Art Basel unveils program highlights for the 2025 edition of its flagship show in Basel
- Renowned German artist Katharina Grosse will transform the Messeplatz into a vivid chromatic and shifting environment. The work will be curated by Natalia Grabowska, Curator at Large, Architecture and Site-Specific Projects at Serpentine, London
- Unlimited, curated by Giovanni Carmine, Director of Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen, will present 67 large-scale installations by distinguished and emerging artists.
- Parcours, curated by Stefanie Hessler, Director of Swiss Institute (SI) in New York, will showcase more than 20 site-specific public art installations along Clarastrasse, up to the Rhine and including the former Hotel Merian on the riverbank as well as a large-scale installation on Münsterplatz.
- This June, Art Basel will celebrate 36 visionary Medallists with a dynamic Art Basel Awards Summit that brings together the most influential and forward-thinking minds in contemporary art. The Art Basel Awards are presented in partnership with BOSS.
- Kabinett, Art Basel’s sector for thematic presentations within galleries’ main booths, will showcase 22 projects.
- Art Basel, whose Global Lead Partner is UBS, will take place at Messe Basel from June 19 to 22, 2025, with Preview Days on June 17 and 18.
Art Basel’s highly anticipated 2025 edition will bring together 290 leading galleries from 42 countries and territories, presenting an extraordinary array of works across all media—from painting and sculpture to photography and digital art. The show will feature an unparalleled lineup of artists, spanning early-twentieth-century Modern pioneers to groundbreaking contemporary talent. As the leading premier event of the global art market, Art Basel in Basel remains the ultimate destination for discovery and connection. Beyond outstanding presentations in its Galleries, Premiere, Feature, Statements, and Edition sectors, the show will once again push boundaries with 67 monumental works and performances in Unlimited, curated by Giovanni Carmine, Director of the Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen. Meanwhile, the Kabinett sector will return to the Basel show, offering 22 curated highlights within exhibitors’ main booths—further elevating the depth and dialogue of the fair.
A must-see highlight at this year’s show, renowned artist Katharina Grosse will take over the Messeplatz and the surrounding structures, transforming the space into a vivid chromatic environment. Curated by Natalia Grabowska, Curator at Large, Architecture and Site-Specific Projects at Serpentine, London, this compelling piece will stand out as a highlight of Art Basel 2025, underscoring the fair’s dedication to showcasing art in powerful and memorable environments.
The fair’s acclaimed Parcours sector will return in 2025, curated for the second consecutive year by Stefanie Hessler, Director of New York’s Swiss Institute (SI). The 2025 edition of Parcours will center on the theme of Second Nature, bringing together artists and works that explore the increasingly blurred boundaries between nature and artifice. This thoughtfully curated public art exhibition will stretch along Clarastrasse towards the Rhine, including the former Hotel Merian on the riverbank of the Rhine, transforming the urban environment into a captivating journey of artistic discovery. A dedicated satellite Parcours work at Münsterplatz will forge a dynamic link between Greater Basel, its esteemed institutions, and Art Basel’s premises.
The fair’s remarkable diversity of artistic perspectives will be complemented by vibrant events and activities across the city, engaging Basel’s most renowned cultural institutions. This dynamic program will highlight the city’s distinctive appeal, underscoring the profound impact Art Basel has on its hometown and reinforcing Basel’s position as a unique cultural destination.
Art Basel this year launched the Art Basel Awards - the first awards program of their kind in the industry celebrating trailblazing artists, curators, museums, patrons, cross-disciplinary creators, and cultural innovators shaping the future of contemporary art presented in partnership with BOSS. In May, the Awards’ international jury of experts will award 36 medals to individuals and organizations worldwide, selected for their vanguard vision, skill, and transformative potential and influence. Following their announcement next month, this year’s 36 Medalists will be honored at a premier reception in June during Art Basel in Basel. Medalists will also headline the first Art Basel Awards Summit convening the most influential voices in the global art world, set to take place at Messe Basel on Friday, June 20, and freely accessible to the public. Further details on the Art Basel Awards Summit, which will be supported by the Canton of Basel-Stadt, will be released in the coming weeks.
Art Basel launched The Art Basel Shop during Art Basel in Basel last year, and it returns in 2025 with a curated selection of bespoke lifestyle products that celebrate the contemporary art world. The shop features exclusive and limited-edition art, design, and fashion, available to fair visitors and the public for a limited time. This marks a continued expansion of Art Basel’s venture into product design and retail, further enhancing its world-class platform and deepening its engagement with the global community of art professionals and enthusiasts.
Maike Cruse, Director of Art Basel in Basel, said: “The 2025 edition of Art Basel will showcase not only the extraordinary works within our Galleries, Premiere, Feature, and Statements sectors, but also a dynamic public art program that makes this fair truly unique. Katharina Grosse’s bold transformation of Messeplatz will create a vivid, immersive experience. Meanwhile in Parcours, art will spill out into the urban environment, engaging with the city in a profound and evocative way. With the Art Basel Awards Summit, we’re expanding the dialogue around innovation, fostering global connections, and honoring those whose work is redefining the art world. This is Art Basel’s commitment to pushing boundaries, not only within the fair but across the city and the cultural landscape.”
Read the full press release here.