Chiara Bersani: Deserters at Kunsthaus Baselland in Basel
Contemporary art institutions often serve as spaces for challenging conventional perspectives, and a prominent example is the presentation of Deserters by artist Chiara Bersani at Kunsthaus Baselland. Running from late October 2023 through early January 2024, this exhibition marked the artist's first solo presentation in a European institution. Curated by Lorenzo Giusti and Ines Goldbach, the project brought together visual art and live performance to engage visitors with themes of vulnerability, intimacy, and spatial politics.
Exploring Vulnerability and Relational Practices in Basel
At the heart of the presentation was a large-scale, hand-knotted carpet measuring 600 by 600 centimeters, featuring fringes of variable length. Within this immersive scenic environment, three performers with motor impairments moved, interacted, and left traces of their physical presence without the use of mobility aids. The project deliberately confronts stereotypes surrounding identity, sexuality, and intimacy as they relate to people with disabilities.
Drawing from an aesthetic of proximity and relationality, the work addresses the political dimensions of disabled bodies—particularly following heightened segregation during the pandemic—by reclaiming shared space through movement, sound, and collective presence. The exhibition text by Lorenzo Giusti offers deeper reading into the conceptual framework of the project, while an interview with Chiara Bersani and Ines Goldbach outlines the development of her broader artistic practice.
Background on the Artist and Production
Born in Italy in 1984, Chiara Bersani operates across the fields of performing arts, research theater, and visual arts. Her previous works, such as the acclaimed Gentle Unicorn, have toured international venues, museums, and galleries, earning her recognition including the UBU Prize and a Total Theatre Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The realization of Deserters followed a residency in Bergamo and was supported as the winning project of the 11th edition of the Italian Council, an initiative by the Directorate General for Contemporary Creativity within the Italian Ministry of Culture. Media reception for the exhibition was documented across various outlets, including a review by Berlin Art Link, alongside notices in regional publications like the Basler Zeitung and bz Basel, as well as specialized coverage in Art. Das Kunstmagazin and the Kunstbulletin.
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