Basel Social Club
| Industry | Art |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 in Basel, Switzerland |
| Founders |
|
| Products | Art fairs |
Basel Social Club is an annual exhibition in Basel, Switzerland that runs concurrently with Art Basel week.[1] Highly site-specific and experimental in its curated work, the annual exhibition frequently changes venues in order to accommodate its different themes.[2] Atypical in its approach to the art fair, it has been seen as a more accessible, communal, and open event during Art Basel.[3]
History
[edit]In 2022, artist Robbie Fitzpatrick wanted to start a new project, rather than participate in traditional Art Basel art fairs. Ultimately, he decided to work with Hannah Weinburger, Jean-Claude Freymond-Guth, Yael Salomonowitz, and Dominik Müller to launch something new for Art Basel, which would later become Basel Social Club.[4]
Venues
[edit]The first edition of Basel Social Club thus happened during Art Basel week in 2022 in an abandoned estate on Bruderholz Hill.[5][6] It was assembled by artists, gallerists, and curators looking to create "everything the art fair isn’t: communal, egalitarian, free and radically open to the public. No VIP lists, no special treatment—just a pulsing crowd moving through installations and performances with drinks in hand."[7]
In 2023, it was hosted in a former mayonnaise factory with siloes.[8][3] The venue's owner had attended the first edition of Basel Social Club and recommended it for the following year.[4]
In 2024, it was hosted in a field in Bruderholz, on the outskirts of Basel, with a natural, open air, farm theme.[7][6][9]
In 2025, it was hosted in a building which was formerly a private bank.[10] The exhibition's theme was "value, exchange, and trade" and featured artists and galleries like Harlesden High Street, Kendra Jane Patrick, Anthea Hamilton, and Daniel Jasper.[1][11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Waga, Nel-Olivia. "Basel Social Club: A Former Bank Becomes An Immersive Art Space". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Westall, Mark (2025-06-06). "Basel Social Club returns for 2025". FAD Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ a b "Art Media Agency — Basel Social Club returns". Art Media Agency — Basel Social Club returns. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ a b Sansom, Anna (2023-08-29). "'It's About Working Together in a Celebratory Way': Robbie Fitzpatrick on Founding Art-Fair Alternatives, From Basel Social Club to Salon d'Été". Artnet News. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ "Basel Social Club: A flood of art as a prologue to Basel Art Week". blue News. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ a b Gerlis, Melanie (2024-06-08). "Basel Social Club moves from factory to farm". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ a b "Offsite Projects Offer Art Lovers Playful Alternatives in Basel". Observer. 2025-06-17. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Fajemisin, Olamiju (2023-07-05). "Tick Tock". Artforum. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Article, Louisa Elderton ShareShare This (2024-06-10). "At Art Basel, Collectors Take a Field Trip—Is It All Just a Rural Fantasy?". Artnet News. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ designboom, thomai tsimpou I. (2025-06-16). "designboom's guide to basel art week 2025: what to do in and out of the fairs". designboom | architecture & design magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Cassady, Daniel (2025-06-19). "Basel Social Club Is a Beautiful Mess—and That's the Point". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
- ^ Article, Kate Brown ShareShare This (2025-06-17). "In Basel, the Art World Rewrites Its Rules in Real Time". Artnet News. Retrieved 2025-06-20.