When Art Meets Money: Encounters at the Art Basel

Art Basel is more than just a fair in the commercial sense of the word, more than a concentrated gathering of dealers offering their goods for sale to interested buyers. It is the site of display of holy goods in the presence of thousands and thousands of believers, a mecca for the ritualized adoration of modern and contemporary art. It is also the decisive witness of the upheaval marking a radical change in the relationship between art and money, with all of the consequences—not least, the...