The Best of Art Basel

by Paul Laster for The Daily Beast.

 
photo by Marc Eggimann

Brad Pitt dropped $1 million at the world’s most prestigious art fair this week. The Daily Beast’s Paul Laster surveys the galleries, paintings, and sculpture worth seeing.

As Venice settles down to a calmer flow of visitors to the Biennale throughout the summer, the art-world caravan has journeyed to Switzerland for the 40th edition of the world’s most prestigious fair, Art Basel. Collectors stormed the booths of their favorite galleries at the preview, making quick acquisitions of high quality modern and contemporary art.

More than 300 international galleries are showing work in a variety of media by more than 2,500 artists. With the exception of the sections of the fair offering emerging art and experimental projects, most dealers have been cautious to bring the best work by known artists—a strategy that is already paying off.