MILAN — The art world has a brand new accolade for individuals who resonate across the creative universe. On Thursday, Art Basel organizers named 36 visionary contenders, among them London-based fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, design studio Formafantasma, as well as Moroccan artist Meriem Bennani, Swiss art patron Maja Hoffmann and Chinese artist Cao Fei, who has worked with fashion brands Prada and Gucci.
These 36 names were selected across nine award categories and recognized through categories that include emerging, established and iconic creators of art, and broader art industry categories include curators, museums and institutions, patrons and media.
In tandem, the fair’s organizers announced the Art Basel Awards Summit will take place June 20, in-line with the duration of the fair that runs June 19 to June 22 in Basel, Switzerland. The inaugural Art Basel Awards will be presented by Boss. The German fashion brand is lending its support to the new awards program, which aims to elevate honorees through mentorship, partnership and exhibition opportunities.
Simone Farresin and Andrea Trimarchi
Daniele Mango
“They represent the gold standard for excellence for art practitioners and professionals who defy categorization and challenge conventions,” Art Basel said in a statement, adding that these individuals are cross-disciplinary and are relevant beyond the art world and through allied fields of fashion, design, music, film, publishing, and the performing arts.
Only 12 names will go on to gold medalist status, which they deem Art Basel’s highest honor. The final recipients will be revealed in December 2025 during the Art Basel Awards in Miami Beach.
Grace Wales Bonner
Vanni Bassetti/WWD
Winners in the Emerging and Established artist categories will receive $50,000 as an unrestricted honorarium. Those in the Icon Artist category will receive the same sum as a gift to be donated to the organization of their choice.
“The Art Basel Awards are not a competition but a beacon. They shine a light on those working with vision, skill and commitment to building communities of practice and exchange,” said Art Basel Awards chairman Vincenzo de Bellis. De Bellis is also the director of fairs and exhibition platforms for Art Basel.
Gold medalists in the Established Artist category will also receive a major public commission. The first will debut at Art Basel in Basel in 2026.
The jury includes a long roster of design pillars that includes de Bellis, Emirati curator Hoor Al-Qasimi and Serpentine Galleries director Hans Ulrich Obrist. Cultural leader Koyo Kouoh was a juror until her untimely death in May. The inaugural Art Basel Awards will be presented by German fashion brand Boss, organizers said in February.
Art Basel was founded in 1970 by Basel gallerists Ernst Beyeler, Trudl Bruckner and Balz Hilt. Today, the fair has expanded and has events in Paris, Miami Beach and Hong Kong.
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