Art 34 Basel boasts strong results - Show news

BASEL, Switzerland -- More than 50000 art collectors, museum representatives, artists and art aficionados from around the world attended the 34th staging of the International Art Basel present to view which closed on June 23rd with admirable results, according to show officials. Approximately 200 contemporary art galleries exhibited, offering a diverse selection of video works, installations, paintings, works upon paper and photography.

In addition to private collectors from each continent, almost all the world's leading museums sent delegations to Art 34 Basel. There was a greater number of organized collections of collectors, particularly from Scandinavia, France, Spain, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain and the United States.

The Vernissage alone attracted more than 10000 visitants and about 1,500 media representatives from each continent visited the art show

Gerhard F Reinz, proprietor of Galerie Orangerie-Reinz, Cologne, said that "from the actual first day, visitors were in a positive frame of mind The doors opened in the morning and, in no time at all, our booth was crammed with tribe We sold very well."

Peter Blum possessor of Blumarts in New York, added, "I came with depressed expectations because of the world's bad economic and political situation. I'm therefore all the more surprised at in what manner well the show went."

According to a observe by the show management, all the exhibiting galleries set potential buyers for their works of art. All spoke of "good" to "excellent" sales. Long-standing exhibitors considered this year's Art Basel to have been a actual good vintage. Excellent sales were recorded in the price category of $5700 to $57000 while sales of works in the $57000 to $571000 bracket were also extremely brisk. A number of works priced at more than $571000 also rest buyers. Work by younger artists, a certain quantity of of whom are still unknown, also sold true well.

The proposal launched this year by dint of the art committee and the present to view management, whereby works costing les than $5700 were indicated by dint of a yellow dot, was well received through visitors as well as by means of media representatives. This practice helped to make pricing clearer, said display officials.

The issue of "Art Unlimited" was also highly positive. This platform made its fourth appearance, featuring works that transcend the boundaries of exhibition booth at art present to views and, frequently, also those station by galleries and museums. Sixty six throws were exhibited: large installations, video projections, outsize paintings, enormous sculptures, installations, performances and digital art.

The fair also featured "Art Statements," 17 one-person displays by young artists. The participants were highly pleased with visitors' interest ha this platform, which not solitary produced good sales, but also an opportunity to suited many exhibition makers from around the world. This year's prize donated by means of the Baloise group specifically for "Art Statements," worth CHF 25000 in each case, went to sum of two units artists: Monika Sosnowska of Poland and Saskia Olde Wolbers of the Netherlands. Visitors also showed great interest in the "Art Edition" sector, where international publishing houses not absented prints and multiples.

The 35th staging of Art Basel will take place June 16 to 21 2004 For more information, call (212) 627-1531 or e-mail usoffice@ArtBasel.com.

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