With $3 billion worth of art shown by 284 galleries, Art Basel—which closed on Sunday—was, this year, not only a commercial success that matched if not eclipsed prior showcases, but it also signaled a renewed interest on the part of audiences—whether serious collectors or recreational buyers—to invest in art in a way that has reinvigorated galleries. Some examples? Agnes Martin‘s 1966 acrylic-and-graphite painting Mountain II sold at David Zwirner for $9.5 million, while Paul McCarthy‘s White Snow, Bambi (marble) sold for $2.8 million.
But sales were steady at the museum level as well, with more works being placed in museum collections this year than ever before.
Some of the most memorable art came from Unlimited—curated by Gianni Jetzer and dedicated to artworks ranging from big to outright gigantic—with works ranging from Ai Weiwei‘s Stacked to William E. Jones‘ America, Hail Satan.
Outside of the sales hustle, there was truly memorable art on display. Mexican artist Jose Dávila (see below), represented by OMR gallery, displayed a number of compelling works focused on experimentation with suspension. His sculptures teeter on the edge of equilibrium, with sheets of glass held in place by colorful braces. Robert Overby (below), known for assembling images with fragments taken from advertising, pornography, architecture, and book covers, landed in Basel with the subversive Claps.
Below, we highlight some of the best.
Daniel Steegmann Mangrané and Philippe Parreno
Daniel Steegmann Mangrané, Oranges Oranges 2
Esther Shipper
Anish Kapoor
Anish Kapoor, Shedding, 2014.
Lisson Gallery
Paweł Althamer
Paweł Althamer, The Neighbors
New Museum
Andrea Bowers
Andrea Bowers, Courtroom Drawings (Steubenville Rape Case, Text Messages Entered As Evidence, 2013), 2014
Susanne Vielmetter
José León Cerrillo
José León Cerrillo
Andréhn-Schiptjenko
Robert Overby
Robert Overby, Clap, 1975
Andrew Kreps
Jose Dávila
Jose Dávila, Joint Effort, 2015
OMR
Pamela Rosenkranz
Pamela Rosenkranz
Miguel Pareu