ART FAIRS: Liste Art Fair Basel 2024

Tara Downs & Ginny on Frederick: Justin Chance, Green Screen, 2022-2023, 68 × 77 in / 178 × 195 cm, Quilted wet and needle felted wool, cotton, silk, dye. Courtesy of the artist and Tara Downs, New YorkSince its foundation, Liste Art Fair Basel has been considered one of the most im-portant places for discovering young international art. The current voices in the international art discourse, presented by primarily young galleries, not only reflect our present but also participate in creating it. To guarantee the best possible presence for the galleries and their artists, alongside the physical fair in Basel, Liste has developed two digital formats: Liste Showtime, the digital edition of the fair and Liste Expedition, a digital research forum and artist index, which has been permanently available since December 2021 and continues to grow annually.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Liste Art Fair Archive

For the 29th edition of Liste Art Fair Basel that opened its doors for the first time in 1996, participate 91 galleries from 35 countries around the globe. There are 75 solo and 16 group presentations exhibited alongside 5 joint booths resulting in more than 100 differing cultural voices being amplified to an international audience during the fair. Liste is unique in that it is the only art fair where two thirds of the galleries are showing a single artist exhibition resulting in the curating of, over 70 solo exhibitions cementing its position as a pioneering champion of contemporary artists and the art sector. The galleries planned presentations manifest clearly that in the current art landscape there is a pertinent tendency to explore the complex relationship between humans and the environment demonstrating the sense of urgency to highlight ecological, social and political issues while another key theme resonating with artists includes a reflection on time, memory and transience. Visitors at Liste 2024 will engage with artists who use their practice to explore the ephemeral nature of the human experience and the inevitable confrontation with morality and loss. Peter Bläuer, Co-Founder, Liste Art Fair, Basel, has managed Liste for 23 years and led it to its great success. This year he has stepped in as artistic director on an interim basis and commented: “Almost every young gallery still applies to Liste and wants to be part of this important platform in Basel. This year, we are once again able to present the most promising new galleries and their artists to an international audience of experts. It makes me very happy to once again work with Stiftung Liste Basel on this important task of helping to promote a future generation of galleries. What could be better than supporting and helping? So, dear experts! take a good look! There is a lot to discover again this year”. This year Liste hosts 23 new galleries who will be exhibiting at Liste for the first time, including Coulisse from Stockholm; Cylinder and P21 from Seoul; Gauli Zitter from Brussels; Longtermhandstand from Budapest; murmurs from Los Angeles; Rele from Lagos; Silke Lindner from New York; sissi club from Marseille; Yutaka Kikutake from Tokyo; and a. Squire, Brunette Coleman and Rose Easton, all from London. A lasting tradition of Liste will also be resumed with daily performances by cutting- edge artists. Special project “Mythic Beings” curated by Elisa Lammer considers some utopias’ blueprints of anti­normative potentials. For the 20 time the The Helvetia Art Prize will be presented with a solo show. As every year, the HEK (House of Electronic Arts) presents the latest media art. Additionally, Berlin’s “do you read me?” curates Liste’s first ever bookstore. Liste Showtime Online is the digital art fair launched by Liste in 2020, offers galleries from Liste Art Fair Basel the opportunity to extend their presentations into the digital space. Liste Expedition Online is a research forum with a continuously growing index of artists who represent new positions in contemporary art. The artists are selected by galleries and project spaces participating in Liste Art Fair Basel and Liste Showtime Online. Liste has been known for providing an international overview of the latest developments and trends in contemporary art to a global audience. This knowledge has been transformed from a temporary presentation into a permanent digital research forum. With categories and filter functions, a curated programme and collaborations, Liste Expedition Online is a dynamic source for discovering and familiarizing oneself with international positions in contemporary art. Publicly accessible to anyone anywhere, the research forum will evolve year-by-year and it will be a lively virtual place for contemporary art year-round. Curated by Elise Lammer, the performance programme “Mythic Beings” considers some utopias’ blueprints of anti-normative potentials to address art’s transformative function, while simultaneously promoting the idea that artists are mythic beings embodying revolutionary power. The performances will take place in the spaces between the exhibition halls. Helvetia Art Prize winner is Bisso Yann Stéphane, his paintings speak of journeys, dreams and the merging of time and space. The artist understands the canvas as a surface for the projection of possibilities – a surface to understand what lies behind, in front of and next to us. In a unique visual language of straddling landscapes, portraiture and abstraction, Bisso Yann Stéphane merges memories of a personal history with depictions of a perceived present as well as future hopes and aspirations in a dreamlike space of fantasy. In the painting “un arbre a palabres” (2023) different worlds from different times and geographical locations fuse into a hybrid dreamscape. It is one of three paintings comprising the series “Drift” (2023), for which he received the Helvetia Art Prize 2023. Drawing on theories by Edouard Glissant and the concept of creolization, the three paintings open an intimate reflection on themes of rootedness, identity and our understanding of place and time. As a Special Guest of Liste Art Fair Basel 2024, HEK (House of Electronic Arts) is presenting three artistic positions that use worldbuilding as an artistic tool, showing interactive and immersive works by Mélanie Courtinat, Andy Picci and Moritz Piehl. In recent years, gaming has become an important field of reference in contemporary art. 3D sculpting software and game engines have become natural tools for artistic expression. Worldbuilding strategies, such as imagining and creating a narrative, characters and an environment for alternative worlds, have also gained traction in discussions around the metaverse. The question of how we shape and move around within these emerging digital landscapes is becoming increasingly pressing. Works by the three exhibited artists present viewers with a variety of imaginative solutions of how we can inhabit these new digital spaces. Mélanie Courtinat’s “Ten Lands” (2021) is a walking simulator videogame with 10 incredibly atmospheric immersive landscapes to explore. “Cloud 3.0” (2023) by Andy Picci is an exhibition space, studio and virtual home built by the artist in the metaverse Spatial that visitors can dive into with a VR headset. In his installation “An Image of Love” (2021), Moritz Piel remixes reality TV and social media into new physical landscapes, questioning how online lifestyles shape physical space.

