Art Basel 2015: Art, Style and Champagne
Art Basel 2015 begins on 18th June and continues until 21st June in this its 46th edition. Art Basel is is the leading art show for Modern and contemporary art and takes place at the Messe in Basel. It’s a truly global concern attracting art lovers, collectors and dealers from all over the world.
It also has locations in Miami Beach and in Hong Kong. In Basel 284 international galleries from over 33 countries will be taking part from Europe, America and also the Asia Pacific region. It’s not just pictures, paintings and drawings but sculptures, video installations and photography too.
There is such a wealth of art to be seen that you really need to plan your visit to make the most of it.
The Messe in Basel is a huge exhibition and there is a lot to see!
History
Art Basel had its first fair back in 1970 with 90 galleries and 30 publishers from 10 countries and 16,300 visitors. Gallery owner Trudl Bruckner got together with Balz Hilt and Ernst Beyeler to sow the seeds for the first art fair in Basel after lamenting the lack of contemporary art in Basel at the end of the sixties.
Over the years Art Basel has established itself as a key hub in the global art market and the most important art dealers and collectors go there. Max Bill, Joseph Beuys, Jean Tinguely, Henry Moore and Robert Rauschenberg and Robert Ryman have all been to Art Basel, often many times.
Hubert Le Gall and Ruinart Champagne
One of the most beautiful sculpture collections we saw at the preview this year was the installation of 12 pieces of hand blown Murano glass by French artist Hubert Le Gall (above) for the Ruinart champagne house. The sculptures can be seen in the Collectors Lounge at Art Basel.
Ruinart champagne is in fact the world’s oldest champagne house. It’s president, Frédéric Dufour, explained to us that this prestigious yet very discreet champagne brand has a long affinity with the arts dating back to 1896 when it first collaborated with Mucho. Last year Ruinart collaborated with the Scottish artist Georgia Russell and you can read about her work of art here.
Hubert explained that the sculptures depict the 12 months lifecycle of the vine which is necessary to produce the champagne. It also reflects the effort of the vineyard workers which goes into creating this very special beverage.
Each sculpture is unique and he specially chose Murano glass as it is not quite perfect, having tiny bubbles inside which echo the bubbles in the Ruinart champagne. The colours of the Murano glass range from bright greens to blues to really dark earthy browns and blacks and the shapes and forms are stunning.
Have a great time exploring the many facets of Art Basel. You can purchase tickets to Art Basel at the event itself, online or at Basel Tourismus Infopavillions.
Tickets are available as follows:
Day Ticket: CHF 48
Children up to 16 are free of charge when accompanied by a parent.
Evening Ticket (after 5 pm) CHF 25
Two-Day Ticket: CHF 80, Event duration ticket CHF 110
Reduced Day Ticket for Students/Seniors: CHF 35
Combination Ticket for Art Basel and Design Miami/Basel: CHF 65
There are also reductions for group of 10 or more.
The Opening hours are as follows:
Thursday, June 18, 2015: 11am to 7pm
Friday, June 19, 2015: 11am to 7pm
Saturday, June 20, 2015: 11am to 7pm
Sunday, June 21, 2015: 11am to 7pm
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