Focus on Art Fairs Art Basel 2011

I was a little confused while researching Art Basel 42, as most available information suggested that it took place in June of last year. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading Thornton's account of the Basel Art Fair. She gives a very interesting account on the state of the art market, and its extraordinary rise and seemingly constant bubble. In the past, the art market consisted of a very insular world, with established buyers and subdued demand. Now, the enormous market has expanded to include many different buyer segmentations, from collectors to speculators to social climbers, all of which serves to produce a market with extraordinarily high demand. It was interesting to hear about the comparison with the car market, which experienced a trend in which everyone eventually owned two or three cars. It seems like art is an increasingly common means of spending disposable income, and as it increases its ubiquity, it could became a central expenditure for households of all income levels, pushing the market into previously unseen thresholds. Paintings disappear from these art fairs in seconds; generally, buyers who are willing to purchase pieces, may not end up with them, as sellers have considerable power to select who the purchaser is in an effort to maximize prestige, perception, and visibility of the artist. I truly is a seller's market, as the supply of art is relatively fixed and inelastic, and the bargaining power of the seller will only increased as demand continues to skyrocket. I also thought it was interesting how sellers choose buyers based on very subjective qualities, further indicating the relative youth of the new art market. "Acceptable" characteristics of the ideal purchaser is one who appreciates art for what it is, understands the history and message being conveyed, accepts its cultural and historical significance, and carries with them a certain amount of prestige. There is a strong negative connotation with speculation, as everyone seems wary of art becoming a commodity and losing much of its inherent meaning. 

While we have covered the Gagosian Gallery before, I think it is a highly important feature of the booming art world and worth further exploration. Physically, it occupied prime real estate during Art Basel 42, and was shown in the largest area possible among all galleries, right next to the central hall. I am sure the prestige, wealth, and social capital of Larry Gagosian had a significant effect on primacy of the location, in an attempt to be as conspicuous as possible. It showed one piece of art, entitled Whitman by Richard Serra, which is a large black circle created by paintstick on handmade paper. Serra was originally a painter, but later transitioned into three-dimensional dadaist artwork, and is a prolific artist with the Gagosian Gallery. He is gathering considerable notoriety, dubbed the "man of steel" by the New Yorker for his skill with steel sculpture. He was noted as one of the "titans of modern art" by The Guardian, known for his huge and emotionally moving steel sculptures, and has commanded solo exhibitions since 1992, and has a permanent installation at the Guggenheim in Bilbao. It is no surprise that Serra is linked to Gagosian, as Gagosian would surely attempt to represent one of the premier artists of his time. 

The frequency of art fairs represents a very healthy trend in the art world. While some traditionalist artists or dealers might resent the increasing visibility of the art world, the extraordinary influx of buyers, and the massive increase in investment, the end result is that increased demand will, over time, produce more supply and of better quality, and increasing the ubiquity of art will ultimately increase welfare for artists and the industry in general. Politics will continue to play a large role, as it has in China recently, as the "culture" of a country represents a large portion of its political and international prestige an capital, and cultivating it through patronage or financial and political support of the arts can increase a country's standing abroad and increase the quality of life at home. Restraining this growth of culture, as China has done recently, prohibits the realization of many of these trends and will only produce negative effects in the long run.

You can watch an interview with him, in which he describes his transition from paint to sculpture, in the video of him below, which was recorded during the Art Basel 42:

http://www.firstpost.com/topic/event/art-basel-artists-talk-with-richard-serra-video-Hv96TM_7eO8-85633-15.html

Another example of a famous work by Serra that was on display at the Grand Palais in Paris is Promenade, which I've linked below (for space reasons) along with the very positive review:

http://gagosian.cdn.crvncms.com/__data/4385265ca75b2d1cbacf8a6e14d8bff6.pdf

In the art community, there is growing concern and awareness of the political states of the world.  I personally believe that this new awareness comes from the political awareness of the way money has become entrenched in the art market (and politicians always seem to know where the money is).  What I find interesting is that it seems like the art community is really binding together on some major issues, and creating what can maybe be called a global cultural community.  Anish Kapoor, fellow artist and exhibitor at Art Basel 42/43, dedicated a huge sculptural installation to Ai Weiwei in 2011 even though they have never met.  In his gesture of solidarity, Kapoor is showing us what I expect to be a profound a deep running respect that runs between true artists.  This respect brings them together to support the artistic cause wherever it is in danger.  In this particular case, that place is China.  The Chinese government have been holding Ai without reason or trial, and the art community is becoming concerned.  They have made it their mission to make this injustice known, as press coverage of the topic is sure to make clear.  And they have more clout than they think.  Billions of dollars go into the art market every year, some of the richest people in the world are art collectors, and among art collectors priority number one is to be able to show how deeply you truly care about art and artists (art purity).  If this fact doesn't concern the Chinese, it certainly should.  It might be possible after all to put up a cultural barrier against the Chinese in coming years if the authorities cannot explain their actions, and this kind of cultural coup could be devastating to an emerging art scene in Shanghai and Hong Kong and Beijing (all of which have Art Fairs of their own throughout the year).  
Ai Weiwei at his famed sunflower exhibit at the Tate Modern
Anish Kapoor in front of Leviathan in Paris

