Collecting
At Art Basel, The World’s Richest Are Taking Their Time To Buy
Sales are happening, just not at the pace that dealers would prefer.
The scene at the pre-fair opening breakfast.
Photographer: James Tarmy/BloombergPeople don’t trek to Art Basel in Switzerland just for fun. Famed for being the highest-quality art fair in the world, the O.G. Swiss fair is a place where people tend to stay exactly as long as they need to and no longer.
“It’s not a fair like New York or Miami where there’s more going on in the city,” says Malik Al-Mahrouky, a partner at Kurimanzutto gallery, standing in his booth during the opening VIP day. “Here, people come with a very specific mindset to acquire art.” (VIP days are June 11 and 12; the fair is open to the public from June 13 to 16.)