Exterior view of Art Basel in Basel, 2023. Courtesy of Art Basel.
Art Basel’s 2023 edition concluded on Sunday in triumphant fashion, having hosted 82,000 visitors across seven days, and resulting in a lengthy list of reported sales and positive chatter among dealers and collectors alike.
Art Basel isn’t just about the fair itself, it’s also accompanied by a sprawling series of events, from dinners, openings, performances, and parties, to other art fairs such as Liste, Volta, June, Basel Social Club, and Design Miami/ Basel. It’s enough to bewilder even the most seasoned art world navigator, which is why Artsy enlisted five collectors to share their thoughts and reflections on the week’s festivities.
Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
Founder and president of Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo
Portrait of Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo by Andrea Basile. Courtesy of Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.
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Since I started collecting in 1992, I haven’t missed a single edition of Art Basel. Year after year, it has always reconfirmed itself as a fair of the highest quality: a truly unmissable event for collectors from all over the world.
This year’s edition was once again insightful and interesting, both on the ground floor, where you can immerse yourself in the presentations by modern and contemporary art galleries, and the excellent and dynamic galleries located upstairs. I purchased works from both floors. This year’s fair presented plenty in the medium of painting, while Art Basel Unlimited [the fair’s sector dedicated to large-scale installations] was masterfully handled, offering a glimpse into time-based media.
I enjoyed the Statements sector, which always presents new and captivating work by emerging artists from around the world. I love producing and commissioning site-specific works, including for outdoor spaces like our Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Art Park, which is why I found Parcours, with its 24 works scattered around the city, truly fascinating.
The museums presented wonderful projects, such as Doris Salcedo’s solo exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler and Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller’s “Dream Machines” at Museum Tinguely. And it was amazing to finally see the spaces of the Fondation Laurenz Schaulager reopened. During the fair, the whole city breathes new air and, compared to the first editions, so many events and celebrations are always lighting up Basel.
Chris Vroom
Co-founder of Valence and Artadia
Portrait of Chris Vroom. Courtesy of Chris Vroom.
While the number of art fairs around the world has grown significantly over the past 20 years, Art Basel stands apart for me not only for the level of connoisseurship in the works on view, but also for the criticality of the audience. Of course, there’s a commercial agenda, but it’s balanced by a more pronounced and implicit recognition of what art means to the world. There’s a seriousness that enables me to learn something at every turn.
Basel writ large—the fairs and institutions, happenings, dialogues, and interactions with friends and colleagues—brings together the whole arc of artistic excellence; from the wonderful early Joan Mitchell picture I saw for the first time at Pace Gallery to the emerging talent at Liste Fair.
Installation view of mother’s tankstation limited’s booth at Art Basel in Basel, 2023. Courtesy of Art Basel.
My highlights would include many of the amazing installations at Unlimited, including Stan Douglas’s early work Evening (1994), which reconstructs newscasts on fictional television stations in an early riff on “fake news.” Works by Mika Tajima (an Artadia artist) and Christian Marclay, and Thomas Scheibitz’s monumental painting, were among other highlights in the sector.
I’ve been a long-time admirer of Doris Salcedo, whose show at the Fondation Beyeler was extraordinary, and her artist talk was one of the best ever. White Cube also complemented the exhibition by presenting a work from her “Tabula Rasa” series. I love discovering new galleries and admire mother’s tankstation from Dublin, which presented Prudence Flint’s wonderful paintings. Overall, there’s a post-COVID normalization ongoing that makes reconnecting with the things and the people you love all the more satisfying, and that was definitely on display.
Giovanni Scarzella
Co-founder, The Scarzella Collection
Portrait of Giovanni Scarzella. Courtesy of Giovanni Scarzella.
Like every year, Basel reserves beautiful surprises and classic confirmations. We were eager to visit the Fondation Beyeler with an epic exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat that left us breathless, as well as the solo show dedicated to Doris Salcedo.
Of the events in the city, in our opinion, the most surprising thing to see was the Basel Social Club, in a super cool industrial location with a truly spot-on setting. We found some artists already present in our collection: Among the most appreciated works are the ceramics by Daniele Milvio, the inflatable by Mandla Reuter, and a painting by Olivia Sterling.
Liste Fair is also always exciting, in particular for the conceptual cues such as the talking sofa by Valerio Nicolai from Clima; the works by the Ukrainian artist Daniil Galkin from Voloshyn Gallery; and the sculptures by Tarek Lakhrissi from Galerie Allen.
Gerhard Richter, installation view of STRIP-TOWER, 2023, in David Zwirner’s presentation at Art Basel Unlimited in Basel, 2023. Courtesy of Art Basel.
Of the unmissable Unlimited section of Art Basel, I point out the splendid STRIP-TOWER (2023) by Gerhard Richter, an artist who manages to excite even at 91 years old.
The main fair is as always stratospheric, and there are many wonderful works for all tastes. Ours was captured in particular by a beautiful snow painting by Friedrich Kunath from Blum & Poe; a painting by Alfonso Gonzales Jr at Jeffrey Deitch; and a delicate work by Merlin James exhibited by Sikkema Jenkins & Co. Negotiations to enrich the collection are, as always, underway!
Evan Chow
Deputy chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Centre and board member of the New Museum in New York
Portrait of Evan Chow. Courtesy of Evan Chow.
Merikokeb Berhanu, Untitled LXXIV, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and Addis Fine Art.
I’m pleasantly surprised by the turnout of Art Basel this year, given the condition of the global market and economy lately. I think this is partly fuelled by the geographical diversification of the exhibitor lineup in this edition, which also spiced up the presentation.
As a Hong Kong–based collector, I’m more than elated to see familiar faces from galleries and collectors all around the world at Basel, especially those from Asia.
While the demand for works created by established masters is still robust, the market for emerging talents continues to bloom. In the midst of all the hubbub and hoopla at the fair, there are a few pieces that are deeply introspective and evoke ruminations about memories and emotions.
Showing at Liste Fair, Ethiopian artist Merikokeb Berhanu from Addis Gallery conjures up a realm of otherworldly transcendence with her celestial shapes and organic forms, while at Art Basel, British artist Sholto Blissett from Peres Projects contemplates the relationship between humans and nature through his Thoreauvian paintings.
With all the budding talents I’ve discovered this year, I’m more excited than ever for the next edition of Art Basel.
Liesl Fichardt
Lawyer
Dominic Chambers, Birthplace (Playful Cloud), 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin.
Art Basel 2023 was a triumph for painting. Whether large or small, new or secondary, figurative or abstract, painting was the dominant force at the fair, and it was simply superb. It might be said to have been safe, but most paintings were simply really good art for art’s sake, without necessarily trying to make a statement of some kind.
This year, I bought works pre-fair, expecting some artists to be shown at the fair but also to be placed with institutions or museums. This included artist Dominic Chambers’s large-scale canvas Sacred Reading (2023), shown by Lehmann Maupin.
This work enhances my collection of other emerging artists, such as Ella Walker (shown by Casey Kaplan), and more established painters who were also shown at Basel but sold pre-fair including Chantal Joffe (shown by Skarstedt and Victoria Miro). Most collectors know that the real fair starts when the galleries release their previews. The Statements section was also strong, with textile work including an excellent solo booth of Bonolo Kavula’s work shown by SMAC.
LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.
More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.
The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.
They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.
“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”
It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.
Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”
Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.
“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
