From humanoid robots and autonomous AI agents to historic drawing machines and early computer art of the 1960s, the Digital Art Mile brings together a wide spectrum of digital and computer-based practices in one location.
The event—comprising a fair, exhibition, and public program—returns to Basel, Switzerland, from June 16 through 22, 2025. Timed to coincide with Art Basel and organized by Artmeta, it will be staged at the city’s historic Rebgasse. Its timing and location—concurrent with Art Basel—underscore the growing interest among collectors, institutions, and market players in digital art’s evolving role within the global art economy, particularly as questions of authenticity, value, and technological authorship become central to contemporary collecting practices. The initiative aims to reflect on both the evolving aesthetics and commercial positioning of digital art today.
Installation view of the Digital Art Mile (2024) featuring work by Aleksandra Jovanovic. Courtesy of Artmeta.
This year’s edition will include roughly 11 exhibitors, including a number of first-time participants. Among them is Kate Vass Galerie of Zurich, which will present Iconoclast, a solo show of work by Nigerian digital artist Osinachi, spanning from his early experiments to recent projects. Another solo presentation is planned by LaCollection—a platform that has collaborated with institutions such as the British Museum—featuring new works by generative artist Tyler Hobbs.
Other participants include Bright Moments (San Francisco), which will present Automata, a focused look at the development of robotics and artificial intelligence in art. Objkt (Zurich) will host a group show curated by Anika Meier that addresses identity and machine agency.
Hackatao, Hack the Paintbox (2025). Courtesy of Artmeta.
A conference program will run concurrently at Kult.Kino Cinema, Rebgasse 1, exploring themes such as the economics of digital art, the role of AI in generative practices, and institutional engagement with new media. Scheduled panels include “The Digital Art Market,” “Generative Art and AI,” and “Museums and Digital Art.”
One of the central exhibitions, Paintboxed—part of the Tezos World Tour—focuses on the legacy of the Paintbox, an early digital painting system. Often described as a forerunner to Adobe Photoshop, Paintbox played a significant role in 1980s visual production across film, television, and advertising. The exhibition revisits this underexamined tool as both a technical and cultural artifact.
A panel discussion with Ana Maria Caballero at the Digital Art Mile (2024). Courtesy of Artmeta.
Founded by Georg Bak, a long-standing figure in digital art and NFT curation, and Roger Haas, co-creator of the Paintboxed – Tezos World Tour, Artmeta has positioned the Digital Art Mile as a space for cross-disciplinary dialogue between artists, collectors, and technologists. However, the event also reflects broader questions facing the digital art ecosystem—particularly the role of fairs and platforms in shaping aesthetic trends and market access.
While designed to appeal to both established collectors and newcomers to the genre, the Digital Art Mile also raises questions about how digital art is defined, institutionalized, and monetized within the broader art world.
The Digital Art Mile will run June 16–22, 2025.
