"There are few places where so much empathy and sense of belonging prevail as among the institutions based in Basel."
For over 15 years, Carlo Knoell successfully ran a gallery at Luftgässlein in Basel. In June, he opened the first exhibition there under the Hauser & Wirth banner. In this interview, Knoell discusses his relationship with art, the opportunities presented by the transition to Hauser & Wirth, and the significance of the Hammershøi exhibition as the initial presentation.
You built up Galerie Knoell yourself and turned it into a successful (family) business over 15 years. Now you are managing the Hauser & Wirth Basel Gallery at the same location. What emotions do you feel about this change?
CK: “My hope, which has been fulfilled, was that there would be no real difference: I can focus on the content that I have always dealt with. Although the circumstances have of course changed, as I find myself in a new role and a new environment with new challenges but also opportunities. I am genuinely and honestly interested in art and usually follow positions over a long period of time. Vilhelm Hammershøi is the best example of this. The gallery had no previous contact with him, but I have always been interested in the 19th century. I have also been engaged with Verena Loewensberg and Meret Oppenheim for a long time, which will be directly reflected in the gallery's programme. Certain other positions will no longer receive the same attention from me, that’s clear. Overall, however, I experience the change as a significant continuity, for which I am very grateful.”
You founded the Galerie Knoell at the age of 20. Where did this early passion for art come from?
CK: “I knew by the age of 16 that I wanted to become an art dealer and would have preferred to drop out of school for it, as I couldn’t wait to finally dedicate myself exclusively to it. But I was also influenced by my family: My mother is an artist, and my father was a framemaker and collector, which naturally led to an early understanding of the importance of art. By this, I particularly mean the emotional level—what art can evoke when you engage with it; the surprises and moments of discovery that arise from dealing with it. Many of these experiences, where the physical, theoretical, emotional, and irrational intersect, I had for the first time with ‘old’ art.”
In June, you opened the first show at the Basel branch. How did the preparations go, and how was the first exhibition received?
CK: “Overall, expectations were very high, as both the gallery and I were beginning a new chapter, which also had to be communicated on a non-verbal and emotional level. It was important to me that the new story incorporated the past. My own expectations for the opening exhibition were a strong driver and source of inspiration. When choosing Vilhelm Hammershøi, I knew it would attract attention among connoisseurs—but the real project had to be to expand the audience for this artist. There were many uncertainties I had to prepare for: How would the show be received by the media, and how would visitors react to this classical position, which is not typically known in the Hauser & Wirth programme. What surprised me the most was the enormous media attention the exhibition received and how many people were genuinely moved by the works shown. These reactions showed me that no one questioned why I was showcasing this particular artist. Instead, it made sense to everyone that this major gallery was presenting a largely unknown position of the highest quality. This has greatly motivated me for future projects, as I have realised that people are extremely curious about historical positions. Perhaps precisely because they are not very familiar with the context, such as Hammershøi’s late 19th-century Denmark, they approach the position as if it were contemporary. And what particularly pleases me: After our exhibition, there will be five major museum exhibitions on the artist in the coming years—we’ve hit a sweet spot directly.”
Is the opening exhibition therefore to be seen as a guiding principle for the Basel branch’s programme?
CK: “The programme will be heavily influenced by me, although my activities, including dealing with estates and deceased positions, will not be limited to the local branch. But presentations that focus on historical engagement will certainly characterise the Basel gallery. My aim is not only to show historical positions but also to open them up to a new generation and make them accessible. This doesn’t mean that contemporary artists won’t be considered for exhibitions, as long as there can be drawn historical connections.”
Hauser & Wirth is a global enterprise, and the opening of the branch at Luftgässlein is seen as a commitment to Basel. How do you view the local scene, and what role does the new branch play in it?
CK: “All the great achievements celebrated in Basel, whether in art, architecture, or business, always draw from the same biography: they have oriented themselves outwards from Basel, connecting the local with the international context. Rootedness and connection do not preclude overcoming borders and language diversity. This conviction also underpins my ambition not to limit myself to Basel. At the same time, and this has been much discussed internally, one cannot sever their roots even with a global orientation. This was never the intention, nor is it necessary, as the Amerbach Cabinet and the resulting Kunstmuseum Basel are significant identifiers for us. The connection to the Kunsthalle Basel is also highly influential: Looking back at its list of exhibited positions and how many of them are now in the Hauser & Wirth programme, it becomes immediately apparent that the connection between the gallery and Basel makes a lot of sense.”
Are there future collaborations planned with these institutions?
CK: “I can’t name any specific projects, but certainly, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t want to, and in fact, there is already a great deal of exchange. The desire to be in exchange with colleagues, galleries, artists, and museums, and to be open and receptive to them, is a given. There are few places with as much empathy and a sense of belonging as among the institutions based here.”
July 2024
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Galerie Hauser & Wirth, Luftgässlein 4, 4051 Basel
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