Overview
- David Zwirner reported a $5.5 million sale of a Gerhard Richter, with additional seven-figure deals for Alice Neel and Josef Albers on the fair’s opening preview day.
- Hauser & Wirth said its first three hours outpaced its entire 2024 fair total by 40%, citing multiple seven‑figure transactions across blue‑chip names.
- Art Basel’s new Zero 10 section registered swift demand as Beeple’s robotic-dog installation sold out for about $1.2 million and Larva Labs’ Quine works moved at $25,000–$45,000 each.
- Dealers and reporters described slimmer, quieter crowds and slower decision cycles even as many galleries logged steady sales and advisors noted more measured buying.
- The rebound follows roughly $2.2 billion in New York auction sales, offset by a weaker year tracked by the Art Basel–UBS survey, recent gallery withdrawals, and a reshaped exhibitor list with 48 first‑timers; satellite fairs like NADA also reported brisk early sales.