Performance program

  1. 10/6, 2 pm Florence Peake, location: Mezzanine
  2. 10/6, 6.30 pm Florence Peake, location: Mezzanine
  3. 12/6, 2 pm Florence Peake, location: Mezzanine
  4. 13/6, 6.30 pm Astrit Ismaili, location: Mezzanine
  5. 14/6, 2 pm Astrit Ismaili, location: Mezzanine
  6. 14/6, 6.30 pm Luana Vitra, location: Fair Hall
  7. 15/6, 2 pm Luana Vitra, location: Fair Hall
  8. 16/6, 6.30 pm, Wren Cellier, location: Entrance Sun,
  9. 16/6, 2 pm, Wren Cellier, location: Entrance

Photo: Tara Downs & Ginny on Frederick: Justin Chance, Green Screen, 2022-2023, 68 × 77 in / 178 × 195 cm, Quilted wet and needle felted wool, cotton, silk, dye. Courtesy of the artist and Tara Downs, New York

Info: Artistic Director: Peter Bläuer, Liste Art Fair Basel, Exhibition Center Basel, Messepl. 10, Basel, Switzerland, Duration: 10-16/6/2024, Days & Hours: Mon (10/6) 18:00-20:00, Tus-Sat (11-15/6) 12:00-20:00, Sun (16/6) 11:00-16:00, Admission: Ticket: CHF 25.00, Reduced Ticket (scholars / students / seniors): CHF 12.50, www.liste.ch/

Theta: Hannah Taurins, Study for Affection, 2024, 7x10 in, marker and colored pencil on paper mounted to panel. Courtesy of artist and Theta
Theta: Hannah Taurins, Study for Affection, 2024, 7×10 in, marker and colored pencil on paper mounted to panel. Courtesy of artist and Theta

 

 

2.Temnikova & Kasela: Flo Kasearu, Soap for a Lifetime, 2023, 34 x 51 x 29 cm, soap. Photo: Jack Elliot Edward2. Temnikova & Kasela: Flo Kasearu, Soap for a Lifetime, 2023, 34 x 51 x 29 cm, soap. Photo: Jack Elliot Edward
2. Temnikova & Kasela: Flo Kasearu, Soap for a Lifetime, 2023, 34 x 51 x 29 cm, soap. Photo: Jack Elliot Edward

 

 

Left: Sophie Tappeiner: Irina Lotarevich, Skin Seat Single, 2020, 87 x 52 x 35.5 cm, cast and polished aluminium, stainless steel, hardware. Courtesy of Sophie Tappeiner, Vienna (Photo: kunstdokumentation.com)Right: Margot Samel: Melissa Joseph, TBT, 2024, Closed: H 15 x W 30 x 15cm | Open: H 30 x W 30 x 15cm, Needle felted wool on industrial felt in tin box. Courtesy of Margot Samel, New York
Left: Sophie Tappeiner: Irina Lotarevich, Skin Seat Single, 2020, 87 x 52 x 35.5 cm, cast and polished aluminium, stainless steel, hardware. Courtesy of Sophie Tappeiner, Vienna (Photo: kunstdokumentation.com)
Right: Margot Samel: Melissa Joseph, TBT, 2024, Closed: H 15 x W 30 x 15cm | Open: H 30 x W 30 x 15cm, Needle felted wool on industrial felt in tin box. Courtesy of Margot Samel, New York

 

 

