Noah Horowitz
ART HISTORIAN AND CEO OF ART BASEL
WHAT IS YOUR CALLING CARD?
I have an uncontrollable laugh and a low bar for humor. Don’t get me started…
WHAT’S ONE BOOK, WORK OF ART, ALBUM, OR FILM THAT GOT YOU THROUGH AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE?
I have listened to Big Thief on repeat for years. Adrianne Lenker’s lo-fi solo album Songs and Instrumentals, recorded in a cabin in the Massachusetts woods during the pandemic, was a constant throughout the lockdowns. She was also the first live concert I saw post-pandemic, a poetic endcap to this frozen moment in time.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF IN YOUR INDUSTRY? LESS OF?
Both a call-to-action for a more sustainable future and a not-so-veiled critique of the predominance of painting, Rirkrit Tiravanija’s mantra, “Less Oil More Courage,” strikes a prescient tone. Rirkrit’s words are more salient than ever as our industry grapples with its fast pace of change, and as it comes to terms with how a new and increasingly diverse generation of artists are approaching their practices in the face of pressing social and political strife, turbocharged with curiosity and question marks around the role of A.I.
“Our team is reimagining what the world’s greatest art fair can do today and into the future, bringing new energy and dynamism across the board.”
WHO DO YOU CALL THE MOST?
I call, text, and generally prod my wife, Louise [Sorensen], more than anybody. We’ve been together since writing our PhDs in London 20 years ago and have been operating on the same wavelength ever since. She’s my rock, my sanity check, and my daily steer.
WHAT’S COMING UP FOR YOU IN 2024?
It’s a big year for us at Art Basel. In June, we present the first edition of our flagship show in Basel, Switzerland, to be led by our new director, Maike Cruse. With Maike at the helm, our team is reimagining what the world’s greatest art fair can do today and into the future, bringing new energy and dynamism across the board. I am also looking ahead with tremendous excitement to October, when we present the first edition of our Paris show in the iconic and newly renovated Grand Palais.
in your life?
