This June, from the 19th to the 22nd, the city of Basel, Switzerland, will once again pulse with global energy as 291 galleries from 42 countries gather for one of the most prestigious events in the art world. And yet, the 2025 edition carries a sense of ambivalence. While Basel remains the historic birthplace of Art Basel, it’s no secret that collectors have increasingly shifted their focus toward the Paris edition. Despite fair director Maike Cruse affirming that both locations are complementary, and that Basel remains unrivaled in terms of its dense European network, Paris has become a magnet for its cosmopolitan glamour, vibrant cultural scene, and world-renowned gastronomy.
Still, this year may mark a turning point. A unique alignment could reignite interest: the simultaneous launch of the France-Brazil Season and Basel’s geographic proximity to Paris could create a strategic opportunity for the Brazilian art market.
To support this momentum, we’ve created a curated map highlighting the presence of Brazilian galleries and artists across all major previews, a guide designed to help you navigate this edition through a distinctly Brazilian lens. Not to forget the satellite art fairs, parallels events and new art fair sectors.
Art Fair Sectors
With exclusive previews on June 17 and 18, the event will once again serve as an epicenter of discovery. The main attraction, the Galleries sector, will bring together 239 leading galleries, including newcomers such as Arcadia Missa (London) and François Ghebaly (Los Angeles/New York), both known for championing powerful artistic voices.
Unlimited and Parcours return with monumental works and urban interventions, curated by Giovanni Carmine, director of the Kunst Halle St. Gallen and Stefanie Hessler, a German-born contemporary art curator, an art writer, and the current director of Swiss Institute in New York.
In the Unlimited sector, that opens on monday 16th, Brazilian galleries are also present with renowned artists.Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel, in partnership with Stephen Friedman Gallery and Sikkema Jenkins & Co., presents Brazilian artist Luiz Zerbini while Galeria Raquel Arnaud presents Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez. And as a sensory climax, Katharina Grosse transforms Messeplatz into a sea of color with her spray-painted artwork, a gesture of pure visual delirium.
The Feature sector dives into the past with 16 historical projects including Brazilian artists such as José Antônio da Silva, represented by Almeida & Dale, known for his vivid depictions of rural life in Brazil and whose exhibition, on display until July 6, 2025, at the Grenoble Museum, a collaboration with the Ibere Camargo Foundation as part of the Brazil-France Season, has rekindled interest in his unique contribution to Brazilian modernism. Sérgio Camargo, represented by Galeria Raquel Arnaud, also stands out for his minimalist sculptural works that explore light, shadow, and texture, combining modernist rigor with poetic abstraction.
At Kabinett, the A Gentil Carioca gallery promotes an unprecedented encounter between João Modé, Ivan Serpa, and Max Bill. Based on the series Construtivo [Paninho], Modé sews geometric shapes with delicate manual skill, in dialogue with Serpa’s concrete abstraction and Bill’s modernist legacy.
One of the major highlights of Art Basel 2025 is Premiere, a newly launched sector dedicated to works created within the past five years. Positioned as a true laboratory of risk, freshness, and bold experimentation, Premiere introduces a bold curatorial vision for contemporary practice. Ten galleries are participating in this inaugural edition: Broadway, Edel Assanti, Gypsum Gallery, Kosaku Kanechika, Lars Friedrich, LC Queisser, Selma Feriani Gallery, Silverlens, Sweetwater, and Jacky Strenz. Meanwhile, in the Statements sector, the spotlight turns toward the future, with 18 solo presentations by emerging artists, offering a glimpse into the next generation of artistic voices.
2024 Sales Records
In 2024, Art Basel featured 285 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions, attracting 91.000 visitors, an increase from 82.000 in 2023.
Despite a challenging economic landscape, the atmosphere among gallerists was one of cautious optimism, with several strong sales reported from the very first VIP preview day.