In fact, the practice of the art fair has become so prolific it is a miracle that any of them survive except the most exceptional few.  There is no possible way that each fair can attract the big name clients, and so many must surely cater to more specific markets.  But what is undeniable is how international each of these fairs strives to be.  We have surpassed the days of the big art transactions happening in 1 city or 2.  Now you can find an art fair close to you no matter where you are.  Each fair attracts exhibitors from several continents to boost the international flare of their selection.  Although admittedly, Art Basel does favor European and especially Swiss galleries.  
Anish Kapoor - Push Pull 2008, Art Unlimited/Art Basel

Anish Kapoor showed in the Art Unlimited section of Art 42 Basel.  His large installation artwork was a conceptual piece made of red wax, vaseline, and metal.  The piece was reviewed as being an exceptional work which bends the physical space around itself, and brings new connotations to the art-object as visual space vs. physical space.  He is represented in the Art Unlimited venue by Galleria Massimo Minini, but also by London based Lisson Gallery in the main exhibition hall.  It seems that Kapoor, an English artist, adheres to the same practice as many other artists of having representation by different galleries in different countries.  Galleria Massimo Minini publishes its major events in several of the top art magazines and publications.  It also participates in at least 4 other art fairs internationally, including Frieze Art Fair in New York.  Publicity efforts like this show that the gallery is dedicated to getting the name of its artists out there in the world.  However, Anish Kapoor seems like a publicity gold mine and with all of the articles on his personal statements and appearances and protests of the Chinese government, one hardly even hears mention of his gallery representation.  I don't think this is a coincidence either.  As a gallery, Kapoor's activism seems like a perfect way to separate him from the commercial side of the art market and to focus on him as a purist seeking to better the world.  By encouraging him to the front lines, and staying to the back, a gallery can actively increase his symbolic market share and cultural value.  Also, given the success of Leviathan in the art community - the large scale installation he set up in the Grand Palace in Paris last June - it seems as if Anish Kapoor's presentation of his work "Push -Pull 2008" was overshadowed by the implications of the other.  At the opening of Leviathan, Kapoor gave a speech about his protest for Ai Weiwei and called for action from the entire art community.  Leviathan was a new direction for Kapoor, one that many in the art community admired, with its all encompassing enormity.  In comparison, his Push Pull series which is a continuation of long experimentation with the red wax substance seems much safer.  Kapoor is the artist behind the recognizable and widely covered "Bean" monument in Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois.
Anish Kapoor - Leviathan, Grand Palace Paris
Anish Kapoor - "The Bean" in Chicago
http://www.we-find-wildness.com/2011/06/art-basel-diary-6/

http://www.galleriaminini.it/contacts/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6DpgdA9L-Q

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/may/10/ai-weiwei-anish-kapoor-sculpture

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/anish-kapoor-cancels-china-plans-to-protest-ai-weiwei-detention/

http://www.phaidon.com/agenda/art/picture-galleries/2011/may/31/inside-the-belly-of-the-monster-anish-kapoors-leviathan/

http://trentfineartadvisory.com/tfaa_blog/art-basel-2011/

http://www.artfixdaily.com/news_feed/2011/06/20/6438-basel-buyers-bring-back-art-boom

http://www.artbasel.com/go/id/elj/

Larry Gagosian is a world-renowned art dealer who has made riches from his keen eye for art and ability to showcase that art and be a successful businessman. The Gagosian galleries showcase many successful artists. The success of the Gagosian galleries can be attributed to many factors, but most significant are the tenacity of Larry Gagosian, his reputation, and his marketing strategies.

 Known for being an unrelenting businessman, Larry Gagosian is very intense when it comes to selling art. He has never bothered to hide his interest in making loads of money². Developing his eye for art, in addition to his business techniques, has allowed him to continue to successfully make more riches. Gagosian is a man who is known for going after what he covets. Other dealers have claimed that he is known for “poaching” artists from his competitors and bringing them into his own gallery⁶. While some dealers may not agree with his methods, Gagosian has made it a successful strategy to become one of the most powerful dealers with one of the largest blue-chip artists within his gallery. His brand alone is known to add multiple zeros the price tag of artworks created by newly signed artists. With at least 10 galleries across the globe, and over 50 artists having been or currently being showcased in his gallery today, it is hard to not know of Larry Gagosian¹.

In order to promote his brand, Gagosian utilizes a variety of methods to make his galleries stand out. On the Gagosian gallery website, the viewer is immediately captured by the use of intricate colors to commanding the viewer to look deeper into the gallery site¹. On the homepage a promise of a signed spot print by Damien Hirst dedicated personally to the person who visits all eleven Gagosian Gallery locations¹. To many art fans this is more than just en enticing task, it is one that may drive people to action and visit the galleries---a success for Gagosian. In addition to website tactics, Gagosian utilizes his artists and their works. Gagosian showcases artists with controversial art that is shocking to the public. Damien Hirst, and Jeff Koons for example are two very well known artists in the art world. Koons’ and Hirst’s artwork usually invoke passionate responses from critics, making them a very talked about artist. Gagosian uses his brand name to generate discussion about his gallery and the brand name of his artists associated with it¹.

