As every year in June, Basel becomes the epicenter of the art world - thanks, of course, to Art Basel. But it isn’t just world’s biggest art fair that attracts the attention to those visiting the Swiss town. Among the most interesting “satellite” events taking place during that week is photo basel, the only fair dedicated to photography in the country. In 2019, it will celebrate its fifth anniversary across two floors of the Volkshaus Basel for the first time, and will be curated by the medium’s expert, Daniel Blochwitz.
Stay tuned on all the main events of this Art Basel Week 2019 --> Waiting for Art Basel 2019... - Rudolf Stingel at Fondation Beyeler - MeetMe#6 | VOLTA Basel 2019!
Some of the most renowned international galleries dedicated to photography will exhibit at photo basel this year, among them Atlas, Bildhalle, Aperture, and Kahmann Gallery. The works on view will span both modern and contemporary examples, as well as photobooks and vintage prints, courtesy the second edition of the “Master Cabinet” section curated by the aforementioned Blochwitz. photo basel also gave out the ALPA Award, this year to Yoko Ikeda of Ibasho Gallery. Make sure you also don’t miss a selection of works by Italian photographer Mario Giacomelli. Discover more about the past editions of photo basel --> photo basel 2018 - photo basel 2017.
Find more out about the latest contemporary art fairs together with their protagonist on the new magazine area MeetMe!
Revealing more about this year's photo basel is its director, Sven Eisenhut!
I MeetMee --> photo basel's Sven Eisenhut
Curator Daniel Blochwitz returns as curator for this edition. What prompted this decision?
Daniel Blochwitz curated a very successful fair last year - in addition he was responsible for the format of the Master Cabinet - a special exhibition with selected vintage prints - which was an outstanding success. Moreover he is a team player and fits wonderful into our young team.
One of photo basel’s focuses this year is photobooks. Why is it important to highlight this medium at an art fair?
Photobooks are more and more important as a standalone art form - for many artists (emerging and established) - being published with a well known publisher can really boost a career. This year, we are blessed to welcome 4 outstanding publishers at our fair - Aperture from the US, Benrido from Kyoto (Japan), Hartmann Projects from Germany and Editions Xavier Barral from France.
Being the only fair dedicated exclusively to photography during the Basel Art Week, how would you describe your position on the art market today?
As photography gains momentum and acceptance within the global art world - so are we. We truly believe that this dedication is important because our collectors can really focus on one medium at our fair. This helps to create a well balanced and curated fair.
Stay Tuned on Kooness magazine for more exciting news from the art world.