Press Release
Art Basel allocates one-time solidarity fund. With two-thirds of exhibitors choosing to forego their share, the outcome is a testament to the collegiality between galleries and the success of the Basel show.
In early September 2021, Art Basel announced the creation of a one-time solidarity fund of 1.5 million Swiss Francs to mitigate the risk for exhibitors of its 2021 Basel show, in response to concerns that unexpected developments relating totravel restrictions would lead to reduced international attendance and thus negatively impact sales.
We are delighted to announce that the fund has been allocated in its entirety and 175 out of 272 galleries -nearly two-thirds -have decided to opt out of the fund, resulting in a 35% reduction for exhibitors opting in.
“The idea to create the solidarity fund emerged out of many conversations with gallerists,” says Marc Spiegler, Global Director. “We wanted to create a relief system that would benefit exhibitors who saw a substantial decrease of sales, but it wasn’t clear ahead of time who that would be. The final allocation, with two thirds of our exhibitors choosing to forego their share, truly reflects the spirit of collegiality that emerged during the pandemic and perfectly embodies the fund’s principle of solidarity between colleagues.
”While the solidarity fund is a one-off initiative in response to this year’s unprecedented circumstances, Art Basel is always exploring new ways to foster and support its galleries, including smaller and mid-sized galleries, as they play an integral part in a healthy art world ecosystem. For example, in 2019 we introduced a new sliding scale pricing model, whereby galleries taking smaller booths pay a lower square meter price than galleries with larger stands at our three shows.
Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world's premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art Basel’s engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through new digital platforms and a number of new initiatives such as the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report and the BMW Art Journey. Art Basel's Global Media Partner is The Financial Times. For further information, please visit artbasel.com.
- Sadie Coles, Sadie Coles HQ, London
- Peter Freeman, Peter Freeman, Inc., New York
- Jochen Meyer, Meyer Riegger, Berlin, Karlsruhe
- Lucy Mitchell-Innes, Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York
- Jan Mot, Jan Mot, Brussels
- Franco Noero, Galleria Franco Noero, Turin
The experts for the Statements and Feature sectors:
- Jennifer Chert, ChertLüdde, Berlin
- Jasmin Tsou, JTT, New York
- Prateek Raja, Experimenter, Kolkata
The expert for the Edition sector:
- Carolina Nitsch, Carolina Nitsch, New York
The expert for classical photography:
- Thomas Zander, Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne
Partners
UBS & Contemporary Art
Global Lead Partner of Art Basel, UBS has a long history of supporting contemporary art and artists. The firm has one of the world’s most important corporate art collections and seeks to advance the international conversation about the art market through its global lead partnership with Art Basel and as co-publisher of the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report. UBS also has partnerships with fine art institutions including the Fondation Beyeler in Switzerland, the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Russia, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia. UBS provides its clients with insight into the art market, collecting, and legacy planning through its UBS Collectors Circle and UBS Art Advisory. For more information about UBS’s commitment to contemporary art, visit ubs.com/art.
Art Basel’s Associate Partner is Audemars Piguet, whose expanding activities in contemporary art include the Audemars PiguetArt Commission; and NetJets –the world leader in private aviation. Art Basel is also supported globally by BMW (who has co-developed with Art Basel the BMW Art Journey), La Prairie, Ruinart, Sanlorenzo,and On. Art Basel's Media Partner is the Financial Times.
Local Partners in Basel are Baloise Group, whose Art Prize awarded two artists exhibiting in the Statements sector, AXA XL, Vitra, MövenpickHotel Basel, and The Fixer. For more information, please visit artbasel.com/partners.
Upcoming Art Basel shows
- Miami Beach, December 2–4, 2021
- Hong Kong, March 24–26, 2022
- Basel, June 16-19, 2022.
Media information online
Media information and images can be downloaded directly from artbasel.com/press. Journalists can subscribe to our media mailings to receive information on Art Basel.
For the latest updates on Art Basel, visit artbasel.com, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/artbasel or follow @artbasel on Instagram, Twitter, and WeChat.
Press Contacts
Art Basel, Maria Marques
Tel. +41 58 206 27 74, press@artbasel.com
PR Representatives for Europe
SUTTON, Joseph Lamb
Tel. Tel. +44 7715 666 041, joseph@suttoncomms.com
PR Representatives for North and South America, the Middle East and Africa
FITZ & CO, Yun Lee
Tel. +1 646 589 0920, ylee@fitzandco.art
PR Representatives for Asia
SUTTON, Carol LoTel. +852 2528 0792,carol@suttoncomms.com