Photo basel

Every year, at the end of June, the Swiss city of Basel comes alive culturally. In addition to the prestigious art fair, Art Basel, the city also hosts one of the most significant events focused on contemporary photography: the international art fair photo basel. Who are the artists and institutions introduced at this year’s edition?

Thirty-seven galleries from eleven different countries were represented at art basel, which attests to the growing interest in the presentation of photography (and not only photography) as an artistic medium, as well as the existence of narrowly defined photographic institutions. The fair aims for a diversified approach in all respects, and visitors to to Volkhaus Basel could meet both renowned galleries like the Zürich-based Fabien & Claude Walter Gallery, as well as more experimental approaches to photography such as that practiced by the Bart Gallery in Amsterdam. This year, space for the presentation of a selected local gallerist went to Monica Wertheimer, who organized her hundredth exhibition as part of the fair. The themes in evidence here were then freely developed at a retrospective presentation of local artist Alex Kayser and other artists from the region, increasing awareness of the development of the Swiss photography scene. Thanks to founder Sven Eisenhut, the fair has developed into an event with a friendly atmosphere, providing an ideal opportunity not only to gain a deeper understanding of tendencies in contemporary photography but also to establish new contacts. Among the many inspirational stimuli, we can mention the possibility to meet the gallerists from Photon Gallery in Ljubljana, Slovenia, or the founders of Camara Oscura Galeria De Arte in Madrid.

The following event by this photography fair will take place this autumn in Miami, Florida, which photo basel will visit for the first time, introducing itself in the global context.

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