RIEHEN.- During Art Basel 2023, the
Fondation Beyeler will be offering a varied program of exhibitions, including “Doris Salcedo” and “Basquiat. The Modena Paintings,” a new collection presentation, and a number of special events. The major retrospective devoted to Colombian artist Doris Salcedo comprises eight central series of works from various phases of Salcedo’s career. In “Basquiat. The Modena Paintings,” eight large-format paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, created in 1982 in Modena, Italy, are exhibited together for the first time. The collection presentation “THE MIND’S EYE. Images of Nature from Claude Monet to Otobong Nkanga” focuses on the different ways in which artists engage with the natural world, and offers a first chance to see some of the museum’s recent major acquisitions. The show is supplemented by a display of works by Robert Ryman from the Daros Collection. This year’s presentation by the Fondation Beyeler at Art Basel is devoted almost entirely to the work of Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), marking the fiftieth anniversary of the artist's death. A hyper-realist sculpture by Duane Hanson provides a variation on the central theme.
Among the special events at the Fondation Beyeler during Art Basel Week are a conversation between Doris Salcedo and Nick Serota, and the book launch of the new monograph Not Vital: Sculpture. The week ends with the first “sun.set” evening of the year, featuring DJs Dixon and Jamira Estrada.
Exhibitions at the Fondation Beyeler during Art Basel 2023
Doris Salcedo
21 May – 17 September 2023
The Fondation Beyeler is the first museum in Switzerland to devote a comprehensive solo exhibition to the Colombian artist Doris Salcedo (*1958), presenting eight major series of works from different periods of her career. On 1300 square metres, the presentation will bring together around 100 individual pieces, among them key works on loan from major international institutions as well as rarely exhibited works from private collections. In her objects, sculptures and site-specific interventions, Doris Salcedo addresses the experiences and repercussions of violent conflicts across the world. Even though her works often take specific events as their starting point, they are of universal significance and validity. The artist’s work often revolves around reflections on loss, individual suffering and the ways societies process collective grief.
Basquiat. The Modena Paintings
11 June – 27 August 2023
In the summer of 1982, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) painted eight large-format works for one of his first solo shows, supposed to go on view at a gallery in Modena, Italy. However, the project was cancelled before the show’s opening and the paintings were never shown together. More than forty years later, the Fondation Beyeler for the first time brings together these masterpieces, now held in collections in the United States, Asia and Switzerland.
THE MIND’S EYE. Images of Nature from Claude Monet to Otobong Nkanga
10 June – 27 August 2023
The collection display focuses on artists’ engagement with nature – from Impressionism to the current day. The exhibition brings together more than 40 works. In parallel, the Fondation Beyeler will show works by Robert Ryman from the Daros Collection.
The Fondation Beyeler booth at Art Basel 2023
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), the Fondation Beyeler is placing his work at the center of its presentation at this year’s Art Basel. Picasso is one of the most influential figures in modern art, and the Beyeler Collection includes over thirty of his key works. The display focuses on two pioneering pictures: Femme (Epoque des "Demoiselles d’Avignon") from 1907, and Femme assise dans un fauteuil from 1910, which exemplify two decisive stages in the development of Cubism. These milestones of modern painting are exhibited, unconventionally, in conjunction with a hyper-realist sculpture by American Duane Hanson (1925–1996), showing a workman with a paint roller standing in front of a half-painted wall. The seemingly incomplete state of this year’s Art Basel booth, featuring Picasso’s “unfinished” Femme, still in its shipping crate, can be taken as a reference to the process of creating a work of art and to the manner of its presentation.
Events at the Fondation Beyeler during Art Basel 2023
Doris Salcedo in conversation with Nick Serota
Wednesday 14 June, 10a.m.–11a.m.
Doris Salcedo’s compelling artworks merge personal conversations with victims and their relatives, political engagement and philosophical reflections. In conversation with Nick Serota, British art historian and former Director of the Tate, London, Doris Salcedo discusses her artistic practice.
Book launch Not Vital: Sculpture with Alma Zevi and Not Vital
Thursday 15 June, 4p.m.–5.30p.m.
Not Vital: Sculpture by Alma Zevi is a new monograph detailing the remarkable career of the Swiss painter, sculptor, draughtsman, and architect Not Vital. The artist and the author will be present and will sign books after the event. Moderation: Diana Segantini
sun.set
Saturday 17 June, 3p.m.–9.30p.m.
The “sun.set” series, held in collaboration with Basel’s Nordstern club, offers musical highlights in the Fondation Beyeler gardens every year. Dixon is one of the leading innovators of electronic music. Jamira Estrada, whose expressive and diverse sets have been taking clubs all over Europe by storm, will be performing as support. The DJ sets with Dixon (Innervisions) and Jamira Estrada (Zukunft) start in the late afternoon.
Upcoming shows at the Fondation Beyeler – Preview 2023
Niko Pirosmani
17 September 2023 – 28 January 2024
Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani (1862–1918) is a legend: (for now) unknown to many, he is almost fanatically revered by others. As the exhibition will show, Pirosmani was an outstanding exponent of early modern art. To a rare extent, already in his lifetime Pirosmani’s art spoke to all, from people on the street and in taverns to avant-garde artists and writers. With just a few brushstrokes, he transformed the quotidian into the exceptional, creating icons of glowing intensity. His art bridged worlds, it celebrated a feeling of belonging and dedication. With around fifty rarely seen masterpieces from the holdings of the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi, the exhibition provides an introduction to Pirosmani’s artistic world. The exhibition is organised jointly by the Fondation Beyeler (Riehen / Basel) and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (Humlebæk) and realised in cooperation with the Georgian National Museum and the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia, generously supported by the Infinitart Foundation.