The government and politics can also play a significant role in how much attention is given to a particular gallery. Government politics can dictate the amount of focus given to cultural aspects of a country, with art being one cultural aspect influence. Biennials are art exhibitions that take place in different cities across the world. The occurrence of these exhibitions is subjected to interests of local governments with non-cultural agendas so they started to become less frequent when certain political powers come into power³. Despite the changing hands of politics, there still seem to be at least five art fairs that take place across the globe each month of the year⁴. It seems as though art shows and biennials are becoming more abundant than art fairs. This transition to a different kind of art exhibition could represent the desire to view a different kind of art exhibitions that show more art and involves more curators and artists. In some cases, politics drives inspiration for art⁵.  Propaganda is abundant during times of war and many pieces of artwork are found in newspapers in conjunction with a certain message the government or media wants to relay to the people. In one instance, the Iraq War led to many pictures in the media, depicting the violence and brutality of war.

Example of War Propaganda:

References:

¹http://www.gagosian.com/

²http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/g/larry_gagosian/index.html

³http://metropolism.com/magazine/2008-no3/the-art-fair-age/

⁴http://www.artvista.de/

⁵http://politicsandart.com/

⁶[http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/g/larry_gagosian/index.html
]

Given the increasing involvement of the Chinese in the Art Market - financially and artistically, it makes sense that Galerie Ursmeile was present at the Art Basel.  It is one gallery in particular that was amongst the first to take advantage of the exploding Chinese Art Market, featuring well-known Chinese artists such as Ai Weiwei.  Its marketing strategy is centered around Chinese artists and the growing market for Chinese artwork in China and throughout the world. The expanding wealth in China and increasing notoriety of their artists is a powerful force in the art market. 

According to Galerie Ursmeile's website, it established a gallery in Beijing which is known as an “international meeting place for collectors, curators and aficionados of the arts.”  An interesting dynamic of their marketing approach is that they have an artist-in-residence studio in the Beijing gallery, where Western artists can work in China and connect with the Chinese art market.  

The influence of the Chinese as artists and investors in the art market is probably best reflected in a report published yesterday that Chinese artist Zhang Daqian surpassed Picasso as a top auction earner.  If anything is true about the art world, it’s that the Chinese have significantly affected every aspect of the market

.

Source:  Huffingtonpost.com

Here is a photo of their Beijing gallery which was designed by Weiwei:
Galerie Ursmeile was present at Art Basel 2011.  The Art Basel is not as much about exhibiting art, as it is selling.  It is the “world’s most important contemporary art fair” (Thornton 77).   The show is said to host “la crème de la crème,” only displaying the best artwork from galleries around the world. (Thornton 79).  It is mostly collectors present at this fair - looking to make purchases.  Interestingly, the art market is not immune from politics as was seen when Weiwei was arrested. 

A banner at a recent Art Basel read “I wouldn’t say I’ve become more radical.  I was born radical – Ai Weiwei.”

After reviewing the art fair calendar, I find it remarkable how often art fairs are held around the world.   I never thought that art fairs happened so frequently; I figured there would only be one or so a month.  However, I notice there are 22 art fairs in the month of January alone!  There are even multiple art fairs in the same city at the same time.  I notice that the art fairs are mostly in major cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, and London.  The popularity of the fairs is well explained by Amy Cappellazzo, a specialist at Christies, who says “fairs are less stressful than auctions” (Thornton 86).   Similar to art galleries, art fairs do not post the price right next to the artwork.  The money aspect is not openly spoken about.  Art sold at the Art Basel may not necessarily go to the highest bidder.  Sometimes, the dealer is usually willing to settle for a lower price if it means placing the artwork in the “most prestigious home” (Thornton 88).

One artist who Thornton noted meeting in the reading and who also had a prominent exhibition at the Art Basel 42 in Switzerland is John Baldessari. Baldesarri is a well-known American artist whose work uses found or appropriated photography combined with painting and text. He was represented at the event by several galleries including Marianne Goodman and Margo Leavin.  Notably, Alejandro Cesarco is a young artist who was mentored by Baldessari and exhibited at Art Basel 42 in the Art Statements section of the fair where he won the Baloise Art Prize.  When Baldessari began as an artist, the art market was not what it is today; the art and money were not yet so interconnected.  As described in the reading, while he was initially wary of collectors and tried to avoid them, he eventually realized the value/advantage that the artist-collector relationship could have for the value and promotion of an artist’s work.

