Jet Off to One of Art Basel’s Spectacular Fairs Across the Globe

The first Art Basel fair of the year is fast approaching as the 2017 Hong Kong fair starts with its first private view on March 21st. Running until March 25th Hong Kong will kick start a full year of the finest art gatherings, with Basel following in mid-June and ending the year in Miami Beach in December.

Art Basel’s fifth edition in Hong Kong, to be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, will see 242 galleries coming together from 35 countries and territories, with 29 new galleries showing work.

 
Hong Kong Art Basel
 

Last year 70,000 attended across 5 days, to see highlights including ‘Encounters’ curated by Alexie Glass-Kantor from Artspace in Sydney, and the film programme curated by Beijing and Zurich-based multi-media artist and producer Li Zhenhua. The film sector and ‘Encounters’ will be back for 2017, with the latter presenting large-scale sculpture and installations.

 
‘Insights’ at the Hong Kong Art Basel
 

Both will be joined by other specific sectors – ‘Insights’, focusing specifically on the Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, ‘Discoveries’ presenting emerging contemporary artists, plus a brand new sector, ‘Kabinett’. If you’re planning to charter a jet from Europe or the US to Hong Kong please remember to allow at least 3 working days for permits to be cleared. Call our client services team and they will be on hand to help you with all you may need.

Basel will follow Hong Kong in the summer, starting on June 15th and running to June 18th with 291 galleries showing the work of over 4,000 artists. As the home of the group of fairs, Basel has a rich history, dating back to 1970 when local gallery owners Ernst Beyeler, Trudi Bruckner and Balz Hilt organised the first fair.

 
Art Basel in Switzerland
 

The 1980s saw photography joining the works on exhibition, the 1990s, film, and the millennium welcomed Art Unlimited, which moved exhibition space beyond the traditional booth concept.

The Basel gallery line-up was announced in February with the world’s most important galleries coming from 34 countries to mark the fair’s 48th year. This year will see 17 new galleries participating, including three new exhibitors from the Asia Pacific region and one from Africa, with Cairo’s Gypsum Gallery taking part.

As well as the main ‘Galleries’ sector (with 226 exhibitors) others sectors to watch include ‘Edition’, featuring prints and limited editions, ‘Statements’, showcasing emerging artists, and the ‘Feature’ sector – with highlights there including rare Max Beckmann prints, collages by Stan VanDerBeek, two series by Piero Manzoni and much more.

For easiest access to Basel, fly into Bale-Mulhouse Airport in France and cross over the to Basel in North Switzerland in as little as 12 minutes!

To cap the year off Art Basel heads to Miami, running from December 7th to December 10th. Gallery applications are still open to fill its various sectors – ‘Galleries’, ‘Edition’, ‘Nova’, ‘Survey’ and ‘Positions’ – though over 250 participants are expected again this year.

 
Miami Art Basel- Image courtesy of Miami all around
 

On show, a range of paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, films and limited edition works will be joined by large-scale artworks, films and performances outside at nearby Collins Park and SoundScape Park.

Following last month’s announcement of LA-based Max Hooper Schneider winning the BMW Art Journey prize after his work was shown at the ‘Positions’ sector last year in Miami, all eyes will be on this year’s emerging talent in both Miami and in Hong Kong’s ‘Discoveries’, which is also open to the prize.

 
‘Positions’ at the Miami Art Basel
 

Book your flights now to Kendall-Tamiami Airport or to Opa-Locka executive Airport instantly with Stratajet.

Linking these very different cities and spanning the globe, the international art scene this year looks to be as exciting and eye-opening as ever.
 

From Asia, to Europe, to North America, choose the city that is right for you and start your global art adventure this March. Search for flights to