Staged in a 16,000-square-meter hall, the Unlimited sector of Art Basel in Basel, curated by Giovanni Carmine, features artworks of monumental scales. This year, for the first time, visitors had the opportunity to vote for their favorite Unlimited artwork, and we’re excited to announce the results. The winner of the inaugural Unlimited People’s Pick is Francisco Sierra’s Guppy (2024) presented by von Bartha, a local Basel gallery. In second place are Chiharu Shiota with The Extended Line (2023 - 2024), presented by Templon, and in third, Wu Tien-chang's Farewell, Spring and Autumn Pavilions (2015), presented by Tina Keng Gallery.

With over 70 pieces to choose from, visitors were drawn to Sierra’s work, which humorously subverts the idea of ‘monumentality.’ The piece, though sprawling in its installation, comprises tiny canvases measuring only 6.5 × 6.5 cm – the artist’s smallest paintings to date. Each of the 48 canvases depicts a beautifully detailed rainbowfish, otherwise known as a guppy, to scale; they are installed across three walls, in a single line, atop concave reliefs. Guppy is an extension of the Swiss-Chilean artist’s ongoing interest in human-pet relationships. Small decorated home aquariums have been a growing trend amongst Gen X and millennials, who use these spaces to breed new variants of rainbowfish at home. In Basel, Sierra’s installation acts as an aquarium filled with colorful life-sized guppies bred by his own imagination.

Engaging visitors from around the world, the launch of the Unlimited People’s Pick has encouraged the public to share their opinions while also highlighting the Art Basel community’s deep appreciation of art. Beyond voting online, visitors have also been sharing their favorite works on social media – for those reading from afar, you can explore all the highlights on Instagram.