Art Basel 2022: Back to its best

The 2022 edition of Art Basel, the first June show since 2019, has concluded after reports of buoyant sales and overall attendance of more than 70,000, including VIPs, private collectors and public visitors. In support of Ukraine, Art Basel 2022 featured 289 international galleries from 40 countries, some of which were first-time participants as well as select galleries from the Middle East.

“We were highly honoured to be part of Art Basel for the first time,” said Océane Harati, founder and Director, OH Gallery in Dakar, Senegal. “We experienced great attention from collectors and institutions with the project we showed. Above all, the fair's organisation was excellent; it brought together a great audience and galleries from all over the world. We were thrilled to be there.”

The highlight of the show was the main sector featuring 234 of the world’s leading galleries, at least four of which were representing the Middle East.

ATHR, founded in Jeddah in 2009, is one such gallery, that has made it its mission to remain at the forefront of the rise of contemporary art in Saudi Arabia, and they now average three international exhibitions a year. From Cairo, Egypt, Art Basel 2022 hosted the Gypsum Gallery that was founded in 2013, and from Beirut, Lebanon, the show welcomed both the Marfa’ gallery and the Sfeir-Semler Gallery.

“We were once again delighted to welcome the international art world to Basel in June,” said Marc Spiegler, Global Director, Art Basel. “This year we witnessed strong collector and curator attendance not only from across Europe, but also the Americas and Asia. Pent-up demand and the excellent quality on offer led to vigorous sales across all levels of the market and throughout the duration of the fair. This show truly demonstrates the importance of in-person events as a platform for vibrant encounters between cultural players.”