Record International Sales at Art Basel 2024:
Joan Mitchell
Sunflowers, 1990–91
Oil on canvas in two (2) parts
280 x 400 cm
Sold: $20.000.000
🏛️ David Zwirner Gallery
Arshile Gorky
Untitled (Gray Drawing -Pastoral), 1946–47
Charcoal and crayon on paper
130 x 158 cm
Sold: $16.000.000
🏛️ Hauser & Wirth
Georgia O’Keeffe
Sky with Moon, 1966
Oil on canvas
121 x 213 cm
Sold: $13.500.000
🏛️ Hauser & Wirth
These sales underscore the enduring strength of the blue-chip segment in the art market, with top-tier institutions and collectors continuing to drive demand even in uncertain times. In 2025, all eyes turn once again to Basel, where the fair aims to reaffirm its leadership with bold new initiatives. this year’s edition positions itself as a turning point, one that blends legacy and renewal to reflect the challenges and aspirations of the present moment.
Brazilian Artists at Art Basel 2024:
Janaina Tschäpe
To cover the earth with a new mist, 2024
Oil and oil stick on 9 canvases
203 x 259 x 5 cm
Sold: $925.000
🏛️ Supported by Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel and Sean Kelly Gallery.
Marina Rheingantz
One Shot Painting, 2024
Oil on canvas
200 x 300 cm
Sold: $200.000
🏛️ Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel
Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato
Lusco-fusco, 1990
Oil on canvas on board
70 x 60 cm
Asking Price: $350.000
🏛️ David Zwirner
Last year, Brazil’s presence at the fair was more significant than ever: eight Brazilian galleries showcased their creative gems, while 18 international galleries exhibited works by Brazilian artists. One striking fact was the number of galleries that chose to represent Brazilian artists, 26 out of the 250 participants, corresponding to 10.4% of the total. Although not a majority, this percentage had significant symbolic weight, both for established and emerging artists. Will this year’s edition maintain or even increase Brazil’s visibility?
Brazilian Galleries
A Gentil Carioca highlights dance as a language of the body and a form of collective expression. The works on view explore dance as ritual, resistance, and a gesture of belonging, revealing its cultural and emotional power. Among the artists featured in the booth are Denilson Baniwa, Laura Lima, Vinicius Gerheim, Miguel Afa, Arjan Martins, Vivian Caccuri, Renata Lucas, the collective OPAVIVARÁ!, among others.
Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel
Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel brings to the fair a selection of artists from different generations and geographies, including Leda Catunda, Rodrigo Cass, Pélagie Gbaguidi, Lucia Laguna, Jac Leirner, Ivens Machado, Ernesto Neto, Marina Rheingantz, Tadáskía, Adriana Varejão, Erika Verzutti, and Luiz Zerbini, reflecting the gallery’s ongoing commitment to promoting contemporary practices.
Luisa Strina
Galeria Luisa Strina returns to Art Basel 2025 with a thoughtfully curated selection of Brazilian artists that reflects the diversity and strength of contemporary art in the country. Highlights include an impressive tabletop sculpture by Anna Maria Maiolino, who will also be the subject of a solo exhibition at the Musée Picasso in Paris beginning June 13; works by Ana Prata and Luísa Matsushita, two rising voices in the current scene; and a standout piece by Marepe, blending conceptualism with references to Bahia’s popular culture. Marepe will also have a major retrospective at Fundação Iberê Camargo in Porto Alegre, opening on August 23.
Gomide&Co
Gomide&Co presents a special booth curated by Alex Balgiu, exploring the exchange between Brazil and Europe through the Concrete and Neo-Concrete movements. Inspired by the correspondence between Max Bense and Haroldo de Campos, the presentation offers a philosophical and sensorial journey through works by Lygia Clark, Mira Schendel, Almir Mavignier, and other icons of Brazilian modernism such as Hélio Oiticica and Amilcar de Castro. A painting by Roberto Burle Marx dedicated to Brasília stands out among the works, celebrating art as a living, ever-evolving organism.
