This year, Art Basel was huge––in the most literal sense. The three hundred plus galleries that set up camp in the main pavilion alone (!) made for an expansive fair. But on top of that, the quaint and historic Swiss city teemed with even more art.

In a neighboring venue, 61 artists, including Franz West, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, and House Calls host Richard Phillips, presented large-scale installations as part of Art Unlimited, the fair's multi-media exhibition platform. Artists also presented works around Basel's historical center for Art Parcours, Art Basel's site-specific series of works and performances that were free and open to the public. There were many highlights to the fair, but the Beyeler Foundation's scenic Jeff Koons opening (pictured at left), which displayed the artist's work in a collection that included Picasso and Rothko, certainly topped my list.

With the countless talks and film screenings, museum openings, and other fairs happening simultaneously (like LISTE––which exhibited emerging galleries and artists in an industrial building with a tower overlooking the city––SCOPE, and VOLTA), there were plenty of stimulating things so see, hear, and do throughout the 3-day period.




FILED UNDER: Art , Art Basel 2012 , Jeff Koons , Sterling Ruby , Urs Fischer , Gavin Brown's Enterprise , John Waters , Rob Pruitt , Cindy Sherman , Richard Phillips , Terence Koh , Ryan McGinley , Nate Lowman , David Altmejd , Andrea Rosen Gallery