At Art Basel, dealers reap rewards by sidestepping politics and war

ABOUT halfway through the opening day of Art Basel’s fair in Switzerland, the dealer Larry Gagosian was sitting on a bench near his booth. Crowds—incredibly thick when the art fair opened to VIPs at 11 am —had dispersed a bit as grandees shuffled into the convention centre courtyard for lunch, queuing up for sausages, oysters and ice cream cones.

Gagosian, though, seemed content to stay inside, overseeing a presentation that included an early Cy Twombly painting priced at over US$30 million. “We’ve sold quite a few things, considering the state of the world,” he said. “I’m encouraged that initially we’ve been doing quite a bit of business. We live in a crazy time, and I think that a lot of people want to take refuge in some other universe.” (Art Basel’s VIP days ended June 18; public days are June 19–22.)

It’s true that Basel’s week of dinners and cocktail parties and talks and openings have felt a world apart from the current geopolitical realities plaguing most of the globe. That was the case at Unlimited, an exhibition sector adjacent to Art Basel’s main fair where many of the massive artworks on display were pleasantly inoffensive; and it was particularly true in the main fair, where gorgeous abstract paintings sat easily alongside landscapes and portraits.