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The Headlines
BASEL SQUARED. Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland, has revealed the 290 exhibitors from 42 countries participating in its hometown, 2026 edition, from June 18 to 21. This year, 21 first-timers are making the trip, several hailing from an ever-broadening geographic scope, including the Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, to name a few, according to a press release. In other firsts, Ruba Katrib is curating the fair’s Unlimited, large-scale project showcase, while the fair’s Premiere sector is expanding to 17 presentations for this second iteration. Public commissions by Nairy Baghramian and Ibrahim Mahama will also greet visitors on the Messeplatz and the Münsterplatz, respectively. “This edition reflects both the enduring strength of the field and the exciting directions it is taking next, reinforcing Basel’s role as the global reference point for the market,” stated the fair director Maike Cruse.
IN MEMORIAM. The Hungarian artist, filmmaker and curator Dóra Maurer died on February 14 in Budapest at 89, reports Monopol Magazine. A defining figure of the Hungarian neo avant-garde, Maurer explored the perception of seriality and movement through her experimental films, photographs, prints, paintings, and graphic works. She also touched generations of young artists through her work as an influential teacher at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest.
The Digest
In time for his centenary, researchers have attributed the initial building stages of a chalet north of Barcelona to Antoni Gaudí, confirming long-held suspicions. [The Guardian]
Hauser & Wirth has added the estate of Carol Rama to its roster, representing the celebrated, self-taught artist’s legacy alongside Berlin-based Galerie Isabella Bortolozzi. [ARTnews]
The Kanal-Centre Pompidou museum of modern and contemporary art is due to open in November as planned, but uncertainty already looms about its future finances. [Le Journal des Arts]
The Dreamsong gallery in Minneapolis has launched a mutual aid colouring book in response to operations by ICE, with the project, also available at its Frieze Los Angeles stand, raising funds to support immigrants across Minnesota and a rapid response initiative. [The Art Newspaper]
The Kicker
MONET MELTING POT. Japanese artist Takashi Murakami recently spoke with the Los Angeles Times about how a visit to Monet’s Garden in Giverny inspired his latest show at Perrotin in Los Angeles, following a sense of disorientation after the pandemic. “The art had become more and more about a struggle against the market or within the market,” he said, later adding: “There was a feeling in the air where you don’t have to talk about Pop Art, Simulationism, or all these isms and movements … so I myself felt like I started to lose sight of themes and had nothing really concrete to pursue as a theme for a while.” Titled “Hark Back to Ukiyo-e: Tracing Superflat to Japonisme’s Genesis,” the show of 24 paintings is centered around the fundamental influence of Japanese Ukiyo-e prints on European Impressionism.
