Explore the highlights and market insights from Art Basel 2025. Discover how the fair reflects shifting trends in collecting and the global art scene
Art Basel 2025 unfolded this June with a renewed sense of purpose and a confident stride, offering a measured but meaningful response to the uncertainties of the global art market. With 289 galleries from 42 countries converging on the Messe Basel, the fair reaffirmed its position not just as a marketplace for fine art, but as a barometer for contemporary taste, cultural politics, and the ever-fluid relationship between commerce and creativity. Despite a backdrop of economic caution, collectors returned - albeit more selectively - and the fair delivered a compelling portrait of where the art world currently stands, and where it may be heading.
Early reports suggested a quieter preview day than in pre-pandemic years, but the energy in the halls quickly built. Conversations between gallerists, curators, and buyers revealed a shift in tone: less frenzied speculation, more considered acquisition. The buying was not necessarily slower, but smarter - directed toward pieces with clear artistic credibility or museum-level provenance. This year’s Art Basel didn’t just celebrate the art of now; it leaned into longevity, substance, and sustainability in collecting.
One of the headline sales came from Annely Juda Fine Art, who placed David Hockney’s Mid November Tunnel (2006) for a reported $13–17 million. Blue-chip anchors like Richter, Twombly and Ruth Asawa continued to attract major interest, with David Zwirner selling a suite of works ranging from $1.2 million to nearly $10 million. Yet the real story of Basel 2025 wasn’t just about seven-figure sales. There was a clear groundswell of momentum at the mid-market level, particularly from younger collectors who, though less ostentatious, are increasingly influential.
Perrotin Gallery sold out of its tightly curated solo presentations early on, with works priced between £85,000 and £250,000. It’s a strong indicator that serious buyers are still there - they’re simply more discerning, more global, and more culturally attuned.
The aesthetics of this year’s fair also told a more expansive story. German artist Katharina Grosse transformed the Messeplatz outside the fair into a monumental landscape of magenta and white spray paint, covering more than 50,000 square feet in a piece aptly titled CHOIR. Its immersive scale and ephemeral nature (unbuyable, unsellable) served as both a visual spectacle and a pointed reminder of art’s resistance to commodification. Inside, the Unlimited sector remained a highlight, with Marinella Senatore’s illuminated sculpture We Rise by Lifting Others echoing a broader theme of collective power and social uplift across several works.
As in previous years, the fair extended well beyond the walls of Messe Basel. Satellite events, particularly Liste and the inaugural Africa Basel, reflected an appetite for more diverse, global voices. With galleries from Lagos, Nairobi and Cape Town presenting alongside their European counterparts, the cultural geography of the fair continues to shift. These spaces were not only more experimental in curation, but in many cases, more alive with younger collectors and first-time buyers. Similarly, the underground June Art Fair, staged in a repurposed bunker, offered collectors a glimpse into the next generation of artists making bold, raw, and politically attuned work.
In an era of blurred boundaries between disciplines, Art Basel also leaned into broader cultural dialogue. The new Art Basel Awards, sponsored by Hugo Boss, acknowledged outstanding contributions from artists and institutions alike. Elsewhere, BTS’s RM, acting as Samsung Art TV’s ambassador, added a pop-cultural inflection to the week, reflecting a wider trend in which musicians, athletes, and influencers are becoming increasingly active collectors and patrons. The message was clear: the art world is opening its doors, and its chequebooks, to new audiences.
From a commercial gallery perspective, Basel 2025 showed that the market is not so much cooling as recalibrating. There’s less appetite for hype, but greater openness to narrative, authenticity, and long-term value. For galleries like Andipa, it’s an important moment to take stock of how collectors are thinking and where demand is moving. Clients are seeking strong voices, but also accessible entry points - editions, works on paper, and historically relevant pieces that offer both cultural resonance and investment potential.
This year’s edition of Art Basel made clear that while the art market continues to evolve, the appetite for meaningful, high-quality work remains robust. As the global landscape shifts, and as new collectors shape its contours, the art world is entering a more thoughtful, more globally conscious era. Art Basel 2025 didn’t just showcase the state of the market; it reflected the changing values of the people who sustain it.
For collectors and curators seeking modern works of exceptional calibre, Andipa Gallery continues to present unique opportunities, whether through rare paintings, original works on paper, or exceptional editions by blue-chip artists. To explore further, visit Andipa Gallery.