Karim Crippa to Lead Art Basel Paris
The appointment signals a generational shift in the organisation as Clément Delépine departs for the Parisian institution Lafayette Anticipations, passing the baton to 34‑year‑old Crippa. Save to My Ocula
It’s ‘a great honour and responsibility’ to lead Art Basel Paris, according to Karim Crippa, who is set to move up the ranks following the fair’s fourth edition in the city.
Crippa has been with the organisation since 2018, currently holding dual posts as head of communications for Art Basel’s Paris edition, and senior editor for the flagship Swiss fair.
Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz described the appointment as reflective of ‘our belief in cultivating talent from within and empowering team members who have grown alongside the evolution of Art Basel itself’.
Chief artistic officer Vincenzo de Bellis praised Crippa for his ‘curator’s eye, communicator’s precision, and profound understanding of what makes Paris such a vital city for contemporary art’.
Born in Zurich and raised in Lausanne, Crippa has held posts at Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary in Vienna, Haus der Kunst in Munich and Duve in Berlin. He has collaborated on projects with artists including Ragnar Kjartansson, Cerith Wyn Evans and Sharon Lockhart.
Crippa succeeds Clément Delépine, who has steered the fair through its fast-paced formative years since 2022, and leaves next month to become director of Paris art institution Lafayette Anticipations.
The announcement lands on the fair’s first public opening day, in a fitting finale for Delépine’s tenure. —[O]
Main image: Art Basel Paris (24–26 October 2025). Courtesy Art Basel.
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