Art Basel is the mecca of the art world, attracting over 55,000 people, including collectors, dealers, artists, curators, critics and other art lovers. This is the 39th edition, and it assembles 300 leading international galleries.

Getting this edition off the ground, following the departure of ace director Sam Keller, has been problematic. Cay Sophie Rabinowitz, who was appointed artistic director, resigned at the end of May. The fair is now being led by co-directors Annette Schönholzer, formerly director of operations and finance, and Marc Spiegler, formerly director of strategy and development. Everybody will be praying for a smoothly run event.

The fair is extremely competitive, so galleries spend months preparing what to bring and have some of their strongest works on display. The scope of the art on show takes in paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs and video. The 200-plus artists whose works are on display range from modern masters like Matisse and Picasso to blue-chip artists like Damien Hirst and Takashi Murakami through to hip, contemporary stars like Terence Koh and Ryan McGinley.

One of the most exciting parts is Art Unlimited, which features large-scale projects by 60 artists, including Carl Andre, Tom Wesselmann, Thomas Hirschhorn and Rodney Graham.

The program also hosts film screenings. These include the European premiere of "Water In Milk Exists" by Lawrence Weiner; "Derek," a portrait of Derek Jarman featuring Tilda Swinton, by Isaac Julien; "Daft Punk's Electroma" by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, and films by Wilhelm Sasnal. A definite highlight is Elmgreen & Dragset's witty "Drama Queens" performance. It is comprised of seven iconic 20th-century sculptures based on Alberto Giacometti's "Walking Man," Barbara Hepworth's "Elegy III," Jeff Koons's "Rabbit," Sol LeWitt's "Four Cubes," Ulrich Rückriem's "Untitled (Granite)" and Andy Warhol's "Brillo Box."

June 4 through 8, 2008
Halls 1 and 2 of Messe Basel
4005 Basel
Switzerland
T. +41 58 200 20 20