Art Basel Has Canceled the 2020 Edition of Its Flagship Swiss Fair, Citing ‘Tumultuous and Challenging Times’

Art Basel has canceled the upcoming edition of its flagship art
fair in Basel. The premier international art fair had initially
been postponed from its usual June slot to mid-September. The next
edition of Art Basel in Switzerland is now scheduled to take place
June 17 to June 20, 2021.

“We regret to announce that the 2020 edition of Art Basel in
Basel has been canceled,” organizers of the fair stated on Twitter today, June 6.
“These are tumultuous and challenging times, and we wish you the
very best until we are able to meet again.”

The decision to cancel came after “extensive consultation” with
dealers and collectors, as well as its partners, according to a
statement from Art Basel’s parent company, MCH Group. “The primary
considerations were the fundamental health and safety risks for
everyone involved, the financial risks for exhibitors and partners,
the ongoing impediments to international travel, and the fact that
the regulatory environment around large-scale events in Switzerland
has yet to be finalized.”

The planning received a major blow when Swiss officials decided to delay making
a decision about whether gatherings of 1,000 or more people would
be permitted on May 29. A letter from concerned Berlin- and
Stockholm-based Art Basel participant Claes Nordenhake asking that
the fair be canceled in light of the “apocalyptic
context,” had been circulating among galleries
seeking signatures, according to The Canvas. “Art Basel is the
most important and powerful art fair in the world but even in the
best possible scenario, an edition held this year would be a mere
shadow of its established stature and imperil its reputation,” the
letter said.

The international design fair, Design Miami Basel also decided
not to hold the fair in Basel this September, organizers tell
Artnet News. Artnet News also reached out to Liste, a neighboring
fair for emerging art dealers, to ask whether they are still
planning on holding their September edition, but did not hear back
by press time. The fair is still planning to go ahead with Art
Basel Miami Beach, which takes place in December in Florida.

“We are aware that our galleries are facing unprecedented
challenges and economic difficulties, and we had really hoped to
support the art market’s recovery with a successful show in
September,” Marc Spiegler, a member of MCH Group’s executive board
and the global director Art Basel, said in an official
statement. A spokesperson for the fair tells Artnet News that
participating galleries had not yet paid any fees to take part in
the September edition.

“Unfortunately, the uncertainties that we face remain too high.
We will continue to develop our digital platforms and to offer
fairs of the highest quality to support our galleries and the
global art community in revitalizing the art market.”

The post Art Basel Has Canceled the 2020 Edition of Its
Flagship Swiss Fair, Citing ‘Tumultuous and Challenging Times’
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