-Editorial
The 2025 edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, the second under Director Bridget Finn, concluded, drawing widespread acclaim from galleries, collectors, institutions, and visitors across the Americas and beyond. The fair featured 283 leading galleries from 43 countries and territories, including 48 first-time exhibitors, and recorded attendance of more than 80,000 across VIP and public days.
Exhibitors reported strong sales in all market segments, including works by postwar and Modern masters, leading contemporary artists, and emerging talents. Notable acquisitions included pieces by Ruth Asawa, Sam Gilliam, Alice Neel, Andy Warhol, and Martin Wong. Rediscovered works by Emma Amos, Eva Olivetti, and Juliette Roche, as well as new voices such as Kelsey Isaacs, Cisco Merel, and Adriel Visoto, also found buyers.
Representatives from more than 240 museums and foundations attended, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Centre Pompidou, Guggenheim Museum, Tate, SFMOMA, MOCA Los Angeles, Malba, Zeitz MOCAA, and the Seoul Museum of Art. Their presence underscored the fair’s role as a leading platform for institutional discovery, acquisition, and engagement.
Meridians, now in its sixth edition, returned as a hub of curatorial innovation. Curated by Yasmil Raymond, the 2025 edition, titled The Shape of Time, showcased 19 works by multigenerational international artists exploring how art can embody, distort, and suspend time. Installations included Kye Christensen-Knowles’ mural-scale Cycle of Additional (2025) and Silva Rivas’ immersive video work Buzzing (2009).
The inaugural Zero 10 sector, dedicated to digital-era art, drew attention from collectors, institutions, and the public. Curated by Eli Scheinman, the sector featured generative, computational, and hybrid physical-digital works by artists including Beeple Studios, Tyler Hobbs, Kim Asendorf, Joe Pease, and XCOPY. Beeple Studios’ Regular Animals sold out quickly, while XCOPY’s Coin Laundry attracted more than 2.3 million NFT claims, marking Zero 10 as a breakout highlight of the 2025 fair.
Art Basel’s Conversations program also reported high engagement. Held December 4–6 at the Miami Beach Convention Center auditorium, the program opened with discussions on art and sport featuring artists, athletes, and collectors including Malcolm Jenkins and Elliot Perry. The Digital Dialogues series examined Web3 communities and the evolving intersection of art and technology.
The Art Basel Awards, presented in partnership with BOSS, celebrated leaders in contemporary art during the inaugural awards night at the Frank Gehry–designed New World Center. Gold Awardees included Ibrahim Mahama, Nairy Baghramian, and Cecilia Vicuña, while Meriem Bennani received the inaugural BOSS Award for Outstanding Achievement.
The City of Miami Beach continued its Legacy Purchase Program, acquiring Ximena Garrido-Lecca’s Modulations – Sequence XXIX for its public art collection. The CPGA–Villa Albertine Étant donnés Prize, now in its fifth edition, recognized Kelly Sinnapah Mary, and James Cohan Gallery for contributions to contemporary French art.
The Art Basel Shop returned with limited-edition artist collaborations and bespoke pieces, including the AB by Artist capsule by Sanford Biggers, the Art Basel x Inter Miami Jersey, and Takashi Murakami’s Ohana Full Bloom slides.
Finn said the fair reflected “energy, ambition, and creativity” and celebrated diverse artistic voices, from Latinx, Indigenous, and diasporic practices to emerging digital forms. UBS, the Global Lead Partner, presented Beyond Pop: Art of the Everyday, showcasing works bridging fine art and pop culture.
Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 took place December 3–7 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, with VIP days on December 3–4. The 2026 edition is scheduled for next year.