Jun 13 - Sep 7
11:00 - 18:00
Irène Zurkinden: Love, Life – Exhibition notes:
Basel – The Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger | KBH.G is proud to present Irène Zurkinden: Love, Life, a major exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Irène Zurkinden (1909–1987), a remarkable Basel-based artist of the 20th century. Running from 13 June to 7 September 2025, the exhibition offers a comprehensive and recontextualized look at Zurkinden’s artistic legacy, showcasing celebrated works from public and private collections as well as intimate works on paper being publicly displayed for the first time.
It has been four decades since Irène Zurkinden’s work was last presented in an institutional setting in Basel—most notably at the Kunstmuseum Basel and Schloss Ebenrain in the 1980s. This exhibition aims to reintroduce her to a new generation of viewers and shed fresh light on her remarkable artistic legacy: Spanning five decades of artistic production—from her early days in 1930s in Paris to the late works of the 1980s—the exhibition highlights Zurkinden’s bold experimentation, her fluid visual language, and the depth of her engagement with subjects ranging from the intimate to the political. While celebrated for her portraits and cityscapes the exhibition, above all, reveals lesser-known drawings, paintings, and sketchbooks, some displayed for the very first time.
Irène Zurkinden: Love, Life not only illuminates the artist’s aesthetic journey but also delves into the enduring relevance of her work. The accompanying exhibition publication features reflections from contemporary artists including Tracey Emin, Valérie Favre, Sadaf H. Nava, Ariane Koch, Lenz Geerk, Sanya Kantarovsky, and Peter Suter—offering powerful dialogues across generations. Scholarly essays by Marie-Eve Celio-Scheurer, Quinn Latimer, and Florian Illies, along with contributions from curators Rebecca Eigen and Reto Thüring, provide fresh insight into Zurkinden’s artistic significance in today’s context.
In addition, a film based on a screenplay by Ariane Koch—adapted and directed by Garrick Lauterbach—offers a cinematic exploration of Zurkinden’s world through the eyes of her beloved cat Matou, adding yet another contemporary perspective. Although Zurkinden’s contributions have often been eclipsed by her more internationally recognized contemporaries, recent institutional interest, including acquisitions by Kunstmuseum Basel and exhibitions in Europe and the United States, has helped restore her place in modern art history.
This landmark exhibition invites visitors to rediscover Irène Zurkinden as a vital and visionary artist whose expressive works continue to resonate, provoke, and inspire.
Irène Zurkinden: Love, Life
13 June–7 September 2025 Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger | KBH.G Spitalstrasse 18, 4056 Basel, Switzerland Open daily (except Tuesdays) from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM Free admission and publication Curated by Rebecca Eigen und Reto Thüring, with the assistance of Elsa Himmer