 
 

 Photo of Baldessari mentoring Cesarco

 

 A work by John Baldessari

 A work by Alejandro Cesarco

While the art fair scene started out much smaller, there are currently art fairs around the world throughout the entire year as seen on the Art Fair Calendar.  The different marketing strategies of the dealers at these events, particularly at Art Basel, as described by Thornton are very interesting.  The different exhibition styles through the careful selection of how much art to display and where, changes with each dealer and is an attempt to draw attention to the art and artists they represent.  The way the art is sold through the building of relationships between dealers and collectors is equally fascinating. Collectors must promote and prove themselves to be serious and knowledgeable and owners of reputable collections in order to be chosen by dealers to purchase pieces that they want over other interested collectors.  These relationships can greatly influence the value and success of an artist’s work.

Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist whose political criticisms of China resulted in his detention.  In the weeks and months following his detention, protests for his release took place around the world and Art Basel 42 was no exception.  The event was a large and visible venue in which to draw attention to the plight of Ai Weiwei, current issues in China, and also his art and that of other Chinese artists.  Weiwei was released days after the Art Basel 42 concluded.  While perhaps the intention of the Chinese government was to prevent him from attending such events and expressing his opinions, the result was contrary in that it increased Weiwei’s visibility and international interest in him. I think large international events such as the Art Basel are ideal venues for artists or protesters to voice their complaints about political issues in order to garner widespread attention for the issues, and whether intended or not, the attention also highlights the event and its participants.

 Ai Weiwei's self portrait entitled "Grass Mud Horse" which in Chinese sounds similar to "Fuck your mother" which has been interpreted as an insult to the Chinese government.

 Lisson Gallery’s booth at Art Basel (Anish Kapoor. Push-Pull. 2008)

Lisson Gallery is a contemporary art gallery based in London that represents many artists including Ai Weiwei, Sol LeWitt, Anish Kapoor, and Richard Deacon. Since 1972, Lisson Gallery has never missed a single Art Basel (Thornton 90). Thornton’s account of Lisson’s booth shows that its booth at the fair was “minimal and sculptural” (90). Lisson Gallery shows at about seven art fairs a year (Thornton 90). In 2012, it’s scheduled to show at six fairs: India Art Fair, the Armory Show, Zona Maco, Frieze Art Fair New York, Hong Kong, and Art Basel (Lisson). One of the gallery’s marketing strategies is exhibiting different kinds of work in different places---“placing an accent on its Spanish and Latin American artists at ARCO in Madrid or an emphasis on younger American work in Miami…” (Thornton 90). Catering to the interest of the region in which each fair is held may seem too commercial, but Lisson Gallery is a commercial gallery, and Art Basel is a fair designed and used like a market where selling and buying occur. As Scott Wright stated, Basel is great for “interactive advertisement” (Thornton 89). Lisson is so successful in attracting buyers and selling works to them at fairs that 50% of the gallery’s total turnover comes form these art fairs (Thornton 90).

I’m not sure if Lisson also employs these tactics, but according to Scott Wright of Victoria Miro Gallery, no red dots or price tags are put on the walls because their absence sparks conversation and opportunities for promotion of certain artists or works (Thornton 87). Also, dropping the names of the famous people or institution that also have works by the artist in discussion or saying the work is a “museum” quality is likely to increase the chance of sale (Thornton 89). Another trick galleries use is not to sell works immediately to the first interested collector or the one that offers the highest price but to wait to get the work sold to the most prestigious home possible (Thornton 88).

Nicholas Logsdail, Lisson Gallery’s owner, says that he likes artists “who are on a slow burn, very good, very serious, not in the fast track, but pursuing their own artistic interests with tenacity, quirkiness, and confidence” (Thornton 90). Pursuing their art with tenacity, quirkiness, and confidence indeed are Ai Weiwei and Anish Kapoor, both of whom are Lisson’s artists. Weiwei was detained by the Chinese government last year, and many believe the reason to be his political activism against the communist regime despite the Chinese government’s claim that the arrest was due to the artist’s tax evasion (Jones). This incident provoked indignation among fellow artists, and Kapoor, openly opposing the Chinese government’s action, refused to show his sculpture at the National Museum of China in Beijing and dedicated his installation shown in Paris to Weiwei (Bailey, Jones). To petition for the artist’s release, Tate Modern in London posted the message “RELEASE AI WEIWEI” on its façade. Kapoor’s call for artists’ protest and Tate’s clear stance on this issue are proof that art and politics are not always unrelated and distant from each other. Moreover, the Chinese government’s arrest of Weiwei demonstrates how politics can limit art when it sees certain art as dangerous to its scheme.

Ai Weiwei

https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVvThj_sVvwyls_pOLGhg7sFumoUPM82zpmXPr1xUrxdo1LA0oTg

Tate Modern’s petition message on its façade

http://www.randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/tate-modern-release-ai-weiwei.jpeg

The Art Fair Calendar provided by ArtVista shows the profusion of art fairs in recent years. Barbara Gladstone sees the reason for this success in that nowadays “everyone feels comfortable viewing art as an asset, not just a pleasure" (The Economist). András Szántó, consultant and contributing editor to The Art Newspaper, said: “The fairs have done very well in exploiting a structural weakness of the gallery system...it is inchoate and based on local markets” (Burns). During the downturn, many withdrew from these markets and, according to dealer David Zwirner, “the overall weight has shifted to clients who don’t live where you work...so you service them through art fairs” (Burns). 