Mendes Wood
Mendes Wood DM unveils a vibrant selection of contemporary works in painting, sculpture, and installation, reflecting the gallery’s commitment to groundbreaking artistic voices. Highlights include works by Lucas Arruda, Marina Perez Simão, Solange Pessoa, and Antonio Obá, amoung others. The presentation also features historical works by seminal Brazilian artists such as Maria Auxiliadora, Lygia Clark, Lorenzato, Lygia Pape, and Rubem Valentim. Together, the selection bridges generations and geographies through bold artistic dialogues.
Almeida & Dale
Gallery Preview
The Almeida & Dale gallery presents works by José Antonio da Silva, a painter who transformed his rural experience into a solid artistic career. His work, dating from 1950 to 1988, depicts landscapes, workers, and rural festivals, alternating between humor and tragedy. Recognized at international biennials, Silva challenged the label of “primitive painter” by valuing his independent and critical vision.
Raquel Arnaud
Galeria Raquel Arnaud showcase a curated selection of works by Sergio Camargo, highlighting his transition from wood reliefs in the 1960s to Carrara marble sculptures in the 1970s. The exhibition celebrates nearly five decades of partnership between the artist and the gallery, featuring the iconic work Orèe. Sculptures in marble, black Belgian stone, and bronze showcases Camargo’s geometric precision and formal rigor. His works, marked by silence and light, transcend time with a modern and classical beauty. Camargo explores matter with abstract and poetic logic, reinventing forms through the play of light.
Continua
Although this edition of the fair does not feature Brazilian artists, the gallery, which maintains a location in São Paulo, Brazil, will participate in Art Basel with a distinguished roster of internationally acclaimed artists, including Ai Weiwei, Yoan Capote, Carlos Garaicoa, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Eva Jospin, Anish Kapoor, among others.
International Galleries Featuring Brazilian Artists
During Art Basel 2025, several internationally renowned galleries will spotlight Brazilian artists in their presentations, whether through official representation or special selections for viewing. This consistent presence highlights not only the global recognition of Brazilian artistic production but also the growing interest from the international market in voices that engage with contemporary issues through unique, locally rooted perspectives.
The inclusion of both established names and rediscovered talents in the booths of prominent international galleries at one of the world’s most prestigious art fairs reinforces the strength and relevance of these artists on the global stage. For the artists, it represents a strategic opportunity for visibility in a highly competitive environment that attracts top collectors, curators, and institutions. For the public, it is an invitation to explore, or revisit, powerful artistic practices that continue to expand the boundaries of contemporary art.
Victoria Miro
Victoria Miro celebrates its history at Art Basel 2025 with a presentation featuring seminal artists who have shaped the gallery’s identity. Among the highlights is Adriana Varejão, a major figure in Brazilian contemporary art, shown alongside global names such as Yayoi Kusama, Isaac Julien, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Paula Rego.
Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois
The gallery returns to Art Basel 2025 with works across sectors, including Unlimited, where they will feature Xilempasto by Brazilian artist Henrique Oliveira. While more intimate in scale compared to his monumental installations, Xilempasto retains Oliveira’s signature aesthetic, organic forms, hybrid textures, and the interplay between painting and sculpture. Crafted from repurposed plywood and pigments, the work delves into themes of urban decay and transformation, central pillars of the artist’s inquiry.
Travesía Cuatro
Travesía Cuatro’s presentation includes works by two pivotal Brazilian artists: Eleonore Koch and Miriam Inez da Silva. The selection underscores the gallery’s commitment to amplifying essential Latin American voices and offers international audiences a chance to rediscover these singular practices, both of which have recently gained renewed critical and institutional attention.
James Cohan
James Cohan showcases new works by a dynamic group of contemporary artists from around the world. Among them is Brazilian artist Alexandre da Cunha, known for transforming industrial and everyday objects into poetic sculptural forms that invite viewers to reconsider the aesthetics of the ordinary.
