Basel is no stranger to art. In fact, thanks to nearly 40 museums housing various world-class collections, this picturesque and peaceful city in north-west Switzerland is something of a hub for art – and it has been for some time.
Each year now brings with it a selection of new and innovative exhibitions appearing across the city to wow locals and visitors, and 2024 is no different. To get you started, we’ve picked out three essential exhibitions that art-fanatics and casual gallery-hoppers alike simply cannot afford to miss. Following this are some other top tips and recommendations for soaking up Basel’s art scene. Factor-in some time for these once you’ve hit those three headline attractions.
And remember that the best way to make the most of your visit to galleries, museums and everything else in the city is by using a BaselCard, a free card given to everyone staying overnight in Basel at a hotel. This little piece of magic offers hefty discounts on top sights and attractions (up to 50% at some), as well as free bus and tram rides, plus ‘guest bike’ rental – a great way of navigating between all those museums. Find out more about the BaselCard by clicking here.
American artist Dan Flavin had a fascination with lighting and illumination, which he used to great effect in his pioneering work. He’s rightly hailed as an innovator, and his work remains influential more than three decades after his death. Let this enriching exhibition of the artist’s work at Kunstmuseum Basel illuminate his subtle genius.
March 2 - August 18, 2024
The globally recognised Fondation Beyeler is known for its carefully curated programme of forward-thinking modern and contemporary art, perfectly demonstrated in its current exhibition highlighting the work of Jeff Wall. The Canadian photographer practices what he calls ‘cinematography’, essentially a form of staged photography he has experimented with over the decades, creating captivating images that look as if they’ve been lifted straight from a cinema screen.
January 28 – April 21, 2024
Visit the ever-charming Museum Tinguely to take a deep dive into the colourful and enlightening world of Otto Piene. This visionary artist was known for his love of progress and big ideas, expressed through widely varying works across multiple mediums but almost always with an immediate aesthetic impact and a playfulness that won him admiration from a huge range of voices. See his experimental approach for yourself at this exciting exhibition.
February 7 – May 12, 2024
Art in Basel doesn’t just live in the museums and galleries – it’s also out in the open, gently enlivening city streets and approved public spaces. Internationally lauded street artists regularly travel to Basel to make their mark on the city, and the results can be seen in a number of areas. These include the spaces alongside the tracks between the Basel SBB rail station and the Schwarzwaldbrücke bridge, areas near the Sommercasino cultural centre, and the Bell Food building, which sports an array of brilliantly bold murals on its walls. Go deeper into the scene and its colourful riches on an Urban Art City Tour by following the link below.
Bridge the gap between digital and physical whilst on your artful wanderings by embarking on ARTour, a route around the city that stops by ten works of innovative digital art. Simply download the ARTour app, for free, and start strolling, taking in the works in whichever order you like, over however long you choose. The current theme for these augmented works is ‘celebrate life’, so you’ll be sure of a positive, life-affirming journey.
Who says you have to confine your arty adventure to the daytimes? The perfect lodging for your trip is Art House Basel, a boutique venue in the hip Steinenvorstadt district. There are ever-evolving urban art exhibitions in the hotel, and the view from its sky-high rooftop bar out on to the hubbub below is a work of art in itself.
