Exploring Histories of Our Time at Kunsthaus Baselland in Basel
Contemporary art has long served as a vital emotional entry point for processing complex societal shifts, and a major exhibition at Kunsthaus Baselland in Basel tackles this head-on. Entitled Histories of Our Time and curated by Ines Goldbach, the showcase brings together thirteen regional and international artists to reflect on pressing contemporary issues. Realized in collaboration with Culturescapes, the project offers visitors a deeply reflective and emotional perspective on politics, displacement, and collective memory.
Navigating Contemporary Issues Through Art in Basel
Drawing inspiration from philosophical ideas on emotional openness and societal justice, the exhibition avoids providing a sweeping encyclopedia of global crises. Instead, it invites visitors to engage personally with select subjects through the lenses of the participating artists. Ranging from geopolitical conflicts and the mechanics of power to personal biographies and historical blind spots, the works touch upon themes such as migration, surveillance, gender equality, and shifting national borders.
The participating artists—including Maja Bajević, Sabine Hertig, Cécile Hummel, William E. Jones, Zoe Leonard, Hanne Lippard, Anna Molska, Anna Ostoya, Dorian Sari, Katja Schenker, Jonas Staal, Piotr Uklański, and Artur Żmijewski—employ diverse media. From large-scale installations and video works to intricate collages and performances, the showcased pieces encourage viewers to examine their own stances against the backdrop of recent history.
What Visitors Can Expect
Visitors to Kunsthaus Baselland can experience a rich variety of artistic approaches:
- Large-Scale and Installative Works: Sabine Hertig’s massive black-and-white paper collages assemble thousands of fragments into apocalyptic landscapes, while Cécile Hummel presents urban photography across textile hangings reminiscent of Mediterranean alleyways.
- Video and Performance: William E. Jones exhibits Rejected, a video highlighting historical photographs deliberately punched with holes by government archivists, and Hanne Lippard plays with language and typographic disruption in pieces like Brexistential.
- Political and Biographical Reflection: Zoe Leonard uses personal family archives to examine multi-generational statelessness and displacement, and Jonas Staal investigates the propaganda art and cinematic history behind modern political movements.
The exhibition provides an opportunity to slow down and confront how personal stories intertwine with larger historical narratives. To discover more cultural highlights across the city, explore what's on exhibitions in Basel, browse the full museums list, or plan your journey using the interactive map view on Musemap (musemap.art).
