Basel Social Club 2024
Juan Zen
The opening of the Basel Social Club on Sunday in the fields of the Bruderholz illustrated the visionary idea of making Art for Basel more than just a sales fair with ‘I'm part of it’ buttons. The Basel Social Club shows artistic positions on the outskirts of the city, where foxes and hares say good night to each other. This raises questions.
All kinds of perspectives come together: Sunday walkers, curators, strawberry-harvesting families, bicycle renters, artists waiting for electricity to get their work up and running, collectors who say ‘I thought it was some kind of a park, not a farm!’, students selling their sporting goods at the Artistmarket. A fine breeze of uncertainty blows over everything. Or is it a strong gust of optimism?
In any case, a few questions arise:
What else is there to see? What is this? Will there be more? Am I allowed too? What else happens up here? Where can I clean my shoes? Is smoking allowed? Are the grazing cows a work of art? When is the rain coming? How do I get back to the city? How good are the dried sausages in the farm shop? Where else can I get something to eat? Is it free? Are there raves here too? Who made the sofa flags? What did Ottolinger get from Swisscom for the collection worn by the helpers? Did Hannah put it together all by herself?
o Yes
o No
o Maybe
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)