The upcoming Art Basel '92 will see no challenge to the fair's preeminence

Art Basel reigns supreme among art fairs for a number of reasons: for the length it has been in existence; for the fact that it was the first fair to introduce a selection committee; and because of its timing. Basel takes place right at the end of the season after the New York contemporary art auctions, allowing it to have the last word on the state of the market. This year the fair runs from 17 to 22 June and features 280 stands. Two associated events are a separate section devoted to prints—“Edition ‘92” and an exhibition entitled “Transform” on the relationship between twentieth-century painting and sculpture. Organised by the Basel Kunstmuseum, “Transform” was conceived by Basel’s most celebrated dealer Ernst Beyeler and features works by Matisse, Giacometti, Baselitz, Newman, Stella, Judd, Beuys, Nauman and Borofsky. The novelty of this year’s event is the introduction of guided tours, which clearly aim to introduce new clients to recession-hit galleries.