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As always Art Basel was full of wonderful surprise. Unfortunately this year I was not the cat that got the cream. There was a great consistency of A* Works and Team Zab were out in full force checking out the highlights - I managed to come to Basel after a private crisis had quietened down. My fave was seeing the wonderful Amanda Ross-Ho padlocks spread around the city of Basel.
Liste had some impressive works including this Renaud Jerez - that we all fell in love with last year at DRAF - at Galerie Crevecoeur.
In the main fair were some real show stoppers. The interactive Rodin’s Kiss by Urs Fisher, which you could dig into and create your own work with at Sadie Coles. Made out of plasticine, it surely got more and more ‘vandalized’ as the fair went on…
At Tanya Leighton, a wonderful example of Oliver Laric’s sculpture studies.
I loved Ryan Gander’s snowy Breuer chair at GB Agency.
There was a beautiful work by Guan Xiao at Antenna. It is an ‘air freshener spray’ and a dreamy utopian work of spring.
At the Kusthalle the ‘Ungestalt’ show was excellent – full of sculptural works, mainly by woman - which spread over five galleries. Artists including Caroline Achaintre, Alina Szapocznikow and more. I loved the works by Olga Balema – such as this bloody handbag sat nonchalantly on the window sill.
At the Beyeler was another show stopping Wolfgang Tillman’s exhibition, totally different to both his presentations at Zabludowicz Collection and the enormous semi- retrospective show at Tate Modern. It was a beautifully presented serene show, thoughtful and energetic in every way.
Also on display was a most pleasing Franz West.
Our happiest moment was at Art Unlimited, there was our hero Donna Huanca in full flow. For her new work ‘Bliss (reality check)’ she took some elements that she developed during ‘Scar Cymbals’, her Zabludowicz Collection show last year, and crated a singular installation for maximum effect.
The work was a beautiful, harmonious composition showing that she can work and manage any size and volume, and shows she can keep pushing it further.
The work and collage of Stan VanDerBeek was similarly wonderful and put together in a poetic and traditional way - a precursor to the digital artists of today.
Also in Art Unlimited, the Wirth’s were eating inside Subodh Guptas full size installation. The artist was creating some interesting cuisine called ‘cooking the world’, the act of gathering round to share a meal bringing families and people together through food and shared experience.
Gregor Muir tried to throw me into the river during a Tate European event lead by Edward Lee!
I was happy to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of having an exhibition space with the imitable Julia Stoschek. I posed with Julia and Klaus - he has been Julia’s proud mentor for over ten years.
We had previously celebrated with her in Dusseldorf in her incredible home above the museum - we sat with the most interesting and lively crowd. The curator of the show was Ed Atkins who was chilling after his first week of fatherhood on top of curating the most incredible translucent and historical show for JSC called Generation Loss.
I have such a great team Lizzie, Maitreyi and Tif Zab. Lucky me!
Then we had time to enjoy the company of our peers. Harald Falckenberg dropped by and enjoyed every minute of being with myself Julia.
Pam Kramlich also joined us and she is the one who set the standard and leads the way, she is an inspiration leading us all in the state of art collecting and presentation of video art.
