On 21 June 2025, during Art Basel in Basel, Contemporary Lynx Magazine hosted the panel discussion “Building Communities, Reshaping the Art Scene Across Asia and Europe”—a conversation spotlighting women who are rewriting the rules of visibility, access, and representation in the global art world.
Moderated by Editor-in-Chief Sylwia Krason, the panel featured three remarkable voices: Alejandra Castro Rioseco (founder of MIA Art Collection), Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec (founder of the Warsaw Institute for Modern and Contemporary Asian Art), and Julia Lechbinska (founder of Lechbinska Gallery and Forum in Zurich). Each of them has created cross-cultural initiatives that centre care, dialogue, and community—especially in regions often marked by marginalisation.
From the start, the panel set a bold tone: “This is not just about art. It’s about creating space where there was none—and doing it despite being told it couldn’t be done.”
Alejandra Castro Rioseco, who has built one of the world’s largest collections of work by women artists, emphasized the philanthropic values behind MIA Art Collection. Elvira Djaltchinova-Malec reflected on founding a platform for Asian contemporary art in Warsaw, where institutional support for non-Western narratives was virtually nonexistent. Julia Lechbinska spoke about slowing down the art experience in an increasingly transactional industry. Her Zurich-based gallery fosters meaningful dialogue between artists and collectors from Switzerland and Asia.The panel closed with a warm Q&A and a strong sense of shared purpose.
Art Basel once again proved to be one of the most prestigious art fairs in the world, providing a powerful backdrop for a conversation that reached beyond the art market—focusing not just on community, but on continuity and long-term cultural change.
