With sunlit skies and warm weather, Basel, Switzerland offered the perfect setting for this year's fair that leaned into beauty and optimism. While the world stood at a peculiar crossroads with strong financial markets shadowed by political tensions, art arrived in the city like a balm. It was vibrant and hopeful.
Our amazing Crozier team helped more than 100 galleries in soaring summer temperatures, with transportation and installations. On June 17, the morning of the VIP opening, the sun was shining bright and the heat had subsided just enough as the fair’s inner courtyard filled up with a myriad of pastel coloured windowpane suits, off-the-shoulder dresses, and jumpsuits. The mood was one of expectation and excitement akin to children awaiting birthday presents. With the clink of champagne glasses, the doors opened and the mood shifted from expectant to electric as pastel lines floated in and through the fair.
Some of my take aways:
Marinella Senatore We Rise by Lifting Others (2023). Art Basel Unlimited 2025. Credit: Mazen Jannoun
This year’s fair presented a noticeable change in tone. Amid global uncertainty, galleries largely chose to avoid overtly challenging or thought provoking art works. Instead, many focused on pieces that were poetic or emotionally resonant. As you entered Unlimited, the section for large scale art works, you were met by Marinella Senatore’s lit up Moulin Rouge-like arches bearing the message “‘We rise by lifting others.” As you lifted your gaze, Thomas Schütte’s "Engel" hovered above, evoking the angelic shape of a gingerbread cookie cutter. Visitors were immediately moved to a dreamland.
The global art market saw a 12 percent decline in 2024. In response, a handful of larger galleries spoke about approaching the fair with greater strategy, with an emphasis on pre-selling the majority of the art in their booths. Despite signs of slowdown in the market, the large scale art works performed well on opening day. Exhibitions leaned towards two distinct ends of a spectrum with little in between. It was either major, large-scale installations or more traditional two dimensional art works. In contrast to previous years, there were fewer complex installations of mid-size works.
The Swiss Institute’s annual lunch, co-hosted by Crozier, welcomed more than 150 guests for an afternoon of conversation and warm hospitality. The elegant seated lunch and atmosphere made the gathering feel especially inviting. It was amazing to see more artists in attendance, and fascinating to listen to stories from Nigerian artist Dennis Osadebe about how he is bringing his art to new audiences. With the sun high and temperatures in the twenties, many guests enthusiastically talked about their short walks to the Rhine and floating down the river either in mornings or evenings as a refreshing way to take in the sights and experience the beauty of the city. This added another dreamy element to the Basel experience.
Friends of Swiss Institute Annual Luncheon at Volkshaus Basel.
Basel Africa offered a plethora of new creations and upcycled art. In conversation with Helen Nzete, she spoke about how visitors became exceptionally emotional around her masks, demonstrating the different worlds we live in our head and the knots we have in our stomach. She described hugging emotional viewers and remarked on how this year’s Art Basel felt like a big warm hug exuding positivism and our interconnectedness.
Helen Ogochukwu Nzete. The Year of Knots. Africa Basel 2025. Image: Crozier
All of this was made possible thanks to our amazing team working tirelessly to ensure each project ran efficiently. Our client, Stephen Friedman, sent us the following lovely thank you note: “I just wanted to say your team has been really great. I’m really glad we have done everything through Crozier this year. It’s been so smooth.” Andy Lee, Head Technician.
From heartfelt exchanges to beautifully executed installations, Art Basel 2025 reminded us of the profound ways art connects people. And once again, Crozier was proud to be part of it.
