Art Basel diary: arty eating, the joy of sobriety and desperately seeking eternal life

Reservoir hogs (only kidding): an unusual dinner location in the city was lapped up by fans of both food and art, who were impressed by the menu and the Basel-inspired tableware Gareth Harris
Art week in Basel got off to a bang with a swanky dinner for the incoming art crowd held in the most striking of locations—the site of an old water reservoir in the heart of the city. The unusual one-off eatery was set up by the creative culinary studio We Are Ona in partnership with Art Basel, drawing high-profile guests such as the Art Basel supremo Vincenzo de Bellis, who savoured a top-notch menu devised by the Japanese chef Sayaka Sawaguchi. (Delectable treats included mussels served with tarragon and ginger.) The crockery was designed by the French artist Pierre Marie, who found inspiration in a Basel emblem—the basilisk, a mythological half-dragon, half-rooster creature. The rather fetching napkins were also a hit—so much so that some cheeky guests were spotted artfully removing the tip-top tableware.
The art of Innerspace? A still from one of the short films featured in Michael Schindhelm’s show The End of Aging Courtesy Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger
If traipsing round Art Basel makes you feel a little queasy, pop into the Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger, which has been transformed into an abandoned hospital—all in the name of art—for an exhibition called The End of Aging (until 21 July). The point of this medical set-up, created by the Swiss curator Michael Schindhelm, is to make us think about our mortality. Visitors navigate through numerous hospital areas, including an operating theatre, laboratory and recovery room, encountering audiovisual installations that highlight the latest research in the “field of longevity” with contributions from key scientists. “The exhibition, of course, raises many questions about the current state of things and whether this race towards immortality is really what people want,” says a spokesperson. After all, there are many faces around the art fair that seem to have been frozen in time.
Matthias Arndt celebrated the first anniversary of his alcohol-free lifestyle—where else?—on Instagram Courtesy Matthias Arndt
There will no doubt be lots of drinking and frivolity this week at Art Basel. But one art-world figure is staying clear of the demon drink. Matthias Arndt, the founder of the Berlin- and Melbourne-based Arndt Art Agency, says on Instagram that he is truly embracing an alcohol-free existence, recently celebrating a year off the poison. “One of the many things I found out—better late than never—is that though I loved my wine and the Greek magic potion tsipouro, I do not feel I lost anything nor deprive myself through not drinking,” he writes. We raise a glass to Matthias (full of orange juice, of course).
I’ve been tasked by The Art Newspaper to share some behind-the-scenes insights into what it’s like as a gallerist at Basel this year.
I’ll start at Basel Social Club—a highlight last year—with everyone excited/nostalgic about a bygone era returning to this sleepy Swiss town. However, this year, in a field that felt as far away as Zürich, I couldn’t help feeling bummed out, honestly. It’s not even funny that I stepped in cow shit, because every single person did. Of course, the organisers can’t help the weather, but the sight of one gallerina forced to move their sculpture from a prime location by the bars into a less desirable field position due to children climbing over it probably means I won’t be back. While I don’t think much is going to sell from these far-off meadows, the general lack of pre-sales energy all over Basel means we may have to get a little more creative with our selling methods. As I slipped off my wedding ring and stared at the cows, I couldn’t help but wonder… why are humans (dealers) hellbent on monogamy while the rest of the animals (artists) are free?

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