BASEL.- LISTE 08, The Young Art Fair in Basel: The most important young art galleries will be in Basel in June. The LISTE, The Young Art Fair in Basel (through June 8, 2008) will be taking place for the 13th time. As a promoter of young art and young galleries, the LISTE has developed over the years into one of the most important art fairs in this sector. Approximately half of the artists being presented by the 64 galleries from 22 countries will be making their international debut at the LISTE.

The world’s most important newcomer galleries can be seen in Basel in June. Either they will be pre-senting at the LISTE or they have made the leap from the LISTE to Statements at Art Basel. Since its inception in 1996, the LISTE has introduced many galleries that were unknown at the time of their LISTE appearance - galleries and artists who were at a starting point in their careers and are now among the world’s most important. Many of the LISTE’s former participants have established them-selves at Art Basel. This development has also strongly interlinked the two fairs.

Over the last few years, it can be noticed that LISTE-galleries have been able to make the leap to Statements or the Première of Art Basel for one or two appearances, but have been unable to secure a regular, reserved space at the fair. The LISTE is responding to this situation, and has adapted its ad-missions policy so that important former participants might have the opportunity to take part in the LISTE once again. In this way, the most exciting newcomer galleries can maintain their international art audience in Basel and can be then be seen either at our fair or at Art Basel.

Nevertheless, the LISTE always maintains its criteria of presenting and promoting primarily young artists under 40. In this way, galleries that are former participants and somewhat more established can present young and internationally lesser known art and artists. The LISTE is thus able to remain a discoverer fair that, year after year, succeeds in attracting the most important collectors and museum people from around the world.

One result of this new policy is that, for example, galleries such as Herald St., London; Jocelyn Wolf, Paris; Sorcha Dallas, Glasgow; Fonti, Naples; Francesaca Kaufmann, Milan; Standard (Oslo), Oslo; Kordansky, Los Angeles, just to name a few, will be seen at the LISTE again. Those are galleries with excellent artists who are a real asset to Basel’s art week.

Due to the acceptance of former participants, the waiting list for the LISTE has grown quite a bit longer. Rest assured, however, that the most important criterion is and will continue to be the quality of the art. Presenting our visitors with the most important newcomer galleries and the most contemporary young art is and always has been the most important job priority of LISTE.

This year, a dozen young galleries will be new to the LISTE; among them, two South American exhibi-tors Traschi, Santiago/Chile and Proyectors Monclova, Mexico, and two US galleries: Elizabeth Dee, New York, and Overduin and Kite, Los Angeles. There will be two galleries from Germany: Sandra Bür-gel, Berlin; schnittraum/lutz becker, Cologne; from Milan: Klerkx und Francesca Minini. New to the LISTE: Ancient & Modern, London; Layr Wuestenhagen, Vienna; ProjecteSD, Barcelona und Rodeo, Istanbul. It is striking that this year’s LISTE will be presenting a large number of solo shows.

The LISTE is also completed by special guests as well as a performance program which presents a variety of international performance artists on a daily basis. Special guests this year will be the Kunsthaus Baselland, which exhibits international and national artists, dock in Kaskadenkondensator, and the media arts institute plug.in, with media art from Japan. In addition, the National Swiss Insurance Company will present its Art Prize for the fifth time. This prize is meant to support a graduate majoring in visual and media arts at a Swiss art college.

With this mix of new, somewhat known galleries and presenters who have been active and successful for a couple of years in the international art market, the LISTE 08 promises its visitors a look into con-temporary art with many exciting discoveries. Again at this year’s LISTE you will find a heavy concentra-tion of new works by better known and unknown young artists.