True to its lustered reputation as the must-see and must-be-seen destination for serious art enthousiasts, the 2012 edition of the Art Basel fair was buzzing with business.

Gallery booths elegantly displayed large-scale works by top modern and contemporary artists. As if every dealer had simultaneously thought of a "Less is More" aesthetic. It worked.

No idle dealers spotted – everyone seemed busy with a client or engaged with the screen of their iPads. With the type of serious transactions realized and potential for future sales, a fair of this caliber can represent up to 70% of a dealer's yearly revenue. In contrast to people-friendly art fairs held in the US, the Art Basel fair is a controlled environment peppered with security guards, check points and no photography permitted. That seemed to work as well. In a strange way this type of elitism makes for both man and art to be equally treated as VIP's.