Championing UK Artists on the Global Stage

As Head of Artist’s Services at DACS, Daniel Rudd is dedicated to supporting and advocating for the rights of visual artists. This week, he heads to Art Basel, one of the world’s leading contemporary art fairs, to connect with galleries, celebrate the work of DACS members, and spotlight the UK’s vital contribution to the international art scene.

Visiting Art Basel this week has been a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with the international art world and celebrate the impact of UK artists on a global stage. As always, it’s energising to see the breadth and depth of work that artists – including many DACS members – are producing and the recognition it receives here. 

Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press, explores language and power through bold, conceptual work. Her latest piece, DISARM FLAGS, installed on Basel’s Mittlere Brücke, features flags with mannequin limbs and charged words, blending the body and body politic. It’s a striking, playful installation resonating internationally with clarity and provocation.

Basel Social Club, now in its fourth year and this year held in an old bank, was certainly the place to be, with queues to get in snaking along the Rittergasse. With over 100 room, BSC embraces experimental, socially engaged art, including Barbershop: Live Salon by DACS member Faisal Abdu’Allah. Presented by Harlesden High Street and Kendra Jayne Patrick, the performance turns hair-cutting into a space for dialogue on identity, representation, and belonging. Part of the broader programme It’s a Whole Lotta Money (in this muf**er), that Abdu’Allah previously presented at the Venice Biennale and Tate. 

Just around corner from Art Basel is Liste, celebrating it’s 30th year with an expanded number of galleries participating. In a conceptual classroom, Larry Achiampong (Copperfield) and Marcus Jefferson (Harlesden High Street) reflect on the realities of growing up Black, shaped by racism and socio-economics. Achiampong requests people in power to repeat a phrase in chalk, turning punishment to reflection. Phrases like "everybody wants to be black until it's time to be black" confront the commodification of black identity, against a backdrop of fleeting solidarity on social media feeds. Jefferson brings the windows and floor to this conceptual classroom, made with materials used in the drug trade from Vaseline & clingfilm to free lottery tickets, all used to conceal and evade detection. 

Originally commissioned by Somerset House Trust, London, Namak halal / namak haram by Hylozoic/Desires’ (Himali Singh Soin & David Soin Tappeser) is now being presented as part of Art Basel Parcours in Basel. The work explores the elusive Great Hedge of India. Drawing from extensive historical and archival research, they offer insightful reflections on the complex narratives surrounding salt, borders, and empire.  

We’re here not only to see great art, but to catch up with people we work with and support. These relationships are central to DACS’ mission to champion artists’ rights. UK visual artists continue to make an outsized contribution to the global cultural landscape, not least in the art world. Art has the power to transcend borders and plays a vital role in shaping the UK’s considerable soft power—demonstrating how creative expression can drive influence, thought, understanding and change. 
 
Art Basel is a reminder that artists are not just makers of things, but are leaders shaping how we see the world. At DACS, we remain committed to ensuring they are recognised, valued and supported accordingly. 

Art Basel continues until 22 June 2025
Liste continues until 22 June 2025
Basel Social Club continues until 21 June 2025
June Art Fair continues until 22 June 2025
Africa Basel continues until 22 June 2025