Art Basel Announces Inaugural Award Winners

Art Basel, one of the world’s most influential art fairs, has unveiled the winners of its inaugural Art Basel Awards, recognizing 36 visionaries who have shaped the contemporary art landscape. This new initiative highlights not only artists but also curators, designers, and organizations that contribute to the vibrancy of the global art ecosystem.

Founded in 1970 by Basel gallerists Ernst Beyeler, Trudl Bruckner, and Balz Hilt, Art Basel began as a single international art fair in Switzerland, attracting over 16,000 visitors to its first edition. Throughout the decades, Art Basel has expanded its reach and influence:

• 1980s: Became a leading platform for art photography.
• 1990s: Introduced the Art Film sector.
• 2000s: Launched Art Unlimited (for ambitious contemporary media), Art Basel Miami Beach, and Art Basel Conversations, expanding its global footprint.
• 2010s: Debuted in Hong Kong, launched a crowdfunding initiative with Kickstarter, and introduced the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report.

Art Basel now hosts premier fairs in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong, serving as a nexus for artists, collectors, curators, and institutions worldwide.

The inaugural Art Basel Awards honor 36 Medalists selected through a rigorous, multi-stage process. Anonymous nominations are reviewed by an international jury of nine experts, who evaluate candidates on vision, engagement, skill, and impact. The Medalists then participate in a peer voting process to select 12 Gold Medalists, whose names will be revealed at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2025.

While the complete list of 36 Medalists spans multiple disciplines, the following are confirmed winners:

Additional winners in categories such as emerging artists, established artists, and other industry figures will be announced at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2025.

Born in Zanzibar in 1954, Lubaina Himid is a British painter and professor renowned for uncovering marginalized histories and championing Black and Asian women artists. Her work spans painting, printmaking, and installations, often engaging with themes of identity and cultural contribution. Himid curated the landmark exhibition The Thin Black Line (1985) and won the Turner Prize in 2017. Notable works include Meticulous Observations and Naming the Money (2018) and Gifts to Kings (2018)2.

An installation featuring painted cut-outs representing African servants in European courts, each with a unique identity and story.

Born in Los Angeles in 1926, Betye Saar is a pioneering African American artist known for her powerful assemblages and mixed media works that challenge racist stereotypes and explore spirituality, identity, and femininity. Saar’s celebrated pieces often incorporate found objects and family heirlooms, transforming everyday items into complex narratives. She has exhibited at major institutions and received numerous awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Wolfgang Hahn Prize.

A 1979 assemblage that combines found objects, paper, paint, and feathers to explore themes of mysticism and race relations.

Grace Wales Bonner MBE, born in South London, is an acclaimed fashion designer whose eponymous label blends sportswear and tailoring, drawing on her Jamaican and British heritage. Since launching her brand in 2014, she has won the LVMH Young Designer Prize and collaborated with major brands like Adidas and Dior. Her curatorial debut, A Time For New Dreams (2019), explored Black cultural practices and aesthetics.

 Celebrated for their fusion of classic sportswear with cultural storytelling.

Founded in 2009 by Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Formafantasma is an Amsterdam-based design studio known for material experimentation and research-driven projects. Their work, which bridges art and industry, is featured in major museums worldwide and includes collaborations with brands such as Fendi, Hermès, and Flos5.

A collection exploring alternative polymers and sustainable materials, exhibited internationally.

The Art Basel Awards mark a significant new chapter in celebrating global artistic excellence, honoring not just artists but the diverse contributors who shape the art world. With a transparent and innovative selection process, the awards spotlight figures whose vision and impact continue to inspire and transform contemporary culture

---Articles Referenced in this Blog---

https://www.wallpaper.com/art/art-basel-awards-winners-2025

https://www.myartbroker.com/guides/articles/history-of-art-basel-beginnings-to-present-day

https://hypebeast.com/2025/5/art-basel-announces-2025-art-basel-award-winners

https://www.artbasel.com/stories/art-basel-awards-2025-36-artists-curators-institutions-cross-disciplinary-figures?lang=en

https://ocula.com/magazine/art-news/art-basel-shines-a-light-on-36-creators/

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