Art Basel 2025 will gather 289 top galleries from 42 countries, showcasing a vast range of works—paintings, sculptures, photographs, and digital pieces. The lineup bridges early Modern masters and today’s most daring artists, reinforcing Basel’s status as the art world’s most essential meeting place.
German artist Katharina Grosse will unleash her signature explosive palette across Messeplatz, enveloping the fair’s epicentre in a vivid, immersive environment. Curated by Natalia Grabowska (Serpentine Galleries), the work will redefine the plaza as a living canvas, echoing Grosse’s radical approach to space and perception.
Unlimited: Monumental Works Under Carmine’s Vision
The Unlimited sector, curated by Giovanni Carmine (Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen), returns with 67 monumental installations, bridging established and emerging voices. The industry remains a critical platform for works that defy conventional exhibition limits, offering a visceral counterpoint to the leading fair’s gallery booths.
Parcours Explores “Second Nature” Along the Rhine
Stefanie Hessler (Swiss Institute, NY) curates Parcours for a second year, threading over 20 site-specific installations along Clarastrasse and the Rhine. The theme, Second Nature, interrogates the porous boundaries between the organic and the artificial, with the derelict Hotel Merian and Münsterplatz serving as key anchors. Expect interventions that blur the line between art and environment, pulling Basel’s urban fabric into the fair’s orbit.
Art Basel Awards Summit: Honouring 36 Trailblazers
In a bold new initiative, Art Basel and BOSS will honour 36 medallists—artists, curators, and patrons shaping contemporary culture—at a public Awards Summit on June 20th. The event, which is freely accessible, will spark dialogue on art’s evolving frontiers, with the complete list of recipients to be revealed in May.
Kabinett Returns with 24 Curated Highlights
The Kabinett sector revives intimate, thematic presentations within gallery booths, offering in-depth explorations of singular artistic practices. Expect archival gems, focused solo displays, and unexpected dialogues across eras.
Fair Essentials
Dates: June 19–22, 2025 (Preview Days June 17–18)
Galleries: 289 exhibitors from 42 countries
Global Lead Partner: UBS
Public Projects: Grosse’s Messeplatz intervention, Parcours, and Unlimited
Maike Cruse, Director of Art Basel in Basel, said: “This edition is about rupture and resonance—Katharina Grosse’s chromatic explosion, Parcours’ entanglement with the city, and the Awards Summit’s celebration of those rewriting art’s future. Basel remains the pulse of the global art world.”
With its customary precision, Art Basel 2025 strikes a balance between market dynamism and radical public art, ensuring the Swiss fair remains at the forefront of contemporary culture.
Top Photo: German artist Katharina Grosse will transform the Messeplatz into a vivid chromatic and shifting environment
Satellite Fairs
VOLTA
VOLTA at 20 ENGAGE + EMERGE: Celebrating two decades of championing emerging artistic voices, VOLTA Basel’s ENGAGE + EMERGE programme delves into pressing themes shaping the contemporary and emerging art landscape: the rise of women in the art market, the impact of geopolitics on the cultural landscape, and the dynamics of local, national, and international arts ecosystems.
VOLTA celebrates two decades of fostering cutting-edge creativity and serving as a trusted force within the emerging contemporary art market for collectors this June.
Located in a new venue just a two-minute walk from Art Basel and the central Messeplatz, VOLTA will present an expanded lineup of over 70 galleries from 29 countries, including Switzerland, France, Norway, South Africa, the USA, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Germany.
VOLTA Basel 2025 will showcase a dynamic mix of established and emerging talent, featuring focused solo presentations and an exploration of geographical dialogue through a Middle East North Africa Pavilion and a spotlight on Swiss galleries.
A meeting point for art collectors seeking fresh and captivating narratives in the emerging contemporary market, VOLTA invites you to discover artistic talent and build meaningful connections with gallerists and artists alike.
photo basel 2025
Switzerland’s first international art fair dedicated to photography-based art.
The Geopolitics of the Art Market: Curated and Moderated by Tallulah Patricia Bär. Cultural strategist and AfroSwissters founder Tallulah Patricia Bär leads a discussion on how shifting global power structures are redefining cultural capital and artistic value. Speakers include Adriano Picinati di Torcello, Global Art and Finance at Deloitte, Lee Cavaliere, Artistic Director, VOLTA, and Julia Lechbinska, Founder of Lechbinska Gallery.
Thurs, 19 Ju19 June | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Women on the Rise: A Gendered Power Shift? Moderated by Alexandra Steinacker-Clark
Exploring the increasing prominence of women in the art world, this panel examines whether gender equity is becoming a reality for artists and gallerists. Speakers include Chus Martínez, Head of the Institute of Art Gender Nature, FHNW Academy of Art and Design,
Marie Isabelle Poirier Troyano, Artist and Loewe Craft Prize Shortlisted artist, and Kimia Nakhaei, International Manager of Mojdeh Gallery, Iran. Fri20 Ju20 June | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
From Local to Global – How Artists and Galleries Break Through. Moderated by curator and art historian Carrie Scott. Evening panel discusses the pathways through which artists and galleries transition from local recognition to international acclaim, highlighting the support systems necessary for such growth. Speakers include Keabetswe Boccomino, Curator of Afrinova; Katharina Brandl, Head of Visual Arts at Pro Helvetia; Lee Cavaliere, Artistic Director, VOLTA; Stevenson Dunn Jr., Co-Founder of The Bishop Gallery.
Photo Basel opens next week. Photo Basel – Switzerland’s first and only art fair dedicated to photography-based art – opens its doors to its 10th-anniversary edition next week! Once again, Photo Basel runs parallel to Art Basel, Liste, and Africa Basel from June 17th to 22nd, 2025, at Volkshaus Basel. This year’s show features 39 galleries, showcasing over 160 artists and more than 440 photographic pieces.
Alongside the fair, Photo Basel presents a selection of special exhibitions and curated sectors, including: • novum • beyond photography • Annabelle’s choice • Maurice de Mauriac Award • SIYU Award • Sou Vai Keng + Martin Zeller
Reserve your tickets for photo basel with 30% off below Here
Africa Basel 2025
The full programme for Africa Basel 2025 — a landmark celebration of contemporary African art, taking place in the heart of Basel from 122 Ju22 June during Art Basel Week. An unforgettable week of exhibitions, talks, performances, guided tours, and special projects featuring bold artistic voices from across the African continent and its global diaspora.
Programme Highlights
Discover exceptional works from 18 leading exhibitors representing a new generation of artists redefining African and diasporic art.
Special Project – Art World Passport
Pick up your limited-edition Art World Passport by artHARARE at our “Consular Desk” in the courtyard — a playful take on mobility, identity, and global artistic belonging.
Conversations & Talks
Engage in free public panels on restitution, cultural heritage, creative economies, and more — with thought leaders like Iliana Fokianaki, Mo Laudi, Smooth Nzewi, and Sandra Obiago.
Film Screenings & Q&As
Catch influential artist films like Who Dares Replace the Sun? and We Were Here, followed by live discussions with filmmakers and curators.
Live Performance
Enjoy Lost African Jazz Narratives — a moving musical and spoken word collaboration with Victor Dey Jnr and Dr. Senam Okudzeto.
Curator-Led Tours
Explore the fair with guided tours by leading curators, and join our archival walks through local institutions like the Museum der Kulturen Basel and Basler Afrika Bibliographien.
Fountain Artist Talks
Experience spontaneous open-air artist talks by the Faule Magd fountain — a space for reflection and storytelling, steps from the fair.
Africa Basel is more than an art fair — it’s a space of celebration, critical reflection, and connection. We can’t wait to welcome you.
