Arts and Culture

The Tinguely Museum in Basel is not your usual art museum. As chairlady Anne wrote in ZIWA News, "It rattles and clatters, squeaks and squeals, crashes, bangs and thumps." Thirteen art lovers were eager to find out more on Tuesday last. The hour-long train journey to Basel was painless, and then it was just a short tram and bus ride to the museum situated on the banks of the Rhine. Our guide, Bettina Back, explained something of the short history of the museum building, designed specially to house Tinguely's works by the Swiss Italian designer, Mario Botta, and opened in 1996. But it was difficult to keep our eyes off the huge metal sculptures hanging from the ceiling above us. The Luminator was Jean Tinguely's last work, a collaboration with Klaus Littmann and created in 1991 for the Art Basel Fair. It was subsequently installed in the main hall of Basel main station, but when the station concourse was refurbished in 1999, the massive work was exhibited in Leipzig until a new home could be commissioned. The work was donated to the Basel museum by UBS, and it revolves and incorporates colourful lighting effects.

Tinguely had never trained as an engineer but employed a mechanic to help him work on the giant kinetic structures that he envisioned. His first major construction, the Grosse Méta Maxi-Maxi Utopia, was designed in 1987 for the courtyard of a palazzo in Venice, but the authorities there were not enthusiastic. This exhibit features doors which open, wheels which turn and steps to climb - more of a living organism than a sculpture, incorporating water, a motorbike and a carousel horse. Tinguely was inspired by the French artist Marcel Duchamp who defined the term Readymades in the early 20th century. Tinguely realised that moving sculptures needed a break between operating but also that rust and deterioration could indeed be part of the artwork. We saw this in evidence at the museum, where the exhibits had a time delay between running, and some of the earlier sculptures had started to rust and needed ongoing maintenance.

Tinguely also made several collaborations with his second wife, Niki de St.-Phalle, whom he met in Paris in 1953. Her distinctive colour schemes were evident in such works as L'Illumination which includes the image of a woman's face, part of a series of similar works on display. Tinguely was also invited to MOMA in New York where he installed an "Homage to New York" and later blew it up. Tinguely's works certainly invite the spectator into the exhibit, with their intriguing sounds which are especially appealing to children.


After the enlightening tour, we took our seats in the Restaurant Chez Jeannot which overlooks the Rhine - a wonderful place to enjoy lunch before some of the ladies also strolled beside the river, enjoying the sun and the view. Thanks to Anne for arranging a fascinating tour. Next month, we visit the Rosengart Collection in Luzern. Don't miss it!