02 Jul 2008

commercialisation of art and continuous worldwide expansion

The idea of 're-present' the famous Swiss art fair, Art Basel, emerged in 2005 with the happening Art Basel Geneva. The international art scene motivated the artists to create the happening as a reaction towards the commercialisation of art fairs and their continuous worldwide expansion.

The actual context of economical expansion of emerging countries makes the question even more immediate.

The subversive position of Art Basel Geneva about the art business is a 'product' of its own milieu. The happening tries to question the limit of the system as well as its purpose.

Art Basel Geneva converts a business event into a 'pop' spectacle, where the glamorous atmosphere, dilemmas and paradoxes of a cloudy art world are faced by a single message on the wall, a comment and modest inversion of meaning.

Using the official Art Basel corporate identity, the artists will produce a wall painting of the Art Basel Geneva São Paulo logotype and turn the exhibition hall into a foggy environment full of artificial smoke. Hostess will inform the intentions of Art Basel Geneva São Paulo and an invitation will be submitted to all the Art Basel gallery members, invited to attend the opening.

Art Basel Geneva São Paulo is an event hold by the artists Lukas Mettler & Cris Faria. Art Basel Geneva has been invited to VERBO 2008, a performance festival in São Paulo, which is going to take place from July15th until July 19th 2008 at the Galeria Vermelho, Rua Minas Gerais 350, in São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Art Basel Geneva São Paulo is the fourth edition held after Geneva in August 2005, after Belgrade (Serbia) at the O3ONE Gallery in 2006 and after Skopje (Macedonia) at the Press To Exit Gallery in 2007.

www.artbaselgeneva.ch