Vincenzo De Bellis, Director of Art Basel: “The New Generation Buys Art for the Experience”

Initially, Vincenzo De Bellis dreamed of becoming a filmmaker. A graduate in cultural heritage conservation from Lecce, Italy (Class of '77), he decided to send his resume to the Fondazione Prada, where he began his career as a gallery attendant. This was just the beginning of a long career, the latest stages of which are summarized as follows: after four years as the artistic director of Miart in Milan – a contemporary art fair – he became a curator at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, USA. Then, in 2022, he took on the role of global director of fairs and exhibition platforms at Art Basel, overseeing the largest annual art fair with four events across different continents.

On the sidelines of a conference at MiramArt in Santa Margherita, the only venue in the Riviera di Levante in Liguria dedicated to contemporary art, Vincenzo De Bellis granted an exclusive interview to Luxury Tribune, where he outlined Art Basel's future strategies.

Can you tell us about your role and the four platforms of Art Basel?

Vincenzo De Bellis: I oversee and guide the four directors of the Art Basel fairs, namely in Basel, Paris, Miami, and Hong Kong. I ensure that selections are managed consistently, as are the exhibition spaces. It's akin to a general artistic direction. Beyond the fairs, there are other exhibition platforms, including Tokyo Art Week, which involves cities outside the usual contemporary circuits. Again, I lead these events vertically, handling strategies and content.

Regarding Basel, which opens in a few days, it's a city with art in its DNA, considering the Beyeler Foundation and the Kunstmuseum; there is a shared journey between the city and the fair and significant public attendance. Many major collectors come from around the world, especially from Europe, well-versed and often familiar with 20th and 21st-century art. Miami is crucial because it's the largest fair in the biggest art market (the United States), representing about 70% of the total volume. Paris is the newest, approaching its third edition. Paris has always been a major art capital and is becoming increasingly important for contemporary art, especially since the UK's departure from the European Community. Then there's Hong Kong, covering another key market, Asia, a vast and rapidly growing continent. Here, young collectors, even those under 30, show great vitality. Overall, we observe a "glocal" evolution of Art Basel, a term I dislike but which means markets are becoming more regionalized, an aspect we closely monitor.