The Art Basel fair is most definitely the event that defines the current state of the art market from a dealer’s perspective. As usual, within hours of the VIP opening, the ground-floor booths of the world’s blue-chip dealers were crowded with wealthy collectors, enthusiastically browsing and buying newly-available works by established names. But I had the impression that there was a more easy-going atmosphere upstairs, on the second floor, where dealers were presenting more new works by established and emerging artists. The 2018 edition of Art Basel closed on Sunday 17 June, with reports of galleries having made significant sales to private collections and institutions across all market sectors. Art Basel drew a particularly strong public of established and new collectors from over 100 countries, with particularly robust attendance from Europe and Asia. The show attracted nearly 95,000 attendees and once again was a pivotal meeting place for the international art world.

 Copyright 2018 Mart Engelen