Art Basel is pleased to announce the appointment of Ruba Katrib, Chief Curator and Director of
Curatorial Affairs at MoMA PS1 in New York, as curator of the Unlimited sector for the 2026 edition in
Basel. She will succeed Giovanni Carmine, Director of the Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen, who has led the
sector since 2021. Unlimited is Art Basel’s unique platform for large-scale projects, showcasing
monumental installations, expansive sculptures, immersive wall paintings, extensive photo series, and
ambitious video works. As curator, Katrib will join the Art Basel in Basel curatorial team alongside
Stefanie Hessler, Director of New York’s Swiss Institute (SI), under the leadership of fair director Maike
Cruse. Her appointment reflects Cruse’s commitment to a strong curatorial vision and to shaping an
ambitious, diverse, and forward-looking program for the fair.
Art Basel in Basel, whose Global Lead Partner is UBS, will take place at Messe Basel from 18th to 21st June, 2026.
Renowned for her bold, thought-provoking exhibitions and commitment to amplifying emerging voices in
contemporary art, Katrib will bring a fresh vision to Unlimited, Art Basel’s pioneering platform for projects
that transcend the classical art fair booth. Since its inception, Unlimited has remained one of the most
anticipated highlights of the show in Basel, offering galleries and artists an unparalleled stage for ambitious,
large-scale presentations. At MoMA PS1, Katrib has curated acclaimed exhibitions including The
Gatherers (2025), Rirkrit Tiravanija: A LOT OF PEOPLE (2023), Jumana Manna: Break, Take, Erase, Tally (2022),
and Greater New York (2021) and Simone Fattal’s first comprehensive retrospective in 2019. Earlier, as Curator
at SculptureCenter in New York (2012–2018), she realized over twenty exhibitions, among them 74 million
million million tons (2018, co-organized with Lawrence Abu Hamdan). In addition, she co-curated SITE Santa
Fe’s biennial Casa Tomada in 2018, and her writings regularly appear in leading periodicals and museum
catalogues.
Unlimited is a unique and vital platform that allows artists to realize works of a scale and ambition rarely possible in other contexts. It is an honor to shape this celebrated sector and to collaborate with artists and galleries on projects that will resonate with audiences in Basel and beyond.”
Ruba Katrib, Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs at MoMA PS1 in New York
“At Art Basel, our mission has always been to not only showcase the most ambitious art of our time, but also to cultivate the curatorial voices that shape its future. The appointment of Ruba Katrib reflects this commitment to fostering a new generation of thought leaders in the arts. By joining our curatorial team, Ruba brings with her a depth of insight, intellectual rigor, and sensitivity to the urgencies of contemporary culture. Her vision will infuse Unlimited with fresh perspectives and open new possibilities for how audiences encounter large-scale artistic practice.”
Vincenzo de Bellis, Chief Artistic Officer and Global Director, Art Basel Fairs
Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world’s premier art shows for Modern
and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, Paris, and Qatar. Defined by its host city and
region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the
content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art
Basel’s engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through new digital platforms including the Art Basel
App and initiatives such as the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report, the Art Basel Shop, and the Art
Basel Awards. For further information, please visit artbasel.com.https://www.artbasel.com/