However, a closer look at relevant statistics reveals something that can be otherwise overlooked.

Statistics – Art fairs, Biennials and Triennials: http://www.artvista.de/pages/art-fair-and-biennial-statistics.html

Number of Art Fairs by Month: http://www.artvista.de/pages/statistics/number-of-art-fairs-by-month.html

Top art fairs by Number of Visitors: http://www.artvista.de/pages/statistics/top-art-fairs-by-number-of-visitors.html

These statistics are rather curious in that the number of visitors to most art fairs increased whereas the number of art fairs itself decreased, both in monthly and yearly totals.

Robert Curcio, a member of the founding team of Scope Art Fair, says he foresaw the decline of art fairs. "There are too many fairs, too many things to go to…Even in 2007, collectors were beginning to skip fairs. There has been this general fatigue for some time now, regardless of the economy" (Young). What he says doesn’t seem to be an entirely subjective opinion. Gallery owners are reducing the number of art fairs they attend each year. James Fuentes of James Fuentes LLC decided to cut it down from five to two fairs (Young). Even the Armory Show will cut the number of galleries in 2012 by around 40 in the Pier 94 contemporary section and by around 10 in the Pier 92 modern section (Russeth). It seems to me that many galleries, artists, and collectors are choosing to only go to certain fairs, resulting in the decreased in the total number of fairs but record attendance at big, popular fairs like Art Basel. Hopefully this won’t prove too damaging for those artists who cannot get themselves a spot in those trendiest fairs.

Works Cited

Barragán, Paco. “The Art Fair Age.” Metropolis M. 2008. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://metropolism.com/magazine/2008-no3/the-art-fair-age/english>.

Bailey, Martin. “To support Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor rejects China show.” The Art Newspaper. 14 Jun. 2011. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. < http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/To-support-Ai-Weiwei-Anish-Kapoor-rejects-China-show/23991>.

Burns, Charlotte. “Gallery system is structurally weak.” The Art Newspaper. 28 Jul. 2011. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. < http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Gallery-system-is-structurally-weak/24188>.

Jones, Sam. “Anish Kapoor calls for Ai Weiwei protest.” The Guardian. 10 May 2011. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. < http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/may/10/anish-kapoor-ai-weiwei-protest>.

Russeth, Andrew. “As Director Steps Down, Armory Show Announces Trimmer 2012 Edition.” New York Observer. 20 Sep. 2011. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://www.observer.com/2011/09/as-director-steps-down-armory-show-announces-trimmer-2012-edition/>.

Young, Faith-Ann. “The Party is Over.” Intelligent Life. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. <http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/art-fairs-lean>.

Lisson gallery generated much media coverage at Art Basel 2011. Founded in 1967 by Nicholas Longsdale, the gallery represents several well established artists including Ai Weiwiei, John Latham, Sol LeWitt, Robert Mangold, Jonathan Monk, Julian Opie, Richard Wentworth, Richard Deacon, and Anish Kapoor. Weiwei and Kapoor, in particular, have generated much media attention this year due to the political nature of Weiwei's work.

Weiwei had created several installations around the city of Basel to act as an extension of the main venue during Art Basel 42. He states, "I was thinking it would be interesting to introduce the viewer to the history of Basel from these different buildings and have artists make interventions into these buildings." [2]. He created several banners of Chinese citizens he brought to Kassel in 2007. A clever marketing strategy on his part, to literally bring Art Basel to the people by installing his work in public space.

[5]
Weiwei has gained much notoriety in the art world due to the politically provocative nature of his works. After completion of the installations, Weiwei was jailed by Chinese authorities on charges of “economic crimes.” [3]. Over 2,000 protestors gathered in Hong Kong alone to demand Weiwei's release. Many galleries in the city participated by placing “missing” posters in their windows [3].

[3]
Politics has always played a large part in the art market, and artists have often use their art as a platform for political agendas. In Light of Weiwei's detention, Kapoor has canceled plans to show his works at the National Museum of China in Beijing. In fact, Kapoor has urged the international arts community to shut down all galleries and museums for a day to protest Weiwei's arrest [4]. Kapoor references a bond shared by those in the art community and an obligation to each other. Speaking of Weiwei, he says:

"As a colleague – I don't know him personally – I feel that as artists we have a communal voice and it's important that we stick together, that we have a sense of solidarity with each other... It does bear witness to the barbarity of governments that if they're that paranoid they have to put away artists. It's a ridiculous situation." [4].

Kapoor has decided to dedicate his exhibition, Leviathan, to Weiwei. It has been shown at the Monumenta Exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris [4]. Aptly named, Kapoor describes his work as a “terror,” perhaps making a connection to the terror that totalitarian governments impose on their creative minds.

