As the global leader in art fairs—connecting over 300,000 art lovers annually with more than 5,000 artists and thousands of galleries—Art Basel faced a significant challenge: How to turn expansive events into deeply personalized experiences? Working closely with our team at Fantasy, Art Basel embraced AI to transform how collectors, artists, and curators engage with their fairs.

The result: the Art Basel app, featuring the AI Liaison—a personal concierge that helps visitors effortlessly discover and connect with galleries, artists, and artworks tailored to their unique tastes. From personalized itineraries to real-time recommendations, the app makes navigating Art Basel’s extensive fairs seamless and enjoyable.

“Working with Art Basel wasn’t just about technology—it was about creating something fundamentally human,” said Craig Hepburn, Chief Digital Officer at Art Basel. “The new AI experience captures exactly what makes our fairs special: discovery, meaningful connections, and human creativity.”

Launched at Art Basel Miami Beach 2024, the app quickly resonated with visitors, attracting over 75,000 users and receiving a 4.5-star rating in the App Store. This success is the result of careful collaboration, prototyping, and testing at events in Miami, Paris, Hong Kong, and Basel—ensuring the app genuinely enhanced attendees' experiences.

"The key was integrating AI thoughtfully and responsibly," explains Alain Brusch, Global Head of Digital Products at Art Basel. "Visitors now have an intuitive, empowering way to discover artists and galleries that truly speak to them. It’s technology designed around people, not the other way around."

Fast Company echoed this sentiment in their coverage, describing the app as a potential turning point for the art world and an example of how AI can enhance cultural experiences rather than disrupt them.

At Fantasy, this launch underscores our commitment to creating meaningful digital experiences—not just through technology, but through empathy for users.

"We insisted on continuous user testing because real impact comes from genuinely understanding human behavior, desires, and expectations," said Tom Acker, UX Director on the project with Peter Smart, Managing Partner, CXO at Fantasy, adding, "This wasn’t about inserting AI for the sake of it. It was about giving every visitor the feeling that the fair was an experience tailored just for them. That’s the real power of AI.”