UBS Art Collection explores The Power of Words at Art Basel in Basel 2026

Zurich, June 8, 2026 – As Global Lead Partner of Art Basel, UBS will showcase its longstanding commitment to contemporary art at the 2026 edition of Art Basel in Basel (18–21 June). This year, UBS will present a selection of works from the UBS Art Collection in the UBS Lounge focused on the theme The Power of Words. In addition, UBS will offer an opportunity for the public to engage with the fair through an activation on Aeschenvorstadt, in the center of Basel.

Christl Novakovic, Head UBS Global Wealth Management EMEA and Chair of the UBS Art Board, said: “Art Basel brings together a uniquely rich and dynamic cultural experience, acting as a catalyst for dialogue, discovery and inspiration. At UBS, we share this passion for art with our clients and communities, recognizing its ability to unlock new perspectives and connect people. Through the UBS Art Collection and our longstanding partnership with Art Basel, we aim to make contemporary art accessible both within the fair and across the city of Basel.”

This year’s UBS Lounge presentation, The Power of Words, will bring together works from the UBS Art Collection, one of the world’s most significant corporate collections of contemporary art. The exhibition will explore language as both subject and material, highlighting the interplay between text, image and meaning in artworks from the 1960s to the present day. Across diverse media including painting, sculpture, neon, photography and installation, the featured works will examine how words can inform, disrupt and transform visual experience.

Mary Rozell, Group Head UBS Art Collection, said: “Our presentation will bring together highlights from the UBS Art Collection by artists who use words to shape meaning, challenge perception and offer new ways of seeing. The presence of artists from the Collection across key platforms at Art Basel’s flagship fair further reflects our ongoing commitment to showcasing the most compelling artists of our time and sharing their works in ways that invite dialogue and discovery.”

One of the featured works, Fiona Banner’s Car Chases (Bullitt & French Connection) (1998), is an example of the artist’s “wordscapes” or “still films” that rework scenes from films such as Full Metal Jacket and Top Gun into meticulously handwritten text that replaces images, tightening as the action intensifies. It will be displayed on the exterior wall of the UBS Lounge, extending the presentation into the wider space and engaging visitors to the Collectors Lounge.

This presentation will also include works by artists such as Katie Paterson and Olaf Breuning, whose practices expand the idea of language beyond the written word. Paterson’s work explores poetic and conceptual forms of language, translating vast or intangible ideas into accessible and experiential works whilst Breuning often combines text and image. Together, these works broaden the notion of “words” to include symbolic, conceptual and emotional forms of communication. From bold, declarative statements to subtle textual interventions, the presentation will highlight how artists engage with language to reflect cultural narratives, identity and systems of communication.

The display will include works by Doug Aitken, Ricci Albenda, Fiona Banner, Olaf Breuning, Sophie Calle, Chen Wei, Tracey Emin, Sylvie Fleury, Hamish Fulton, Jeffrey Gibson, Jenny Holzer, Bethan Huws, Zilla Leutenegger, Christian Marclay, Sarah Morris, Adam Pendleton, Katie Paterson, Hayal Pozanti, Ed Ruscha, Shahzia Sikander, Lorna Simpson, Shinique Smith, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Nari Ward. Together, these works will demonstrate the expressive potential of language and its ability to provoke reflection and dialogue in contemporary art.

Artists represented in the UBS Art Collection will feature prominently across key platforms at Art Basel in Basel 2026, reflecting the Collection’s ongoing engagement with leading voices shaping contemporary art today.

Major public commissions will be unveiled across the city, including a new large-scale installation by UBS Art Collection artist Ibrahim Mahama on Münsterplatz, alongside presentations by artists such as Haegue Yang and Sarah Crowner as part of the Parcours sector. Within the fair, at Unlimited, curated by Ruba Katrib, artists including John Armleder, Tracey Emin, Ryan Gander, Theaster Gates, Antony Gormley, Alfredo Jaar, Bruce Nauman, Niki de Saint Phalle, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Thomas Ruff, Dana Schutz and Jorinde Voigt will be presented alongside ambitious large-scale installations, reflecting the breadth of art practices within the Collection. 

Additionally, UBS Art Collection artist Trevor Paglen will co-curate the third edition of Zero 10, Art Basel’s global digital initiative, marking its Basel debut and showcasing artists working at the forefront of digital, generative and media-based practices.

UBS will extend its presence beyond the fair through selected activations in Basel that will engage both clients and the wider public. At its branch in Aeschenvorstadt 1, as part of the Art Basel Parcours sector curated by Stefanie Hessler, UBS will present Untitled (Rainsticks) (2025) by Kader Attia, an immersive installation (open to all, Monday–Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., and Thursday–Sunday, 10 a.m.– 7 p.m.). Mechanically choreographed rainstick instruments, activated by rotating motors, will evoke the sound of rainfall through rhythmic, circular movements. The work reflects on cycles of nature and the passage of time, offering a contemplative meditation on humanity’s relationship with, and perceived control over, the natural world. 

During the fair, UBS will also offer a limited series of artist-designed items, available at its  Aeschenvorstadt 1 Basel branch from Thursday to Sunday (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.), while daily supplies last. A notebook by Olaf Breuning and tote bag by Katie Paterson will draw directly from the UBS Lounge presentation, extending the theme of The Power of Words into a wider public context. 

UBS will host The Art of Collecting: Navigating an Evolving Market as part of Art Basel’s Conversations Program, bringing together leading voices to explore key questions facing collectors today. The discussion will feature gallerists Saskia Draxler from Nagel Draxler and Johanna Neuschaeffer from Office Impart, alongside UBS experts Eric Landolt, Head of Family Advisory, Art and Collecting, and Carola Wiese, Senior Art Advisor.

“As the art market continues to evolve, collectors are navigating increasing complexity, from changing market dynamics to new opportunities for engagement and impact. This conversation will explore how collectors can approach these shifts with clarity and purpose,” says Eric Landolt, Head of Family Advisory, Art and Collecting, UBS Global Wealth Management. 

The panel will take place on Friday, 19 June, from 1–2 p.m. at the Auditorium in the Event Hall and will be moderated by Melanie Gerlis, art market columnist at the Financial Times and editor-at-large at The Art Newspaper.

About UBS
UBS is a leading and truly global wealth manager and the leading universal bank in Switzerland. It also provides diversified asset management solutions and focused investment banking capabilities. UBS manages 6.9 trillion dollars of invested assets as per the first quarter 2026. UBS helps clients achieve their financial goals through personalized advice, solutions and products. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the firm is operating in more than 50 markets around the globe. UBS Group shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

About UBS & Contemporary Art
Global Lead Partner of Art Basel, UBS has a long history of supporting contemporary art and artists. The firm has one of the world’s most significant corporate art collections of contemporary art. UBS seeks to advance the international conversation about the art market through its global lead partnership with Art Basel, and as co-publisher of the ‘Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report’ and the ‘Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting.’ UBS also supports some of the world’s most important arts institutions, events and fairs. Through UBS Art Advisory, UBS provides UHNW clients and their family offices impartial advice and execution services across the whole lifecycle of a collection, from strategic development and governance to making an impact through philanthropy and the transition of collections into the next generation. For more information about UBS’s commitment to contemporary art, visit ubs.com/art.

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