 [4]
Despite these political run ins, it is likely that international art fairs will continue to proliferate. According to Paco Barragan in an article for metropolism.com, we are in the midst of the art fair age. The art fair age goes hand in hand with the age of the curator. [6]. In other words, contemporary times demand that exhibitions continually challenge us and push art forward, and the art fair seems to be the best platform for that at this time. But at the end of the article, Barragan encourages us to think about the possibilities of what the art fair can be. The issues faced by Weiwei and Kapoor seem to have redefined the art fair as a potential political platform. How else can we push the art fair further...?

[1] http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/To-support-Ai-Weiwei-Anish-Kapoor-rejects-China-show/23991

[2] http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-16/world/basel.art.parcours_1_american-artist-walls-gallery?_s=PM:WORLD

[3] http://premierartscene.com/magazine/prostest-for-ai-weiwei/

[4] http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/may/10/anish-kapoor-ai-weiwei-protest

[5] http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1680&bih=872&tbm=isch&tbnid=XAILbFOR7nTriM:&imgrefurl=http://zodiacheads.tumblr.com/post/6600035939/duly-ai-weiwei-before-he-was-jailed-by-the&docid=ANxPBLxqGeXrVM&imgurl=http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/6600035939/1/tumblr_lmwl8jh1Ii1qj536a&w=591&h=394&ei=dj0UT9KFD8rz0gG2ntWaAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=188&vpy=167&dur=1150&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=127&ty=132&sig=107065817656893031348&page=1&tbnh=158&tbnw=211&start=0&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

[6] http://metropolism.com/magazine/2008-no3/the-art-fair-age/

One of the most interesting exhibits in the art show Art Basel 42, was the exhibition entitled Art Parcours. In this exhibit, 10 international artists used public areas throughout the town of St. Alban-Tal to display their contemporary works of art. The artists were: Joan Jonas, Gabriel Sierra, Anne Chu, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Ugo Rondinone, Kris Martin, Federico Herrero, Chris Johanson, Yinka Shonibare, and Ai Wei Wei. The locations of their art were fishing huts, a cargo ship, the old city wall, the Haus Zum Hohen Dolder, the St. Alban church, and an underground water reservoir from the medieval times. Not only is it a challenge, demonstrating the artists creative abilities, to transform an already historically beautiful city, but it also drew in the public to the world of Art and the Art Basel show. 
In this piece, artist Kris Martin covered the floor, altar, and pews of the St. Alban Church. He explains: “As visitors walk over the shiny debris it will get progressively pushed outside, ultimately reminding us of our transient condition.”

The Art Parcours Exhibition was the only portion of the Art Basel show that was free to the public, which it had to be seeing as it was all over the city. By creating this separate, innovative exhibition with some of the top artists in the world and leaving it open to the public, the Art Basel encouraged all people to participate in the show, thereby expanding their marketing to people outside of the Art Market group. No matter if you wanted to or not, you could not escape the Art Basel, and thus you became part of it. 

One of the most talked about artists at the Art Basel 42, was contemporary artist and political spokesperson, Ai Weiwei. Because of his outspoken disagreements with the Chinese Government, Ai Weiwei has developed a following, not only for his pieces, but also for the political message imbued in them. Even though he was detained by the Chinese government at the time, Ai Weiwei still had an influential piece displayed on the old city wall. It was a banner made up of 500 pictures of the 1001 Chinese citizens he brought to Kassel, Germany in his exhibition entitled "Fairytale". 

Ai Weiwei is known for his political statements as made through his art. In one such piece, a picture of Weiwei completely naked with a toy horse covering his genitals, Weiwei plays upon the double meaning of Chinese characters, which many have taken to be entitled "F**k your mother, the party central committee". Another one of his pieces, depicting painted vases, is meant to comment on the Chinese governments continued decline. By painting the vases in an imperfect manner compared to the vases from the Chinese golden era, Weiwei is making a comment on how society in China has declined, and continues to do so. 

Art can be a very effective way to comment on the political nature of a person or place, as shown through the works of Weiwei. Art has a way of staying with its audience in a way that words cannot. It may be the visual nature, or the creative way that the political statement is being made, but it tends to have a larger effect on its audience than a simple speech could. Any political statement made through art seems radicle, but at the same time intriguing and begs the audience to take a closer look at the discrete nature of politics and what is happening in the world. Weiwei excels in making political comments through art, because they could be interpreted as political, or they could be interpreted as just art. After he was named one of the top 100 most powerful artists of our age by an American magazine, Chinese officials declared that there were much better artists, however Americans were just caught up in his skewed political views, and thus have elevated him beyond what he deserves. This proves that the meaning behind art is really entirely in the hands of the person who looks upon it. One person may just see some crudely painted vases, or a somewhat overweight, naked Asian man, but others see the power behind the statements these pieces of art are making. 

