Tuesday morning of the VIP Preview;Â All photos on site for Art Observed by Caroline Claisse
Art Basel’s 43rd edition commenced today with the first of two VIP Preview days.  The VIP Vernissage, however, drew a private audience yesterday evening, where the Art Unlimited and Art Standard programs were unveiled, revealing a collection of artwork impressive in both size and scope.  Today was also the preview and opening receptions for Basel’s companion fairs, like LISTE 17 and Design Miami/Basel.  Fair and section specific photosets for collective Basel happenings will be posted throughout the upcoming days.
Art Basel directors Annette Schönholzer and Marc Spiegler at the press conference
Art Observed was onsite for the Main Fair Preview along with many other guests and invitees hoping to get a early perspective on what Basel will soon publicly offer. Â Among the more widely noted appearances were New York collector Alberto Mugrabi, British artist Tracey Emin, and US hedge fund principal Steve Cohen as well as real New York estate developer Jerry Speyer.
Lehmann Maupin displays Teresita Fernandez
Gallerist Thaddaeus Ropac at the preview
Juan Munoz‘ “Piggyback with Knife” (2001)
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac showcases Jack Pierson‘s “Poor Bastard” (2012) and untitled work by Marc Quinn (2012)
Thomas Schutte‘s “Berengo Heads” (2011) from Donald Young Gallery
“Magnud Plessen Theaster Gates” by Tracey Emin from White Cube
Stephen Friedman features Tom Friedman’s untitled work (2012)
Gillian Wearing‘s “Me at Three Years Old” (2005)
Gallerist Vedovi at Lisson Gallery
303 Gallery exhibits “Blackeyes” (2011) by Eva Rothschild
Erwin Wurm‘s “Psychos” (2010) from Lehmann Maupin
Daniel Firman‘s “Jade” (2012) and Bharti Kher‘s “The Night She Left (2011), both from Galerie Perrotin
Damien Hirst at White Cube’s stand
Christopher Wool‘s untitled work (2007) and an Anthony Gormley (1984) from Galleria Christian Stein Milano
Los Angeles based gallery, Blum & Poe‘s space
More from the Blum & Poe booth
An Anish Kapoor work from Lisson Gallery
Yinka Shonibare‘s sculpture “Revolution Kid (Fox)” (2012) and Ged Quinn‘s “Lone Ranger” (2207) on the wall from Stephen Friedman Gallery
A Doug Aitken work
Sarah Lucas’ “Nice Tits” (2012) at Sadie Coles’ booth
Galerie Neu shows Cosima von Bonin’s “Missy Misdemeanour” (2010)
Philippe Parreno‘s “No More Reality” (1933) at the Air de Paris booth
Massimo De Carlo‘s booth
Rob Pruitt‘s red “Kill Me” (2012) with “Dinosaur Dropping, Styrofoam varnished in cosmi-chrome” (2012) in the foreground, from Gavin Brown’s Enterprise
Alex Katz series, also at Gavin Brown’s booth
A Doug Aitken from Galerie Eva Presenhuber
Another Doug Aitken, “Marvle Sonic Table” (2011), an acoustic piece from Galerie Eva Presenhuber
Doug Aitken’s “Fountain (earth fountain)” (2012)
Iwan Wirth from Hauser & Wirth
Marlborough Gallery’s exhibition spot, featuring Mark Rothko‘s heated piece, estimated to sell for around $78 million
Gallerist Paula Cooper, right
Heimo Zobernig‘s untitled installation from Galerie Chantal Crousel
Only 1 1/2 days in, collectors are already consuming works from the $2 billion worth on display. Among the sales so far made are a Philip Guston canvas for $6 million and a Louise Bourgeois sculpture “Arched Figure” for $2 million from Hauser & Wirth.  According to GalleristNY, the gallery also sold Paul McCarthy’s wooden “White Snow and Prince on Horse (working title)” for $1.8 million.
Bloomberg reports Per Skarstedt sold Albert Oehlen’s 1984 self-portrait for $1.5-2 million. Rosemarie Trockel’s 1987  knitted painting “Made in Western Germany†was bought for $1 million.
For the first time, the VIP Preview of Basel “was extended to two days to meet growing demand from both established collectors and new buyers looking to art as an alternative to the turbulent financial markets” (Bloomberg).
Chantal Crousel at her booth
Emmanuel Perrotin in front a work by Jean Michel Othoniel
Tate Modern Director, Chris Dercon
Untitled work by Anish Kapoor from Gladstone Gallery
Paul McCarthy‘s sculpture “White Toilet Man” (2003) with Gunther Uecker‘s “Zero Garden” in the background, both shown at L&M Arts’s booth
Robert Indiana‘s “One Through Zero (The ten numbers)” from Waddington Custom Galleries
Helly Nahmad booth
Hans Bellmer‘s “La demie poupée” (1972), also featured by Galerie 1900-2000
More of the Michael Werner booth
A Takashi Murakami from Gagosian Gallery
A Picasso and a Alberto Giacometti also at Gagosian’s booth
More from Gagosian, a Jeff Koons and an Andy Warhol
Marc Quinn’s “The eye of history (atlantic perspective) shifting Oceans (2012) from White Cube
Left, Wim Delvoye‘s “Deux Bacchantes Counterclockwise (scale model 2:3)” (2011)
Right, Farhad Moshiri‘s “Natural” (2012), from Galerie Perrotin
More at the Galerie Perrotin booth, sculptures by Xavier Veilhan and a KAWS
Ai Weiwei‘s “Marble Toy Car” (2010) from Lisson Gallery
The artistic pairing, Eva and Adele
Amid controversy, one of the works that will not be joining the fair this year is UK artist David Shrigley’s image of the late terrorist Osama bin Laden .  The piece was pulled from the fair. An image of the original tweet can be found here.
Art Basel’s main fair features 300 gallery headliners from across the globe, represented locally at numerous booths and venues throughout the city.  The fair officially starts this Thursday, June 14 and continues through June 17.  Art Observed will remain onsite with photo updates throughout Basel’s duration.
–L. Marsova
Related Links:
Exhibition Site [Art Basel]
Art Basel 2012: the future’s orange [The Telegraph]
Art Unlimited / VIP Opening [VernissageTV]
See the Art-World VIPs and the Monster-Sized Sculptures of Basel’s Art Unlimited Kick-Off Event [Artinfo]
Art Basel Report: Dealers Trot Out Trophies and Collectors Splurge in the Opening Hours of the Fair [Artinfo]
Gagosian Gallery to present a single sculpture by Franz West at Art Basel’s Art Unlimited [Art Daily]
Hedge Funder Cohen, Basel VIPs Eye $78 Million Rothko [Bloomberg]
