Art 38 Basel

Art Basel 2007 — the 38th edition, Art 38 Basel, in Basel, Switzerland. Every form of artistic expression was represented, from paintings, drawings, and sculptures to installations, performance work, and internet and video art, with works ranging from pieces by emerging artists priced in the thousands to museum-quality masterpieces in the millions. The fair introduced several new features: "Art On Stage," presented in association with Theatre Basel, made its debut as a platform for visual artists requiring a large stage and auditorium, inaugurated by Hugo Boss Prize–winning Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija. Another new addition was the "Artists Lounge," designed by students of the Städelschule in Frankfurt. The fair's public program also featured nine large-scale outdoor works on Exhibition Square, by artists Wim Delvoye, Anish Kapoor, Tadashi Kawamata, and Paul McCarthy. The fair unfolded against a broader cultural pilgrimage moment in contemporary art, with visitors converging on central Europe from the Venice Biennale en route to Documenta in Kassel and the Münster Sculpture Project. The "Art Statements" section invited 26 galleries to mount solo shows, while "Art Conversations" gave artists space for independent projects — participants ranged from Katharina Grosse to Allen Ruppersberg. Notable works included Pierre Huyghe's sensory-deprived fog environment, Omer Fast's video piece "The Casting," and Christoph Büchel's "Simply Botiful," an entire makeshift community constructed from trash and industrial debris.