Eek! Tiny mouse makes big noise at fair
Among the maximalist outsize works dotted around Unlimited at Art Basel, a minuscule (animatronic) talking mouse peeping out of a wall is making the biggest noise. The work by the UK artist Ryan Gander—I’ve felt everything I’m going to feel—The Unspeakable World (2026)—is the latest in a long-running series of talking mice voiced by one of the artist’s daughters. The rodent is vocal for a reason though, explains Gander. “The mouse says that she is in this situation where she has been given this privilege of attention but she doesn’t have anything to say so she questions why she has been chosen to speak. This is a weird reflection of internet influencers—everyone wants to be heard but they don’t have anything to say,” Gander tells The Art Newspaper. Clearly the biggest squeak comes from the tiniest masterpiece.
Kanye takes a stroll around the Unlimited section of Art Basel Instagram
Gig or no gig, Kanye shows up in Basel
The gift that keeps giving: a Cattelan-style duct-taped banana is gracing advertising billboards around Basel The Art Newspaper
The controversial rapper Kanye West, known as Ye, rolled up to Art Basel on Monday where he was photographed in the Unlimited section. “Whether he simply admired the art or made any purchases remains a mystery,” says the Swiss newspaper Blick. The headline-hitting musician was making his presence felt after the football club FC Basel cancelled his concert scheduled for this month, stating that the rapper does not align with the club’s “values” (a number of Kanye’s European gigs were cancelled amid a furore over his past antisemitic comments. He has attributed these to a “manic episode” brought on by his bipolar-1 disorder). As we went to press, the outspoken musician had not responded to our request for comment and for his thoughts and reflections on the fair.
Basel billboards go bananas for Cattelan
Wherever you go in the world, you are never more than five feet away from Maurizio Cattelan’s duct-taped banana. This is especially true in Basel where the fruity Comedian work, first shown in Miami in 2019, is plastered across a series of adverts around the Swiss city. The cryptic billboards show a banana taped to a wall à la Cattelan—a quick scan of a QR code on the poster reveals that the cheeky promo is for the Swiss confectionery brand Munz’s chocolate banana. The online information suggests budding artists make their own art piece: ”1. Attach the chocolate banana to the wall with tape. 2. Admire your artwork. 3. Remove the artwork. 4. Unwrap the banana”. Would Cattelan approve?
Pepón Osorio’s work has appeared at several art fairs as it “brings good energy” © Pepón Osorio; courtesy of the artist and P·P·O·W, New York
Refreshing take on the readymade
Eagle-eyed visitors to the P•P•O•W stand at Art Basel, and others fairs attended by the New York gallery over the years, may have noticed a decidedly under-the-radar work of art: a glass of water. The mysterious piece is by Pepón Osorio, whose work draws on his experience as a social worker. “The gallery keeps bringing the work to the fairs, as [co-founder] Wendy Olsoff believes it brings good energy and purifies spirits into the often-judged art world. While it’s for sale, it has yet to find a permanent home,” reveals a gallery spokesperson. Keep your eyes peeled for this “glass half full” piece and drink in its vibes.
Visitors to the Art Basel shop can pick up a football handpainted by Katharina Grosse for SFr8,000 The Art Newspaper
Footballs too lovely for the Beautiful Game
Duct tape, take two: we spotted some top items in the Art Basel shop including a roll of tape priced at—drum roll—SFr15 ($19). We also saw hand-painted footballs signed by the artist Katharina Grosse (SFr8,000). A caption points out that “while fully functional, these works are primarily intended for display, blurring the line between object and artwork”. One for anyone who thinks they can better Switzerland’s disappointing opening draw in the World Cup.
