Visitors at the Miami edition of Art Basel, December 2019.
Associated Press
This year’s edition of the world’s biggest art fair, initially rescheduled until September due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has now been cancelled altogether.
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“We had hoped to contribute to the recovery of the art market through a successful fair in September,” said Art Basel’s global director Marc Spiegler in a press release on Saturday.
However, health and financial risks for exhibitors, as well as ongoing travel disruption, has forced the cancellation, the press release from event management MCH group said.
The next edition will be held in June 2021, while digital galleries – launched after the fair’s sister event, Art Basel Hong Kong, was cancelled in March – will be further developed in the meantime.
Another sister event, Design Miami Basel, which was due to be held at the same time as Art Basel in September, has also been put back until December.
The decision is another setback for the MCH Group after its renowned Baselworld watch and jewellery fair was also shelved this year, joining a host of Swiss-based events that have been sacrificed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Switzerland, while events and demonstrations of up to 300 people are once again possible from June 6, there is still no news about when bigger events can be held.
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