1969 maze of cardboard by Michaelangelo Pistoletto at Art Basel

Art 41 Basel: The Premier International Art Show

This year, the 41st edition of Art Basel takes place in Basel, Switzerland, from June 16 through June 20, 2010. As the world’s premier art show, Art Basel marks the annual summer reunion of the international artworld, hosted by the city of Basel, which has been a cultural capital for centuries.

More than 300 galleries from 36 countries on six continents will show works by over 2,500 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Furthermore, our exhibitors will present major works in the Art Unlimited sector, featuring more than 60 ambitious projects, and in the Art Public sector on Messeplatz.

A special event at Art 41 Basel will be the Art Parcours program, which will transform a variety of locations throughout Basel with site-specific artworks and performances. Complimenting Art Basel’s extensive offerings, the city’s museums and institutions once again feature fascinating exhibitions, with a particularly strong focus this year on stars of the recent decades, such as Matthew Barney, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Rodney Graham and Gabriel Orozco.

Founded by a group of local gallerists, the first Art Basel took place in 1970 and the event has long ranked as the most prestigious art show worldwide. The show regularly attracts some 60,000 artists, collectors, gallerists, museum directors, curators, and art enthusiasts, all drawn by both the quality and diversity of the artworks exhibited. Art 41 Basel will showcase every form of artistic expression, including paintings, drawings, editions, sculptures, installations, photography, performances, and video art. Inexpensive works by emerging artists will be on display alongside museum-quality masterpieces priced in the millions.

More than 300 of the world’s leading galleries will exhibit at Art Basel, selected from more than 1,100 applicants by the Art Basel Committee, an international jury of renowned gallerists. These include 72 galleries from the United States; 53 from Germany; 32 from Switzerland; 27 from both France and Great Britain; 20 from Italy; 8 each from Belgium and Spain; 7 from Austria; 6 from Japan; 5 from India; 4 from Brazil; 3 each from China, Mexico and the Netherlands; 2 from Canada, Denmark, Norway and Poland; and one from Argentina, Australia, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, South Africa, Sweden, and Turkey. (See a full list of exhibitors at www.artbasel.com/galleries).