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0 Amid a climate of continued global uncertainty around matters of health, the economy, and the basic ability to travel, Art Basel has canceled the upcoming edition of its flagship art fair in Basel. The premier international art fair had initially been postponed from its usual June slot to mid-September. The next edition of Art Basel in Switzerland is now scheduled to take place June 17 to June 20, 2021.
“We regret to announce that the 2020 edition of Art Basel in Basel has been canceled,” organizers of the fair stated on Twitter today, June 6. “These are tumultuous and challenging times, and we wish you the very best until we are able to meet again.”
This is the second major tent pole of the international art-market calendar that Art Basel has been forced to cancel this year, following the decision to call off Art Basel Hong Kong, the March event that has become the preeminent hub of Asia’s art industry. That cancellation was also due to the global health situation. Since then, Art Basel has instead offered virtual “online viewing room” fairs to provide its exhibitors with a needed platform to make sales, with the first taking place in March and the second taking place this month.
The decision to suspend the September fair in Basel came after “extensive consultation” with dealers and collectors, as well as its partners, according to a statement from Art Basel’s parent company, MCH Group. “The primary considerations were the fundamental health and safety risks for everyone involved, the financial risks for exhibitors and partners, the ongoing impediments to international travel, and the fact that the regulatory environment around large-scale events in Switzerland has yet to be finalized.”
