Basel’s Münsterplatz is the locale for the 2015 Parcours exhibition of site-specific and performative work by more than 20 leading international contemporary artists. Curated by Florence Derieux, Parcours explores Münsterplatz as the center point to many Basel institutions, showcasing projects that interact with the contexts of significant sites such as Basel’s Town Hall and the Museum of Culture. These five projects promise to be provocative.
Piero Golia’s Untitled (Evil exists where good men do nothing) (2005) is presented by Bortolami and Gagosian Gallery and features a life-size guillotine at Basel’s city hall—a gesture that cuts through political innuendo and goes straight to the…head.
Der Tag ohne Gestern l – lll (2014-2015) by Alicja Kwade is presented by 303 Gallery, Galerie König and kamel mennour in the cloister of Basel’s cathedral. Three corten-steel sculptures, inspired by pre-scientific attempts to illustrate the inherent structure of the universe, invite viewers to look through the work upon ticking clocks. Situated in real time, these clocks reflect back the viewer’s own existential reality, which in turn comes up against the weighty history of the gothic cathedral.
Nate Lowman’s Multicolored tow truck (2015) transforms rusted and painted tow trucks into religious crosses. These sculptural reinterpretations are displayed on the Münsterplatz, and are presented by Massimo De Carlo and Maccarone galleries.
Another vehicular transformation by artist Vik Muniz features a lifesize rendition of the Matchbox toy car. Titled Mnemonic Vehicle (Ferrari) (2015), the work speaks to the artist’s process of collecting vintage toy cars over the past year, exploring ideas of play and memory. Exhibited in St. Martin’s church, this project is presented by Pace gallery.
Monumental in scale, The Gracious (2015), by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone depicts human form in stone as a large, imposing form on the Münsterplatz. The sculpture is presented by Gladstone Gallery and Galerie Eva Presenhuber.
Presented by Anton Kern Gallery and Stuart Shave/Modern Art, Lara Schnitger’s Suffragette City (2015) is an environment with sculptures as well as colorful tapestries and banners offering sayings with themes of gender, sexuality, and motherhood. This work includes a performance that consists of a procession through the streets of Basel on Saturday, June 20 as part of Parcours Night.
Parcours Night takes place on Saturday, June 20 from 6 pm-midnight, and will also be an opportunity to see site-specific projects by Alexandra Bachzetsis, Davide Balula, Adriano Costa, Alicia Framis, Tobias Kaspar, Michaela Meise, Jonathan Monk, Ciprian Mureşan, Peter Regli, David Renggli, Yves Scherer, Alyson Shotz, Daniel Silver, Philippe Thomas, Blair Thurman, and Francisco Tropa.
Opening hours Parcours:
Wed-Fri, June 17-19: 11 am-10 pm
Sat, June 20: 11 am-midnight
Sun, June 21: 11 am-7 pm