4.Schiefe Zähne: Sarah Rosengarten, Facts, 2024, 120 x 145 x 2,5 cm, digital print, custom-made frame, museum glass. Courtesy of the artist and Schiefe Zähne, Berlin (Photo: Julian Blum)
Schiefe Zähne: Sarah Rosengarten, Facts, 2024, 120 x 145 x 2,5 cm, digital print, custom-made frame, museum glass. Courtesy of the artist and Schiefe Zähne, Berlin (Photo: Julian Blum)

 

 

5.Rose Easton: Louis Morlæ, O.G.U. (One God Universe), 2023, 151 x 180 x 27 cm, PLA, paint, filler, lime, hologram fan. Courtesy of the artist and Rose Easton, London (Photo: Peter Otto)
Rose Easton: Louis Morlæ, O.G.U. (One God Universe), 2023, 151 x 180 x 27 cm, PLA, paint, filler, lime, hologram fan. Courtesy of the artist and Rose Easton, London (Photo: Peter Otto)

 

 

6.Rele: Gladys Kalichini, This memory will not fade, 2024, Installation and Screen. Image courtesy of Christo Crocker
Rele: Gladys Kalichini, This memory will not fade, 2024, Installation and Screen. Image courtesy of Christo Crocker

 

 

Left: Parallel Oaxaca: Patrica Belli, Preciada, 2024, 135 x 45 x 45 cm, Bones, iron wire, resin, snake skin, wood. Courtesy of the artist and Parallel Oaxaca, OaxacaRight: Cibrián: Nooshin Askari, Contract #3, 2023, Aluminum sheet, 2mm, bent, lacquered. Courtesy of the artist, photographer Günter Kresser
Left: Parallel Oaxaca: Patrica Belli, Preciada, 2024, 135 x 45 x 45 cm, Bones, iron wire, resin, snake skin, wood. Courtesy of the artist and Parallel Oaxaca, Oaxaca
Right: Cibrián: Nooshin Askari, Contract #3, 2023, Aluminum sheet, 2mm, bent, lacquered. Courtesy of the artist, photographer Günter Kresser

 

 

Left: Gallery Vacancy: Victoria Palacios, Regards, Crocs 4, 2022, 24 x 20 x 10 cm; 9 1/2 x 7 7/8 x 4 in, Oil and acrylic on crocs. Courtesy of the Artist and Gallery VacancyRight: Bel Ami: Amedeo Polazzo, Untitled, 2023, Oil, pastel and pigment on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Bel Ami, Los Angeles
Left: Gallery Vacancy: Victoria Palacios, Regards, Crocs 4, 2022, 24 x 20 x 10 cm; 9 1/2 x 7 7/8 x 4 in, Oil and acrylic on crocs. Courtesy of the Artist and Gallery Vacancy
Right: Bel Ami: Amedeo Polazzo, Untitled, 2023, Oil, pastel and pigment on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Bel Ami, Los Angeles

 

 

12.Coulisse: Matti Sumari, The baker's oven bakes itself, 2023, 250 cm x 56 cm (per panel), stainless steel from illegal catering operation, copper, bronze, aluminium, cast with metals from dump sites in Malmö. Courtesy of the artist
Coulisse: Matti Sumari, The baker’s oven bakes itself, 2023, 250 cm x 56 cm (per panel), stainless steel from illegal catering operation, copper, bronze, aluminium, cast with metals from dump sites in Malmö. Courtesy of the artist

 

 

15.Coulisse: Matti Sumari, The baker's oven bakes itself, 2023, 250 cm x 56 cm (per panel), stainless steel from illegal catering operation, copper, bronze, aluminium, cast with metals from dump sites in Malmö. Courtesy of the artist
Coulisse: Matti Sumari, The baker’s oven bakes itself, 2023, 250 cm x 56 cm (per panel), stainless steel from illegal catering operation, copper, bronze, aluminium, cast with metals from dump sites in Malmö. Courtesy of the artist

 

 

Left: Cibrián: Nooshin Askari, Contract #3, 2023, Aluminum sheet, 2mm, bent, lacquered. Courtesy of the artist, photographer Günter KresserRight: Bisso Yann Stéphane, un arbre à palabres, 2023, Installation view at Platform23, Espace Arlaud, Lausanne. Image courtesy: Margot Sparkes
Left: Cibrián: Nooshin Askari, Contract #3, 2023, Aluminum sheet, 2mm, bent, lacquered. Courtesy of the artist, photographer Günter Kresser
Right: Bisso Yann Stéphane, un arbre à palabres, 2023, Installation view at Platform23, Espace Arlaud, Lausanne. Image courtesy: Margot Sparkes

 

 

18.Bel Ami: Amedeo Polazzo, Untitled, 2023, Oil, pastel and pigment on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Bel Ami, Los Angeles
Bel Ami: Amedeo Polazzo, Untitled, 2023, Oil, pastel and pigment on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Bel Ami, Los Angeles