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Plastic arts, sculptures, and murals
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Museums, exhibition rooms, and art galleries offer a wealth of contemporary art. And the city is even more spoilt for choice every year by Basels Art Fair (Kunstmesse) of international 20th century works of art. Numerous works in public spaces add to the vast choice available.
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In lanes, streets, squares, and on the façades of buildings, there is hardly a public space in Basel where one cannot see a work of art.
Plastic arts,
Extraordinary examples of the plastic arts can be seen in a number of public squares in Basel. Jonathan Borofskys Hammering Man, a 13.4 metres tall steel and aluminium giant, stands on the Aeschenplatz. It is intended as a symbol for all who work for a safe environment that is worth living in. Below the Mittlere Brücke (Middle Bridge) on the Kleinbasel (Lesser Basel) side, at the first bridge pier as one looks upriver, Ludwig Stockers Lagerstätte (resting place) has lain in the river since 1992, a gift to the city of Basel by the three Honourable Companies in honour of the secentenary of the union of Lesser and Greater Basel. Taking his inspiration from the tombs at Luxor, Stockers idea was to sink the badges of honour, resting on a bier, in the Rhine. As a result, the work can be seen only when the level of the Rhine is low enough. Another notable work is Richard Serras massive Intersection on the Theaterplatz (Theatre Square); this, with its 3.6 metres tall steel plates, formed part of the Transform exhibition in 1992.
... sculptures,
Helvetia who also adorns the Swiss half-franc, one-franc, and two-franc coins has sat on the parapet at the Kleinbasel bridgehead of the Mittlere Brücke since 1980. The artist, Bettina Eichin, explains her creation as follows: One day, Helvetia left her two-franc piece, mixed with the people, and made a long journey. Her travels also took her to Basel. After an exhausting stroll through the city, she got rid of her shield, spear, and suitcase, laid her coat over the parapet, and looked reflectively down-river as she rested.
The Man with arms extended has stood on the Picassoplatz (Picasso Square) behind the Kunstmuseum since 1992. This 62fold enlargement of the original created by Picasso in 1961 was donated to Basels public art collection by his grandson in 1980.
... and murals
Somewhat hidden in a recess at Rheinsprung 7, on the building called Zum Kranichstreyt (the battle of the cranes), a mural, Gänseliesl (Goosegirl), created in 1978 by Samuel Buri, adorns the façade. For this mural, Buri took his inspiration from old photos of this wall, which showed the picture of a girl surrounded by her geese. If one fails to look carefully, the picture still seems unfinished. But the scaffolding is part of the mural.
Whether graffiti are art is not a question that calls for an instant answer. But surely they need not be such nasty daubs as deface so many walls. Sometimes they set interesting accents in otherwise bleak places. The series of graffiti visible from the train as it arrives at Basel central station is a notable example of the better kind.
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