Art Basel unveils program highlights for the 2025 edition of its flagship show in Basel

The 2025 edition of Art Basel in Basel promises to be one of the most ambitious in the fair’s history, bringing together a dynamic mix of established masters and emerging voices across all sectors. With 289 leading galleries from 42 countries and territories, visitors will encounter a rich and diverse selection of artworks spanning painting, sculpture, photography, installations, and digital media.

One of the most anticipated highlights is the large-scale public commission by acclaimed German artist Katharina Grosse, who will transform Messeplatz and the surrounding structures into a vivid, immersive environment of color and movement. The site-specific work is curated by Natalia Grabowska, Curator at Large, Architecture and Site-Specific Projects at Serpentine, London, and will stand as a central landmark of this year’s expanded public art program.

The Unlimited sector, curated once again by Giovanni Carmine, Director of Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen, will feature 68 monumental installations, offering a platform for artists working on a scale or in formats beyond the scope of traditional booths. Kabinett, which returns to Basel in 2025, will present 22 curated projects within gallery stands, providing concentrated insight into single artists or focused thematic presentations.

Public art takes on new dimensions in the 2025 edition of Parcours, curated for the second year by Stefanie Hessler, Director of the Swiss Institute (SI) in New York. The sector will bring together more than 20 site-specific works under the theme "Second Nature", exploring the evolving interplay between nature and artificial environments. The exhibition will stretch along Clarastrasse to the banks of the Rhine, with works installed in unique locations such as the former Hotel Merian and the historic Münsterplatz, forging a strong connection between the fair and the fabric of the city.

In a major new development, Art Basel introduces the Art Basel Awards, presented in partnership with BOSS. These industry-first awards will honor 36 Medalists - artists, curators, cultural leaders, and patrons whose pioneering work is shaping the future of contemporary art. Medalists will be celebrated at the inaugural Awards Summit, taking place at Messe Basel on June 20 and freely accessible to the public. The summit will bring together leading voices across disciplines for a day of discussion and recognition, supported by the Canton of Basel-Stadt.

Adding a lifestyle dimension to the fair, The Art Basel Shop will return for its second year, offering exclusive and limited-edition design, fashion, and art objects. Open to both fairgoers and the public, the shop continues Art Basel’s growing engagement with collectible culture and art-driven retail.

Reflecting on the scope of this year’s program, Maike Cruse, Director of Art Basel in Basel, commented: “The 2025 edition of Art Basel will showcase not only the extraordinary works within our Galleries, Premiere, Feature, and Statements sectors, but also a dynamic public art program that makes this fair truly unique. Katharina Grosse’s bold transformation of Messeplatz will create a vivid, immersive experience. Meanwhile in Parcours, art will spill out into the urban environment, engaging with the city in a profound and evocative way. With the Awards Summit, we’re expanding the dialogue around innovation, fostering global connections, and honoring those whose work is redefining the art world. This is Art Basel’s commitment to pushing boundaries, not only within the fair but across the city and the cultural landscape.”

From monumental installations to meaningful civic engagement and cross-disciplinary innovation, Art Basel 2025 reaffirms its role as a global cultural catalyst - bringing contemporary art into dialogue with the city, its institutions, and the world.