Kamel Mennour
Mennour’s selection includes Brazilian artist Sidival Fila, whose textile-based practice merges contemporary art with monastic sensibilities. Working with aged, worn materials, Fila’s art evokes silence, contemplation, and time, core values that anchor his deeply spiritual approach to materiality.
The Mayor Gallery
To celebrate its centenary, the gallery presents a remarkable selection of Latin American art at Art Basel 2025, with a special focus on pioneering Brazilian artists. Highlights of the booth include works by Waldemar Cordeiro, Judith Lauand, Almir Mavignier, Décio Noviello, Hélio Oiticica, and Mira Schendel, key figures in the history of Concrete, Neo-Concrete, and Conceptual art in Brazil.
Following the success of its solo presentation on Waldemar Cordeiro at TEFAF New York, the gallery further expands the artist’s international presence with a curated selection of rare and emblematic works. In addition to its physical booth, the gallery also takes part in Art Basel’s Digital Mile, an initiative dedicated to the intersection of art and technology. As part of this project, it presents offset prints of Cordeiro’s early computer-generated drawings, recognizing his legacy as a pioneer of digital art in Latin America.
Parallel Events
Fairs
Liste Art Fair
Messe Basel, Switzerland
VIP Preview: June 16, 2025
Public Days: June 17–22, 2025
In its 30th edition, Liste Art Fair Basel reaffirms its commitment to showcasing artists and galleries shaping the future of contemporary art. Around 100 galleries from 32 countries come together for a commemorative edition marked by innovation and diversity. Under the new leadership of Nikola Dietrich, the fair features both emerging and established names, with over 40 first-time participants and 50 returning galleries. Exhibition architecture by Martina Kausch expands space for curated programs including daily performances, a book forum, children’s workshops, and panels with curators, artists, and collectors. Platforms such as Wall and the Helvetia Art Prize further promote a sustainable and connected contemporary art ecosystem.
Africa Basel 2025
St. Johannsvorstadt 19/21, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
VIP Preview: Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Public Days: June 18–22, 2025
Africa Basel is an international fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. Held during Art Basel week, the fair positions itself as a key meeting point in the heart of Basel to celebrate African artistic traditions and contemporary innovations. Founded by Sven Eisenhut-Hug and Benjamin Füglister, Africa Basel promotes cultural exchange and dialogue among artists, galleries, collectors, and the public. With curatorial direction from Azu Nwagbogu, Michèle Sandoz, and Serge Tiroche, the fair offers a vibrant platform for new perspectives and strengthens the growing global interest in African art.
VOLTA Basel 2025
Hall 4.U, Messeplatz 21, Basel, Switzerland
VIP Preview: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Public Days: June 19 – 22, 2025
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, VOLTA Basel returns to its founding city, reaffirming its role as a key platform for the emerging contemporary art market. From June 19–22, 2025, the fair brings together more than 70 galleries from 29 countries, including Switzerland, France, Norway, South Africa, the US, and Germany. In a new venue just two minutes from Art Basel, VOLTA presents a vibrant selection of established and emerging artists, highlighting SOLO presentations and geographic dialogues such as the MENA Pavilion (Middle East and North Africa) and a special focus on Swiss galleries. The fair is renowned for attracting collectors seeking compelling contemporary narratives and meaningful connections with artists and gallerists.
June Art Fair 2025
Herzog & de Meuron Bunker, near Messeplatz, Basel, Switzerland
VIP Preview: June 16, 2025 (morning)
Public Days: June 16 – 22, 2025
The June Art Fair 2025 takes place in a refurbished bunker by Herzog & de Meuron near Messeplatz during Art Basel Week. Founded in 2019 as an alternative to traditional fairs, it stands out for its open format, intimate scale, and intergenerational curatorial selection. This year’s edition features galleries from cities such as Oslo, Mexico City, Zurich, and London, alongside special projects like People’s Soup and The Garden Cinema, reaffirming its collaborative, independent spirit rooted in local community engagement.
