Exhibition Review: Art Basel
The Book of Malka Germania (2021) © Yael Bertana
Written by: Federica Barrios Carbonell
Art Basel, one of the world’s most dignified and iconic art fairs, opens its doors in beautiful Basel, Switzerland. A labyrinth of spotless white walls displays thousands of pieces by artists from around the world. On a yearly basis, this event attracts thousands of tourists, members of the art world, and art lovers, all yearning to experience seemingly infinite artistic styles and transport themselves into the minds of each artist. While the weekend’s emphasis remains on the works of art, the fair offers an all-around experience from food to entertainment to enjoying the scenery. This year over 200 galleries will present the work of thousands of artists.
Many of this year’s exhibitions feature a theme of history’s lasting effects on society. Represented by the Jewish Museum of Berlin, video artist Yael Bertana exhibits a series of photographs from his book, The Book of Malka Germania (2021). Each image is representational of the embodiment of Malka Germania, a mythic character in Jewish history from the artist’s own imagination who characterizes the hardships and long histories of the Jewish people.
The Book of Malka Germania (2021) © Yael Bertana
The figure of Malka Germania, Hebrew for “Queen Germany,” is inspired by the artist’s interpretations of the collective unconscious of Judaism’s past and present. In one of Bertana’s stills an angelic figure walks the length of an endless train track with no indicator as to where they might be headed, while in a different image, the ambiance is mirrored with a group of people aimlessly walking with suitcases filled with belongings. In another, a beautiful antique clock is captured on the edge of destruction, about to hit the concrete floor. Bertana’s striking images combine fantasy with the past, imploring history to be remembered and atrocity never to be repeated.
![RICHARD LEAROYD Untitled [Two parrots], 2022 © Richard Learoyd, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5702ab9d746fb9634796c9f9/1655397768920-G6OU0SD5M2YAHZLM452F/FG_03_LEAROYD_Untitled+%5BTwo+parrots%5D%2C+2022.jpg)
Among the fair’s hundreds of galleries, the Fraenkel Gallery features the work of Robert Adams, Martine Gutierrez, Richard Learoyd, Christian Marclay, Richard Misrach, and Carrie Mae Weems this year. Their diverse selection is beautifully curated to complement each piece, with colors warming the space, inciting in the viewer a sense of understanding and curiosity. The different artists’ ideologies bind the exhibit together through their visions of change and its meaning. Changes in identity, landscape, and photographic methods throughout history are present in the Fraenkel Gallery, connecting viewers’ senses and leaving them in touch with their surroundings, yet aware that time is an abstract concept.
Washington, Federal Hall, (2018) c-type photograph with mixed media 72 x 48 ins. 182.9 x 121.9 cm © Hew Locke
The theme of history’s lasting mark is also apparent through some pieces exhibited by the P·P·O·W Gallery. Selections of photography include Washington, Federal Hall (2018) and Hamilton, Central Park (2018) by Hew Locke, images illustrating George Washington and Alexander Hamilton’s statues bedecked with star-shaped jewels, gemstones, and coins on their hairpieces and coats. American society has reckoned recently with its founders. The artist’s choice to embellish these statues signals that reevaluating history’s most prominent figures in modern society remains permissible.
Hamilton, Central Park, (2018) c-type photograph with mixed media 72 x 48 ins. 182.9 x 121.9 cm © Hew Locke
These and countless other galleries shape the immersive experience of Art Basel. With so much to encounter, it is hard to imagine how one could only spend a single day exploring. Art Basel will be open to the public from June 16th to June 19th, 2022 in Basel, Switzerland.
