A 30-year-old to head one of the world’s most important contemporary art fairs. Art Basel has announced that Swiss Karim Crippa, born in 1991, will take over as director of Art Basel Paris, the French branch of the most important fair on the planet, as of Nov. 1, 2025. He will take over from Clément Delépine, outgoing director. The 2025 edition runs Oct. 24-26; Crippa will lead the Paris fair into its next chapter, working closely with participating galleries, collectors, partners and the city of Paris to consolidate its position as one of Europe’s most dynamic platforms for modern and contemporary art.
Crippa, currently Head of Communications for Art Basel Paris and Senior Editor of Art Basel globally, will work alongside the fair’s general manager, Virginie Aubert, and deputy director Maxime Hourdequin to guide the artistic and strategic direction of Art Basel Paris, define its programming, and foster collaboration with city institutions and the broader cultural ecosystem. He will also report to Vincenzo De Bellis, Art Basel’s current artistic director and global director of Art Basel Fairs.
Born in Zurich in 1991 and raised in Lausanne, Crippa has built a career between communications, content production, digital culture and visual arts. Prior to joining Art Basel in 2018, he held roles in different areas at Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (Vienna), Haus der Kunst (Munich), and Duve (Berlin), and collaborated on major exhibitions with artists such as Ragnar Kjartansson, Cerith Wyn Evans, Sharon Lockhart, and Thomas Struth.
Noah Horowitz, CEO of Art Basel, says, “Karim has been a part of Art Basel for more than seven years and has played a key role in shaping the way we communicate and engage with our audiences through our global platform. His passion and knowledge of the local and international art scene, as well as the distinctive role that galleries play in shaping it, and his integrity as a valued colleague and collaborator make him exceptionally well suited to lead our Paris fair into its next phase. This appointment reflects our belief in the development of in-house talent and the enhancement of team members who have grown alongside the evolution of Art Basel itself. I am extremely excited to see the impact she will have in this new role.”
According to global director Vincenzo de Bellis, “Karim combines the eye of the curator, the precision of the communicator, and a deep understanding of what makes Paris such a vital city for contemporary art. Over the past three years, he has been instrumental in articulating the fair’s identity and building trusted relationships within our ecosystem of galleries, institutions and partners. His appointment is a testament to the strength of our team, and I am delighted to see him take on this leadership role and support him and the entire Paris team in shaping the future of this fantastic fair.”
Karim Crippa said, “Being appointed Director of Art Basel Paris is a great honor and responsibility, and I am immensely grateful to Noah Horowitz and Vincenzo de Bellis for their trust. I will do everything I can to help advance this exceptional exhibition and to continue to be a tireless advocate for the city of Paris, our exhibitors, our partners, and the global mission of Art Basel. Working alongside gallerists, artists, writers, institutional representatives, collectors and creatives over the past 15 years has only strengthened my commitment to the world of art and culture. I would also like to express my sincerest thanks to Clément Delépine for his extraordinary contribution to Art Basel, his guidance over the years, and his invaluable friendship. I look forward to working with our extraordinary team to further establish Art Basel Paris as a truly outstanding and unmissable cultural beacon.”
|
|
| A 30-year-old will lead Art Basel Paris: Karim Crippa new director |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