Art Meta Basel
Multiple locations, Basel, Switzerland
VIP Preview: June 16, 2025 (morning)
Public Days: June 16 – 22, 2025
The digital art fair will feature a series of conferences at Kult.Kino Cinema, bringing together leading voices such as Christiane Paul (Whitney Museum), Sebastien Borget (The Sandbox), and Thomas Girst (BMW). Supported by Arab Bank Switzerland and hosted by Roger Dickermann and artnet, the program explores key shifts in the digital art market, including collecting practices, institutional roles, and the growing influence of AI. It offers a focused opportunity to understand how value, visibility, and innovation are being shaped in this fast-evolving ecosystem.
Photo Basel
Volkshaus Basel, Rebgasse 12–14, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
VIP Preview: June 17, 2025 (morning)
Public Days: June 17 – 22, 2025
Photo Basel is Switzerland’s first and only international art fair dedicated exclusively to photography and image-based practices. Held during Art Basel Week at Volkshaus Basel, the fair brings together Swiss and international galleries in a curated, welcoming environment that fosters dialogue among collectors, artists, and art professionals. With a boutique approach, the fair highlights both historical figures and bold contemporary proposals, offering a lighter and more intimate experience within Basel’s vibrant June art scene.
Galleries
Basel Gallery Opening Night
Various galleries in Basel, Switzerland
Date: June 17, 2025 (Tuesday)
Time: 6pm – 9pm
On the eve of Art Basel 2025, the Basel Gallery Opening Night offers a unique opportunity to explore special exhibitions at several of the city’s leading galleries. Participating spaces include VON BARTHA, CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS, GALERIE MUELLER, HAUSER & WIRTH, GAGOSIAN, NICOLAS KRUPP, and STAMPA, presenting artists such as Caroline Achaintre, Ted Stamm, Ella Kruglyanskaya, Meret Oppenheim, among others. The evening celebrates contemporary art with free, direct access to the shows, marking the beginning of Basel’s vibrant Art Week.
Museums
Ser Serpas: Of My Life
June 13 – September 21, 2025
Kunsthalle Basel
In her largest solo exhibition in Switzerland, Ser Serpas presents an extensive body of work spanning painting, sculpture, and performance. Known for her visceral engagement with the body and temporality, Serpas explores transformation and decay by reconfiguring found materials. At the heart of the exhibition is her collaboration with the Margo Korableva Performance Theatre (Tbilisi), blending sculptural installations with live performances to create a dialogue between ephemeral stage presence and lasting form.
Dala Nasser — Xíloma. MCCCLXXXVI
May 16 – August 10, 2025
Kunsthalle Basel
Dala Nasser investigates abstraction and alternative forms of image-making through painting, sound, performance, and film, with a central focus on the fundamental materials of painting. Her work challenges traditional representations of landscape by using materials as witnesses to overlooked histories, colonial violence, and ecological breakdown. In her first exhibition in Switzerland, Nasser reconstructs the lost Byzantine church of Kabr Hiram in Lebanon using cyanotype-treated textiles, making inaccessible spaces tangible and evoking lost histories.
Vija Celmins
June 15 – September 21, 2025
Fondation Beyeler
Spanning works from the 1960s to the present, the exhibition explores Celmins’ evolving focus, from everyday objects and conflict scenes to natural surfaces like spider webs, oceans, deserts, and the night sky. Her intricately detailed images invite deep contemplation, balancing intimacy and distance. The show also includes sculptures described as “three-dimensional paintings” and new works that continue her exploration of surfaces and spatial depth. This will be her most significant presentation in Europe in nearly two decades.
There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend: One day, the black will swallow the red
May 25 – August 31, 2025
Fondation Beyeler
Coinciding with the Vija Celmins exhibition, this special presentation from the collection focuses exclusively on painting. It brings together key works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mark Bradford, Marlene Dumas, Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, and others. Highlights include the museum debut of Gerhard Richter’s digital projection Moving Picture (946-3), Kyoto Version (2019–2024), a dedicated Mark Bradford room featuring works from the Daros Collection, and Warhol’s monumental Sixty Last Suppers (1986). Picasso features prominently, with over 30 paintings and sculptures creating unique dialogues between modern and contemporary art.
