Art Basel 2026 Closes with Strong Sales as Basel Exclusive Launches and Zero 10 Debuts
On June 21, 2026, Art Basel closed its 2026 edition in Basel, reporting strong sales across established, mid-market and emerging artists. Hauser & Wirth sold Pablo Picasso’s Le peintre et son modèle dans un paysage (1963) for USD 35 million, Gerhard Richter’s Abstraktes Bild (940-7) (2015) for USD 20 million and Louise Bourgeois’ Les Fleurs (2009) for USD 2.5 million. Gagosian sold Willem de Kooning’s No title (1984) for a high seven-figure sum in the first hour. GRAY sold two David Hockney works for USD 8.5 million and USD 650,000. Thaddaeus Ropac sold Helen Frankenthaler’s Sudden Wave (1982) for around USD 3 million and Pierre Soulages’ Peinture 146 x 97 cm, 31 janvier 1954 (1954) for around USD 3 million.
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The edition introduced Basel Exclusive, with more than 190 galleries reserving works for Preview, and marked Zero 10’s European debut with sales including john Gerrard’s STANDARD (2022) for USD 500,000. Unlimited, curated by Ruba Katrib, placed 59 projects including Isa Genzken’s Untitled (2018) for EUR 1.2 million to a European museum. Institutional attendance reached 270 museums and foundations. The fair’s citywide program featured Parcours and public commissions by Nairy Baghramian and Ibrahim Mahama, signaling sustained collector and institutional demand for in-person discovery at the year’s central market moment.
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- Artists: Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter, Louise Bourgeois, Willem de Kooning, David Hockney, Helen Frankenthaler, Pierre Soulages, Lynne Drexler, Doris Salcedo, Elizabeth Peyton, John Baldessari, Isa Genzken, Tracey Emin, Niki de Saint Phalle, john Gerrard, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Vera Molnár
- People: Maike Cruse, Ruba Katrib, Eli Scheinman, Trevor Paglen, Stefanie Hessler
- Galleries: Hauser & Wirth, Gagosian, GRAY, Thaddaeus Ropac, Yares Art, White Cube, Almine Rech, David Zwirner, Galerie Lelong & Co., Sprüth Magers, Galerie Bucholz, Galerie Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois, Fellowship, bitforms, Max Estrella, Interface Gallery, Oniris Gallery
- Museums: Kunstmuseum Basel, MoMA PS1, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art
- Locations: Basel
- Prices: USD 35 million, USD 20 million, USD 2.5 million, USD 8.5 million, USD 650,000, USD 3 million, USD 2 million, USD 1.35 million, USD 1.2 million, USD 500,000, EUR 1.2 million, GBP 1.25 million, EUR 1 million
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