Hello friends. Today I want to share a walk I took in Basel. I will talk about what can be seen in this city in a single day. Basel is located in Switzerland, but it sits exactly at the point where the borders of Germany, France and Switzerland meet. At a place called Dreiländereck, these three countries come together. You can cross a small bridge into Germany and then walk into France from there. The distances are just a few hundred meters. Even the Basel airport is located on French soil. Its name is Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. It is jointly operated by Switzerland and France but also includes Germany. It is one of the rare airports in the world that serves more than one country. The city of Basel is built along the powerful Rhine river. This is not only a major German river but also very important for Switzerland.
Our first stop was a place called Schaulager, a building that serves both as an exhibition space for modern art and a storage facility. It belongs to the Laurenz foundation. The foundation was established by the Oeri family in memory of their daughter Maja, who passed away at a young age. The family strongly supports the arts. Modern artworks are stored and occasionally exhibited here. The building was most likely designed by Basel’s most famous architects, Herzog and de Meuron. I will mention them a few more times today because they have done significant work globally and have left a strong mark on Basel’s architecture.
The building itself has a polygonal shape with a slightly recessed facade. In front of the entrance, there is a small pavilion. This pavilion and the recessed building create a sort of courtyard. When we entered, we arrived at a space resembling a storage hall. There are few windows and they are placed in interesting ways. The exterior is covered with white plaster. The pavilion and the main structure are clad in gravel taken from the area, giving the surface a rough and fragmented appearance. This texture continues inside the building and can be seen on the walls and ceilings of areas like the café and reception. The building is both architecturally interesting and functionally unique, as it combines storage and exhibition functions. This kind of building is not something I come across often, so it was a first for me.
By chance we came across an exhibition that had opened just a few days earlier. It features an installation called Bass by British director Steve McQueen. He is the director who won an Oscar for the film "12 Years a Slave". He is also involved in contemporary art. After being shown in New York, this work is now in Basel and will likely remain for several months.
The installation is a light and sound show centered on low-frequency sounds, as suggested by the title. The work revolves around themes of transatlantic journeys and forgetting. It is quite powerful and immersive. It also creates unusual optical sensations. After spending time under red light, when you close your eyes, you see blue tones. Or maybe that was just my experience. The entrance fee is not very high and it is close to the city center.
When I visited, the city was hosting Basel Art week. Events like Art Basel and Volta were taking place. The exhibition center designed by Herzog and de Meuron also hosts these events. This building has a circular opening that draws attention and an interesting design, though it is quite different from the structure I mentioned earlier.
Our next stop was the Beyeler foundation, located in the village of Riehen, which can be considered a suburb of Basel. This is also an art foundation. The Beyeler family established it in 1982. In 1997 they commissioned Renzo Piano to design a building to showcase their collection. The structure blends beautifully with its surroundings. Even if you are not deeply interested in art, it is worth visiting just to stroll in the garden. There is also a café, the atmosphere is peaceful and the view is lovely.
The building is rectangular with glass walls, creating an interaction between interior and exterior. In front of the entrance, there is a small pool with half-submerged decorations shaped like water lilies. They are likely made of plastic but still look impressive.
There was an exhibition of works by Vija Celmins, an American artist born in Latvia. I had not seen her work before. She focuses on themes that evoke a sense of infinity: starry skies, snowfall, waves, clouds. Even when objects appear, it is not clear where they come from or where they are going. Things like airplanes and cars. Her artistic approach is contemplative and calm.
The exhibition from Beyeler’s own collection impressed me deeply. There are nine rooms, each dedicated to one artist, allowing viewers to explore each artist’s work in depth. There are quite a few works by Picasso. Artists like Mark Rothko andy Warhol and Wolfgang Tillmans are also represented. Because each room is dedicated to a single artist, it offers a unique experience.
Contemporary art practices are also featured. An installation called Little Room stands out. You step inside and are photographed from all angles. Then, using virtual reality glasses, you re-experience your own body and image. It takes almost an hour but is captivating.
If you can spare more than a day, I also recommend the Vitra Campus. It is only 3 km away, across the German border. It is like an open-air museum of important architecture.
From there, you can see the Roche Towers, another work by Herzog and de Meuron. Roche is one of the giants of the pharmaceutical industry. The first tower, 178 meters tall, was completed in 2015 and the second, 205 meters tall in 2022. It became the tallest building in Switzerland. It has a stepped structure clad in white glass.
Another fascinating place in Basel is the Jean Tinguely museum. Tinguely was a master of kinetic art. Gigantic moving, rotating and noise-making structures are displayed. You can even climb some of them. His work builds a relationship between humans and machines, nature and mechanics. Some structures operate on their own at set times, while others are activated by pressing green light buttons on the floor. These works, made from abandoned and discarded objects, are quite impressive.
One of the temporary exhibitions in the museum was Tinguely’s series called The Dance of Death by Mengele. It was created using parts collected from a nearby burned-down farm. Burnt beams, animal skulls and broken farming machines were used to create nine pieces. It has a strong apocalyptic atmosphere.
Another exhibition was by Julian Charrière. He explores underwater worlds, the sounds of sea creatures and the mysterious atmosphere of the ocean. One installation, where you lie down on the floor and feel as if you are underwater, was particularly memorable.
Susan Lacy’s exhibition focused on the issue of sexual violence. It was less visual but drew attention to a very important topic. The architecture of the museum is by Mario Botta, a famous architect from the Italian-speaking Ticino region of Switzerland.
Water-based fun in Basel is also quite interesting. People put their clothes in waterproof bags and let themselves drift in the river. The current carries them downstream and they get out somewhere along the way. Visually it is quite a sight.
We ended our journey in Basel’s historic center, Marktplatz. We mostly focused on contemporary art and architecture, but the city is also rich in historical buildings. The town hall, with its colorful facade, stands out. The cathedral is also worth visiting. You can climb to the top and enjoy a panoramic view of Basel. In Barfüsserplatz, there is the Barfüsserkirche, a former Franciscan church. It is now a history museum. There are over forty museums in Basel.
There are also many options for trying local flavors. The best-known Swiss beer, Feldschlösschen, is produced in the oldest and largest brewery only 13 km from Basel.
It is up to you to decide what to see, but these are the places I chose today. I hope you enjoyed it. Basel may be an expensive city, but it certainly deserves a visit. One more interesting note: the people of Basel tend to have a high income level. In addition to Roche, global pharmaceutical companies like Novartis and many other businesses are located here. That is why the number of single-person households is very high. People do not need to share homes for financial reasons. That is a good thing, but it also carries a bit of loneliness...
