Exploring Pictorial Spaces at Kunsthaus Baselland in Basel
Contemporary painting stretches far beyond traditional boundaries in the exhibition "Pictorial Spaces," hosted at Kunsthaus Baselland as part of the cross-border Regionale cooperation. Bringing together thirteen artists from Switzerland, Germany, and France, the presentation reimagines what a painted work can encompass—transforming from flat surfaces into spatial installations, light interactions, and conceptual explorations.
A Trinational Perspective on Modern Painting
Set within the Dreispitz district, the institution serves as a focal point for regional and international contemporary art. This iteration of the annual Regionale network highlights the dynamic, lived exchange across the three-country region surrounding Basel.
Visitors navigating the galleries will encounter works that question classical definitions. Rather than relying solely on traditional canvases and brushes, the participating artists incorporate unusual materials, digital processes, and performative actions.
What to Expect from the Featured Works
The exhibition spans a diverse range of artistic approaches, each challenging conventional perspectives:
- Tim Bohlender explores monochromatic potential through process-based applications of ink and pigment on cardboard-mounted canvases.
- Mariejon de Jong-Buijs presents Hopewell Woods, an outdoor project featuring cotton sheets stretched between trees during a performance in New Jersey.
- Anja Braun integrates glass, light, and reflections with her Windows series, turning viewers into active participants in the space.
- Annegret Eisele fills the foyer with expansive, poetic installations of color, light, and sound structures inspired by everyday observations.
- Simone Holliger constructs large-scale, paper-based reliefs that respond directly to the architecture and atmosphere of the building.
- Sonja Lippuner maps out floor environments with Zunge, guiding movement through an unfamiliar, sprawling layout.
- Vincent Lo Brutto repositions everyday cleaning utensils and window cleaner into sculptural elements that reference classical drapery.
- Céline Manz draws on the architectural history of Sophie Taeuber to create luminous neon sculptures.
- Camillo Paravicini enlarges rapid sketches into high-gloss panel works that play with photographic and painterly values.
- David Richter investigates liminal moments and pictorial inversion using monotype printing techniques.
- Maja Rieder blurs the lines between drawing and painting through sweeping, gestural paper works.
- Susanne Schwieter presents powder-coated aluminum elements from her tongues series that leap from the walls into the room.
- Kathrin Siegrist exhibits a textile curtain born from a collaborative lockdown project that transformed her studio into a community garden center.
To discover more contemporary art venues, exhibitions, and cultural highlights across the city, explore Musemap. You can easily plan your next visit by browsing the museums list, checking what's on exhibitions, or viewing the interactive map view.