Steve McQueen: Bass
June 15 – November 16, 2025
Laurenz Foundation, Schaulager Basel
The Laurenz Foundation presents Bass (2024), a new large-scale work by Oscar-winning artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen. Twelve years after his landmark exhibition at Schaulager, McQueen returns with his most abstract project to date, an immersive installation shaped by his fascination with light, color, and sound, designed specifically to interact with the architecture and alter visitors’ perception of space and time.
Suzanne Lacy: By Your Own Hand
April 9 – September 7, 2025
Tinguely Museum, Basel
A pioneer of feminist and socially engaged art, Suzanne Lacy presents De tu puño y letra (By Your Own Hand), a powerful multichannel video installation addressing gender-based violence. Developed between 2014 and 2019 in collaboration with local communities in Quito, Ecuador, the work features men reading aloud the testimonies of women who survived brutal domestic and sexual violence. Filmed in a bullfighting arena, a symbol of masculinity and domination, the installation places viewers at the center of a stark confrontation with patriarchal violence. This piece continues Lacy’s decades-long commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and exposing the structural roots of gender injustice.
Medardo Rosso: Inventing Modern Sculpture
March 29 – August 10, 2025
Kunstmuseum Basel, Neubau
Celebrated in his time as a radical innovator yet still underrated today, the Italo-French artist Medardo Rosso is the subject of a major retrospective repositioning him as a central figure in the birth of modern sculpture. Featuring around 50 sculptures and 250 photographs and drawings, the exhibition highlights Rosso’s revolutionary experiments with form, light, and perception across media. A contemporary, and at times rival, of Rodin, Rosso challenged the boundaries of sculpture, favoring ephemerality and fragmentation over permanence and monumentality.
OMG Franck!
June 16 – 21, 2025
Frank Areal, Basel
Taking over the former industrial site FRANCK AREAL, now a vibrant hub for dance and artistic creation, OMG Franck! is a multidisciplinary platform running parallel to Art Basel. This immersive week-long event brings together talents from music, radio, performance art, fashion design, and gastronomy in a collaborative environment where established and emerging collectives co-create and inspire one another. Launched by Radio X, Franck Areal, Ozelot Studios, and the culinary collective No Chefs Studios, the event reimagines the tradition of transforming urban spaces into cultural playgrounds. Expect an energetic mix of DJs, chefs, artists, and designers all contributing to a shared vision of respectful exchange and experimentation.
Events
Kunsthalle Basel Night
Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland
Date: June 18, 2025
Time: 6pm – 10pm (performances from 6pm – 8:30pm)
On the night of June 18, Kunsthalle Basel opens its doors for a special evening program with extended hours, as part of Ser Serpas’s Of My Life exhibition. The highlight is a series of performances developed in collaboration with the Margo Korableva Performance Theatre of Tbilisi, staged with exclusive dramaturgy for the event. Featuring artists such as David Chikhladze, Yeonij Han, and others, the performance offers audiences a powerful and unique experience during Basel Art Week.
Museum Night Basel
Vitra Campus
Date: July 1, 2025
Time: 7pm to 9:30pm
During Museum Night Basel 2025, the Vitra Campus invites visitors to an immersive night. Discover the expressive power of the impasto technique by adding depth and dimension to your artwork. Use thick layers of paint to define forms and build abstract compositions that reflect your unique artistic voice. Choose a personal color palette that speaks to your style, and experiment with special effect paints, palette knives, and even tissue paper to create rich, textured surfaces that make your paintings truly stand out.
If you’re planning to be in Paris or would like to learn more about Brazil–France cultural events happening in the city, we’ve prepared a selection of highlights to guide your visit.