Lukas Heerich, Traum, 2025 | Photo: Moritz Schermbach
Liste Art Fair Basel: Where the Future of Contemporary Art Begins
Text Mariia Ivanova
Jun 23, 2025
While Art Basel commands global attention each June, just a few steps away in Hall 1.1 of Messe Basel, something equally vital—and arguably more daring—is taking place. Liste Art Fair Basel has, since 1996, carved out a distinct and essential space for the most forward-thinking galleries and the freshest emerging talent in contemporary art.
Far from the blue-chip polish of its larger neighbour, Liste offers something altogether different: a glimpse into the future of art. It is where many now-prominent artists and galleries first gained critical attention, and where collectors, curators, and institutions turn to find the voices shaping tomorrow’s discourse.
A Platform with Purpose
Liste’s mission is clear and unwavering: to support and present young galleries and underrepresented artists from around the world. What makes Liste unique isn’t just who exhibits—it’s how they exhibit. The fair encourages concentrated, solo presentations and tightly curated group shows, providing space for deeper engagement. In 2024, nearly two-thirds of booths were solo exhibitions, with 91 galleries from 35 countries participating—including 23 showing at Liste for the first time.
Now entering its 30th edition in 2025, Liste will host approximately 99 galleries from 31 countries. Half of them will be debut participants—affirming Liste’s role as a launchpad, not a resting place.
Rethinking the Art Fair Format
Unlike the imposing grid of conventional fairs, Liste’s layout fosters exploration. With a circular, open-plan design, the fair feels more like an unfolding conversation than a commercial event. Visitors are invited to move at their own pace, encountering installations, performances, videos, and objects in a rhythm that encourages contemplation over consumption.
Recent editions have tackled timely and urgent themes—climate anxiety, memory, temporality, and post-colonial identities—through bold, often interdisciplinary practices. What emerges is not just a commercial art fair, but a curated experience that prioritises critical dialogue alongside market viability.
A History of Firsts
Over the decades, Liste has launched the careers of artists and galleries that now command international recognition. Many of today’s leading contemporary art spaces had their Basel debut under the Liste banner. That legacy is reflected in the continued eagerness of young galleries to apply, as interim artistic director and Liste co-founder Peter Bläuer explains:
“Almost every young gallery still applies to Liste and wants to be part of this important platform… It makes me very happy to promote a future generation of galleries.”
Commercial Director Reto Nussbaum echoes this commitment to discovery:
“We took our core task seriously—to find the most exciting up-and-coming galleries.”
Photo by Jack Elliot Edwards. Courtesy of Rose Easton.
More Than Just Booths
Liste also invests in programming beyond the stands. Daily performances, a dedicated book forum, and site-specific installations expand the fair into a multi-sensory, multi-platform experience. It is not just about showing art, but creating a context for artists and galleries to connect with wider audiences on their own terms.
Why Liste Still Matters
In a global art market increasingly dominated by scale and spectacle, Liste offers a rare kind of intimacy. It’s a space where artists’ voices come through clearly, where galleries are chosen for their vision, not their status, and where the next chapter of contemporary art is quietly but confidently being written.
For anyone serious about the future of contemporary practice—whether you’re collecting, curating, or simply staying informed—Liste Art Fair Basel remains a vital destination. Not just an alternative to the mainstream art fair model, but an essential complement to it.
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