Agenda

Robert Frank (Zurich 1924-2019) is widely regarded as one of the most important photographers of our time. Over the course of decades, he has expanded the boundaries of photography and explored its narrative potential and has inspired two generations of photographers. The exhibition mainly features vintage silver gelatin prints from the collection of the Fotostiftung Schweiz and loans from the Fotomuseum in Winthertur.

The Nazi regime in Germany and the Second World War had a significant impact on life in Basel and the whole border region between 1933 and 1945. The exhibition will inquire into cross-border relationships and ask where the people of Basel, the Swiss authorities and local businesses and institutions stood in relation to National Socialism and the Nazi state.

Refugees and refugee policies, the political climate, economic ties, the challenges faced by Basel’s Jewish population, the campaign to defend Switzerland’s cultural identity and everyday life during the war will be among the themes presented. The exhibition (Grenzfälle) will recount the fortunes of individuals as well as exploring borderline cases of all kinds, whether geographical, personal, legal or moral, providing plenty of food for thought on how we handle the past.

The current threat to health is joined by new uncertainties. What do contemporary art works tell about the emotional roller-coaster that are being experienced in the Corona-pandemie, including greater solidarity, neighbourly help and greater communication ?. In this compilation of works from the collection of contemporary art – the title of the exhibition is taken from a work by the Geneva artist Vidya Gastaldon – the museum embarks on a journey through the history of the most recent art, in search of what artists can tell us about extreme conditions and emotions.