A lot had to do with the medium being an edition, a multiple, which true collectors used to see as a bit of a red flag. Another thing relates to our times: everyone has a smartphone and can take snapshots, so collecting photos might be dismissed as not very exciting. And speaking about Art Basel, they already had a sector in the 90s, but it was never in the spotlight. Someone could actually buy a Wolfgang Tillmans—one of the most important and influential photographers—for 20,000 Euros or even less because he was considered a "blue jeep photographer". Hard to believe now, right? Now, if you look at the list of 20 of the most influential contemporary artists, you will see that the prices are around 1 million Euros—obviously, the situation has changed.

Good question! First of all, I feel very privileged to be able to make a living out of my hobby, and here I can compare myself with a professional athlete. I was always keen on organizing events but could never imagine doing it as my lifelong occupation. Some people still ask me, underestimating the amount of work we have during the year, "Sorry, so this art fair is the only thing you do?". So, the most rewarding thing is to follow my passion with a team I am selecting myself — an incredible asset that allows me to work with people that I like daily.

Exactly. I started with a very good friend of mine, and that was a great advantage for an initiative of this kind. In general, it is connections that I value in my job most: it feels great to see new contacts established and friendships cultivated. Galleries would regularly pick up an artist represented by another gallery, saying, "Oh, we love these works! Let’s do that!" It might sound a bit spiritual, but it creates energy that I love. You know, before starting photo basel, I had imagined my job title written on a business card (popular back then)… as "the energy choreographer"!

Certainly [laughing]. Strange as it may seem, this is exactly what I’m doing!
And the most challenging part… I hate being co-dependent on a lot of factors: both the very economy of Art Basel and the world’s macro-economy. You can have a gallery that almost sells out last year at photo basel, but then throughout the year, the situation might get tough because the country this gallery comes from is financially challenged, and thus, they cannot come back and join the fair. Such things are totally out of my control… Moreover, we have only one chance per year—six or seven days only—to really create something. Such business is unlike running a restaurant or a hotel where you have a day-to-day basis and feedback from your clients.

I am often asked the question: "Are you happy?" And answering it is not easy— let me be honest. I would obviously be happy if we had the best galleries showcasing the highest quality and selling out on the vernissage day. But that’s a dream scenario. Nothing of the kind has ever occurred even at Art Basel in its golden years during the 90s. For me, being happy means having a great roster of galleries with well-balanced positions throughout the whole range and not only selling well but also making brilliant connections with institutions, directors, curators, collectors, and buyers. I am also pleased to see all of us having a good time during the fair—and beyond.

There are two steps on how we can measure success. The first step is usually clear around now, early March, when all the selection processes are done, and we know the line-up of the galleries attending the fair in summer. The second step is about the period shortly after the fair, or already through the fair week, when you know the buzz and feel the energy that makes it understandable whether galleries sold well or not.

But the ecosystem we are in never allows us to reach the goal—there will always be much work to do (probably great for a workaholic or an ADHD person). So, we are never finished. Very rarely can I say, "Okay, now I am happy!

[laughing] I don’t want to give that away! No! But what I want to say, sharing my opinion, is that we have been doing photo basel for ten years with people who have been with us from the very beginning, helping to create an intimate family atmosphere. And I mean not only our galleries, but also founders, directors, galleries, visitors, sponsors, and collectors. I have been at so many art fairs where galleries complain about not having met the curators or directors, or not being greeted or welcomed… With photo basel, we have an extremely personal approach to each of our stakeholders and guests—something that is doable also because we are only a boutique fair with 40 galleries. Should there be 200, probably it will not be the case.
So, hospitality is what we have at our core, in our DNA, at all times. We know what we are doing, and it is authentic. There is no big corporation behind our back that says, "Hey, go to Switzerland and make some money!" We create something for the community and the environment on a global scale, but we also care for our immediate neighborhood because we come from here.

Well, this is not something that I can tell you—for obvious reasons, but what is interesting is that, as I have already said, we have a few galleries that have been with us from the very first edition, and I think that’s worth a highlight!
So, it is really special to have Dorothée Nilsson Gallery from Berlin and Baudoin Lebon from Paris coming back to photo basel 2025. Then I’d like to mention Bildhalle from Zurich, which has never missed a show for the last 10 years, and certainly, Galerie Esther Woerdehoff—I doubt there would be a fair without her. I feel tremendously grateful to these four for believing in us and our potential when we were just a blank canvas! Their attitude is quite a personal thing for me—they really are a family! And we always like to grow a bit with our galleries. We are keen on building a community with like-minded people who might be around for the next two decades. We are having our 10-years' anniversary so I think we could do another 20 years, maybe?
There is a gallerist couple who go for a swim in the morning and take a shower after the fair (because we have a shower for gallerists), and this informal approach is a nice example of the vibe we have. Certainly, it is no holiday for anyone, but at the same time, it is not something you see at other fairs, either. Yes, it is about money and business, but if you can combine that with quality time and a family-like atmosphere, the attitude becomes different.

The art world is like that of sports—both have a language with barely any barriers. As a boutique fair, we try to be neutral—we are Swiss. From the cultural perspective, there is certainly a difference: the dialogue with a gallery from Japan is different from one we have with someone from the States. However, we treat everyone the same way (at least, I hope to succeed in that). I personally find it very inspiring to be in touch with so many nationalities on so many levels and, to my knowledge, there have never been any clashes between them.

I have found photo basel, or art fairs in general, are similar to airports—very friendly, but a bit excited and nervous. At some art fairs you literally have to go through a metal detector, by the way!
I firmly believe that photography can speak for itself. "That must be Araki because it is nude and bondage!" or "Look at these straight geometric lines—that should be someone German!" And then one checks the photographer’s name and can either be right or… make an exciting discovery. In a way, it is like a child’s mind—you look at art, and you do not care if the photographer is male or female, Black or Caucasian. It is the art piece that stands out and emotionally touches you. At photo basel we do our best to keep gender balance and try to highlight female artists and some special artworks; however, what we do more is to observe and not to select according to one’s gender or sexuality.

I adopted this neutral approach from a friend of mine, a professional flutist. When she had to try out for orchestras, she always stood behind a curtain, she told me. Because what matters is her performance, not her looks, whether she is tall, blond, and beautiful, but being selected. She wanted her performance to be judged, not something else.
Sometimes, you can be disappointed because when you see the work and then hear the name, you might think, "Oh, my God, I am familiar with that artist! It’s such an acclaimed person, but that work is kind of… boring!" The opposite also occurs when younger unknown talents do a great art piece and totally surprise us.