June 17, 2023

Basel: Art Basel 2023

Like every year, we organized an event centered around Art Basel, and this year was no exception. We had previously held the event at the Basel Art Center last year. Early on, we reached an agreement with Matthias Rüthmüller, the director of the Basel Art Center, to host our event at their new location. Despite the fact that the Basel Art Center had not yet begun its operations due to the relocation, Matthias organized an exclusive evening for us. The Columbia University Alumni Association had the privilege of being the first visitors and organizers of an event at the new location of the Basel Art Center.

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In addition to this honor, Matthias arranged a complete exhibition of NFT artwork exclusively for our evening. NFT artwork refers to electronic artwork whose originality is proven through a blockchain. This approach is relatively new to the art world and not widely known among the general public. To shed light on the NFT technique and its application in the art world, Matthias invited Sixtine Crutchfield, the director of WISeArt, an internet platform for NFT artwork trading based in Geneva, to deliver a speech.

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After all the guests had arrived, Philippe Waelle, the president of the Basel chapter of the CAA Switzerland, welcomed the attendees and provided an overview of the upcoming events organized by the Basel chapter. Then Matthias Rüthmüller, the director of the Basel Art Center, introduced the gallery and shared some insights about its history and the move to the new location. Lastly, Sixtine Crutchfield, the director of WISeArt, gave us an in-depth understanding of NFTs and blockchain technology and how they are utilized in the art world.

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Following her lecture, Sixtine offered a guided tour of all the artworks, which primarily consisted of large screens displaying images, as well as sculptures and a watch. The new location of the Basel Art Center is situated in the heart of Kleinbasel, within a former storage building that now houses galleries, offices, startups, and hobby rooms. The gallery itself is located on the fourth floor and boasts a spacious terrace that overlooks Rebgasse and enjoys the evening sun. Due to the delightful weather, we held the aperitif on the terrace after the speeches and gallery visit.

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We were extremely pleased to have had the opportunity to host such an exclusive event, and we were delighted by the participation of many alumni.

Philippe Waelle, President of the Basel Chapter
Corinna Grisostomi, Event Officer
Patrick Näf, Event Officer

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