Clément Cogitore Takes Center Stage at Kunsthaus Baselland
Kunsthaus Baselland presents a comprehensive institutional showcase dedicated to the work of Paris-based artist and filmmaker Clément Cogitore. Running as part of the institution's spring and summer programming, this two-part presentation marks the first Swiss solo exhibition for the winner of the 2018 Prix Marcel Duchamp.
Exploring Collective Imagery and the State of Modern Culture
Known for exploring how imagery from advertising, entertainment, and digital networks influences contemporary life, Cogitore brings a nuanced perspective to the Dreispitz district. At the heart of the presentation is The Evil Eye, the acclaimed work that earned the artist the Prix Marcel Duchamp, alongside other key moving-image projects such as Les Indes galantes.
Visitors encountering The Evil Eye are met with a complex visual and auditory installation constructed entirely from commercial image databases. Rather than capturing new footage, Cogitore acquired rights to stock photography typically deployed in advertising and political campaigns. By pairing these highly polished, stereotyped representations of female bodies and idyllic settings with an unsettling narrative text—incorporating fragments from Saint John's Apocalypse and Dante's Inferno—the artist investigates the thin line between seduction and manipulation in modern visual culture.
In conversation with curator Ines Goldbach, Cogitore notes that the installation functions as an "archive of the present day," offering future generations a glimpse into contemporary civilization's neuroses, aspirations, and digital spectacles.
The Physical and Political Body in Motion
Complementing The Evil Eye, the exhibition also highlights Cogitore's engagement with collective choreography and social tension through Les Indes galantes. In this work, the artist brings together Krump dancers—a dance form born in the wake of the 1990s Los Angeles riots—with Jean-Philippe Rameau’s French Baroque compositions. The result is a high-energy dialogue connecting historical colonial dynamics with contemporary urban resistance and bodily expression.
For those planning a visit to Kunsthaus Baselland to experience these immersive moving-image installations, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to engage with one of contemporary art's most thoughtful commentators on media, society, and collective memory. Additional details on upcoming programs and exhibitions across the city can be found by exploring Musemap, where you can also browse the museums list or search for more cultural spots in Basel.
