpo for the first time, creating two works right in front of the public.

For a few days Basel turned into a real city of art: there was creativity at every turn, from modernist classics to the most innovative forms. The fair set the tone for the entire art market, and visitors were given a boost of inspiration and a feeling that contemporary art continues to surprise, experiment and reflect the pulse of the times.