Art experts and millionaires head to a Swiss town once a year for its annual Art Basel festival. Here's what it's like to visit as a first-timer.

21.06.2024 - 15:23 / insider.com

I spent my first afternoon at Art Basel getting lost.

I wandered through a maze of 122 gallerists showcasing artwork from around the world. I eyed impressive ceramics created by Paloma Varga Weisz, captivating photos shot by Gordon Parks, and striking paintings by Pat Steir. I turned corners that I thought were familiar and discovered new art instead.

Above me were another 100-plus galleries presenting works. In the building next door, an exhibit the size of three football fields had enough installations for an entire afternoon of viewing. There were film showings throughout the day, a packed schedule of Q&As, and public artworks scattered across the town of Basel, Switzerland.

Collectively, this made up Art Basel, the world's premiere art show, where more than 250 gallerists feature 4,000 artists.

Beyond the show's official programming, the Swiss town comes alive each summer for the event. Other art fairs vie for visitors' time. Photo Basel and the Liste Art Fair Basel are hosted on the same weekend. Plus, the town is home to dozens of art museums worth visiting.

To put it simply, Art Basel is overwhelming.

It's a hectic week of art, but even as someone outside the art profession, I understood its appeal. Art Basel is my favorite kind of overwhelming — one with endless opportunities to explore.

I can't pinpoint the first time I heard about Art Basel.

It could've been five years ago when a duct-taped banana was listed for $120,000, or it might have been years earlier. Growing up in Florida, I'm sure I heard murmurs about Art Basel Miami, one of the four locations where Art Basel fairs are held each year.

For a long time, I didn't think the event was for me. I'm not a museum curator or a gallerist, and I don't have millions to spend on artwork. (Art Basel reported that its largest sale this year was made by the gallery David Zwirner. It sold Joan Mitchell's "Sunflowers" for $20 million.)

Plus, Art Basel is a place to be seen. Celebrities like Serena Williams have been spotted, visitors spend afternoons crossing paths with millionaires, and influencers have been lured to the fairs in recent years.

I wasn't sure where or if I fit into that lineup, but I arrived in Basel on June 13 to find out.

As a first-time visitor, understanding how Art Basel works was confusing. After arriving, getting lost, and navigating a disorganized app, I finally began understanding how the massive event works.

Art Basel is a show with multiple sectors in multiple locations. Some sectors are self-described, like the film or magazine sector. Then, there's the main sector, which fills two floors of a large hall. Here, 250 galleries from around the world showcase art.

Next door to the main sector, visitors can explore Unlimited, a