The Liste Art Fair Basel is an annual art festival taking place in Basel, Switzerland.[1] Run by the Liste Foundation Basel and the Friends of Liste every year, it brings together nearly a hundred galleries, from dozens of countries, with many of them making their debut showing there and/or leaning toward "experimental artwork."[2][3][4] It generally coincides with Art Basel week, in June.[5]
In addition to hosting galleries from across the world and in many different disciplines, the Liste Art Fair Basel also includes a wide range of events including performances, panels, readings, workshops, children's activities, and guided tours.[2]
The Friends of Liste organization also financially supports a select few galleries every year.[10]
History
The art festival in 2025.
The art festival was founded in 1996, by Peter Bläuer and Eva Presenhuber, to showcase "new and self-assured generation of gallerists and artists."[11][3] It initially drew controversy for prohibiting artists over the age of 40 from participating.[12] Emerging talent it platformed early on includes the David Zwirner Gallery, as well as artists like Elizabeth Peyton and Carol Bove.[3]
In 2020, the Liste Foundation Basel launched Liste Showtime Online, a digital exhibition space for galleries to present in.[13]
In 2020, the art festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] In 2021, the art festival moved from the Warteck Brewery to its current location, Messe Basel in the Messeplatz, as an accommodation for pandemic circumstances.[15][16] Since then, it has continued to run in the Messeplatz. In 2025, it celebrated its thirtieth anniversary with the tagline, "The Art Fair for Galleries of a New Generation."[17]
Liste's current director is Nikola Dietrich. Taking over from Joanna Kamm, she began heading the art festival as of September 1, 2024, in anticipation of its thirtieth anniversary.[18][19][20]
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