Art Basel is a premier art fair (and arguably the world’s most prestigious) that runs for 6 days in early June in Basel every year, marking the summer reunion of the international art world. In art Basel 42, there were more than 300 galleries from 35 countries across six continents are exhibiting works by over 2,500 artists, both modern and contemporary. The Works ranged from the more affordable works by emerging artists, to museum-quality masterpieces priced in the millions. Art Basel is split into two halls. Hall 2 is where those 300 galleries have their booths, which is the main point of interest for the throng of VIP collectors who stormed through. Generally speaking, the ground floor is mainly comprised of blue chip galleries and galleries who represent the more established artists. On the first floor you get more emerging work. On the ground floor you had the likes of Gagosian, Pace, Marian Goodman, Paula Cooper, Gladstone, Feigen and Landau. On the first floor, David Zwirner, Blum & Poe, White Cube and Lisson. Hall 1, which is completely separated from Hall 2, houses Art Unlimited and Art Statements. Art Unlimited offers a 17,000 sq m hall space for artists and galleries for works that need more than the conventional gallery booth, showcasing outsized sculptures, video projections, installations, wall paintings and even performance art. Art Statements spotlights 26 single-artist projects from younger galleries worldwide, often a frequent site for the discovery of emerging artists.

Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller-undergrounf installation- Entrance to the Hawaiian Tiki Bar

Amongst the many artist r represented in the Art Basel 42, One of my favorite works has was by artists Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, who has created an installation inside an underground old water reservoir that would normally be shut off from the public.The entrance to the reservoir is quite conspicuous. You push through some wooden doors and descend a staircase. It is very dark in there, almost pitch black as ones eyes attempts to adjust from the sunny outside. If it weren’t for people being in front of me, I might have just been too scared to keep going. After going several steps down this dark dungeon-like cave, you eventually descend into a small humid and darkly lit room. There are sounds of running and dripping water. Right in the middle of the room is… a Hawaiian tiki hut. Tropical music is also playing.  The prices ranges from Warhol’s $80 million “rubs eyes” to Joseph Albers paintings for $400,000. Other works on sale includes Warhol’s Cambpell Soup boxes were going at $1.1 million each, tiny Rothko for $5 million, Louise Bourgeois’ Eye from 2001 for $2 million. Having said this though, the bulk of the sales were under the $1 million mark, as buyers opted for the younger, more challenging work. Many of the most expensive items were sold later including a Francis Bacon at $50 million. Despite this, this is evidence that the art buying frenzy of pre-2008 days are well and truly back again. Works sold within the first few minutes of the fair opening.There was also the art salon which is a series of half hour panel discussions, a cut down version of Art Conversations, which featured the various art world players and discussed issues like “The future of the physical gallery in the digital world” that featured Josh Baer, art advisor from New York and James Cohan, gallerist and founder of the VIP Art Fair discussing the role of the physical gallery in the art market. I think this is a very interesting topic that was discussed.
Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller-undergrounf installation- pathway to the Hawaiian Tiki Bar
On the issue of the politics of the art market in reference to Ai Weiwei as an example, I think it cannot be associated to all artists, but artist who also are political activist. Like Ai WSeiwei who has continuously addressed cultural and political problems in his work, the issue of the politics of art fits well with, because art speaks volume; it influences generations and cause people to act, so in his case, the governments action was not based only on the fact that he didn’t pay some taxes, it was being used as the standing point within which to retaliate for his efforts to expose political issues in the country.  Also I believe that it depends greatly on the country being politically represented in the artworks of the artist and what the rules governing the country on art and artistic communication and responsibilities. Today, Chinese artists are facing multiple challenges. They have to transcend what materialistic and social gains they may have achieved to continue making social critiques an integrated aspect of their art and life. At the same time, they have to show that their works are meaningful contributions to China’s cultural history.
Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller-undergrounf installation-Hawaiian Tiki Bar

The 42nd edition of Art Basel closed on Sunday, June 19, 2011. This year, the annual gathering of the cream of the international art world attracted more than 65,000 artists, collectors, curators, and art lovers from around the globe. T was the highest record of attendance to date. The participating galleries, art lovers critics and journalists were unanimous in pronouncing it a superb year for the quality throughout the exhibition. Collectors from all over the globe were rewarded in their choice of hi-quality works and magnificent booth presentations with strong sales throughout the week, across all levels of the market.

At Art 42 Basel, more than 300 galleries from 35 countries exhibited works by over 2,500 artists. Many stands featured thematic exhibitions and one-person shows while many galleries presented enormous installations and sculptures. Paintings, works on paper, and photography continued to be represented by the choice of strong and valuable works. The overwhelming majority of exhibitors reported excellent results and made valuable new contacts for the future evolution of their businesses.

One specific show within the convention, titled Art Unlimited and launched in 2000, is Art Basel's pioneering exhibition platform for projects that transcend the classical art-show stand.  The presentation includes video projections, large-scale installations, massive sculptures and live performances. Selected by the Art Basel Committee, Art Unlimited is curated by New York based curator Gianni Jetzer.

Art Unlimited also spotlighted 62 ambitious works and drew an enormous audience surpassing previous years. Many of the exhibited pieces were created especially for Art 42 Basel. Highlights included major works by legendary artists Carl Andre, John Baldessari, Daniel Buren, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Dan Flavin, Anish Kapoor, Robert Rauschenberg, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Cerith Wyn Evans, joined by pieces from younger and emerging stars. (http://www.artbasel.com/ca/n/elj/).

