Minimal Art in Basel. Rundgang durch die Kunsttage mit Laura Vuille

The Minimal Art movement, which emerged in the 1960s, was groundbreaking in the history of Western art of the 20th century with its emphasis on seriality, reduction, and objectivity, as well as the deliberate use of industrially manufactured products. Its influence is still felt today. During the tour, we first encounter two of its pioneers, Dan Flavin and Donald Judd, who took different positions within the art movement. With Flavin's installation of colourful fluorescent tubes in the courtyard of the Kunstmuseum Basel, we take an initial look at the reception history of Minimalism. Through early exhibitions and acquisitions of works, the institution played an important role in the international visibility of Minimal Art. Nevertheless, Flavin's light installation was initially rejected as a donation in the mid-1970s and ultimately remained unused for years.

From the Kunstmuseum, the tour continues to the Gagosian Gallery, where we approach Donald Judd's exploration of material, space, and colour through ten wall pieces. Next, we move on to Ausstellungsraum Klingental, which was opened in 1974 as part of an artists' initiative. Its exhibition history provides us with insights into how the concerns of Minimal Art were and are addressed and reflected upon by local artists. With a visit to the exhibition "It Never Entered My Mind" by the Basel artist Laura Mietrup at the gallery see you next tuesday, we ultimately build another bridge to the present.

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Laura Vuille is an art historian, curator, and educator. She studied Visual Communication at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and worked as a graphic designer in Zurich and Berlin before pursuing a second degree in Art History and the Theory and History of Photography at the Universities of Zurich and Basel. As a research assistant at the Graphische Sammlung ETH Zurich, she curated the exhibition "Räume des Wissens" in 2021. In addition to her roles as an art educator at the Schaulager Basel and as an independent art historian, she has been working at the Kunsthaus Zürich since 2023, where she has co-curated the collection series ReCollect! since the beginning of this year.

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This German-speaking tour will be conducted on foot and starts inside the courtyard of the Kunstmuseum Basel Hauptbau by the fountain.

Participation is free, and registration is binding.

Friday SOLD OUT / Saturday SOLD OUT / Sunday SOLD OUT

Holbein or Böcklin, Monet or Picasso, Beuys or Richter. They are all part of the Kunstmuseum Basel's world-renowned collection of some 4,000 paintings, sculptures, installations and videos, as well as 300,000 works on paper. In addition to presenting the collection, the museum regularly organises special exhibitions of international standing.