I was particularly interested in researching more about Dan Falvin, as I have seen his work at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

Dan Flavin’s installation at ART UNLIMITED called Untitled to Barry, Mike, Chuck and Leonardo (1972-1975), used Yellow and Pink Fluorescent light in a corridor accessible to viewers from either side. In 1972 Dan Flavin first began developing his barred corridors as specially constructed hallways bisected by a barrier of lights. The corridors allowed the artist to extend his experiment by intermingling a contrasting background and foreground colors in a contained environment. Ultimately this square rectangular configuration of lights also allowed Flavin to refer to the picture plane of painting and the idea of perspective. Untitled (to Barry, Mike, Chuck and Leonard) from 1972 - 1975, is an eight-by-eight foot installation of paired pink and yellow light fixtures installed back to back. This important and unique work is one of only five made by Flavin during his lifetime.

                                                                                              
                                                                             Dan Flavin's "Untitled to Barry, Mike, Chuck and Leonardo" (1972-1975) in Hall 1 at the 42nd Art Basel in 2011. 

Although Flavin passed away in 1996, his fame and notoriety as a contemporary American minimalist is widely recognized today. For more than three decades, Flavin vigorously pursued the artistic possibilities of fluorescent light. The artist radically limited his materials to commercially available fluorescent tubing in standard sizes, shapes, and colors, extracting banal hardware from its utilitarian context and inserting it into the world of high art. The resulting body of work at once possesses a straightforward simplicity and a deep sophistication. Many of Flavin’s works have been sold at auction. In 2004, Flavin's work Untitled ("monument" for V. Tatlin)' (1964--1965) was sold for $735,500 at Christie’s, New York.

Dan Flavin's is represented in New York by David Zwirner as agent Zwirner has managed Flavin’s entire estate since 2010.

Discussing his experience at Art 42 Basel, David Zwirner said: 'Collector confidence was definitely back this year, and there was a lot of positive energy all around. In addition to seeing our dedicated clients from Europe, we were excited to see that a number of the new collectors we met during recent travels to Asia also made their way to Basel. And we were especially grateful that our presentations at Art Unlimited that were so enthusiastically received.' 

                                                                                
                                                 This is one of my favourite works by Dan Flavin "Untitled to Piet Mondrian" (1985). Flavin has cited the Dutch painter as one of his largest influences. 

One interesting part of the Art Basel 42 fair is its controversial choices for galleries to display.  Three Berlin based galleries including, Eigen+Art were not chosen to be displayed at this year’s fair which may be in part due to the head of Eigen+Art’s behavior at prior shows and controversial opinions about certain Berlin galleries. 

The committee which selected artists and galleries for Art Basel is composed of 6 members, 3 of which are actually from Berlin galleries. Part of the issue with Eigen+Art’s rejection is that it brings politics, collusion and status into a show which aims to bring the finest art for display. One of the other galleries not selected, Giti Nourbakhsch is suspected to be passed over because of their refusal to continue working on the organizational committee for Gallery Weekend in Berlin, which the 3 Basel members were also on the committee.  There are claims that politics and collusion have occurred because the three galleries complaining are often seen as the most influential galleries in Berlin.  Thornton describes Art Basel as displaying only the world’s best contemporary art.  Many of these angered galleries would fall into this category.  Eigen+Art’s head, Harry Lybke is responsible for bringing the New Leipzig School (modern German art movement) to the United States . Brad Pitt is even rumored to one of his clients.

            The exclusion of Eigen+Art brings up new question because of the types of art it displays. The gallery focuses almost entirely on paintings from artists living in East Berlin before the Berlin Wall fell. It highlights art showing life under communist rule. As such, the gallery is a mix of both art and history from the East Berlin region.  Excluding Eigen+Art is seen as ignoring a major part of the world’s history through art.
Cornelia Parker's Painting within the Eigen+Art Gallery         

    The clash brings up some interesting issues within the art fair community. With a perceived trend of ultimate consumerism at many of the shows similar to Art Basel, is breaking the mold to feature new or different artists a good thing or a bad thing? Certainly galleries which push the art movements in their country, such as the New Leipzig should be celebrated. However, with the number of major art fairs in the hundreds how to choose galleries and artists is controversial in its own right. Being chosen for the Art Basel show is both an honor and a possible opportunity for sales volumes. At the “Costco” of art fairs, being selected to exhibit art can change the landscape of the art market and consumers’ preference. Limiting access for a style of art or country of origin among other factors could hugely affect popularity of art among collectors.

Should the committee move to include lesser known galleries in an effort to promote new artists and less branding throughout the industry?

            One could absolutely see how the art market and art fairs can affect international markets and politics. The art community is both concerned for humanity and extremely powerful in terms of connections and wealth. In May of 2010, a display of North Korean art was shown at the MAK Museum in Vienna.  The art showed how few freedoms the people of North Korea actually have. The expression of life and emotion in the undertone of the pieces causes controversy in the art world and the political sphere. 
(North Korean Art with Kim Jong il as a prominent feature)