Ingenious women and dedications in lights

Some famous female painters of the early modern period, such as Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614), are still known today, but there were significantly more female painters and graphic artists at the time than art history tells us. Most of them remained unknown during their lifetime, working in the workshops of the masters – as was the case for most of their male colleagues. Only a selection of them, albeit a much larger number, have survived by name to this day. A career as a female painter was only possible under difficult conditions, as society had other tasks in mind for women (right into the 20th century!). Quite a few defied this task, mostly the daughters of painters who were lucky enough to receive a private education. An academic education was not possible for women. The exhibition Ingenious Women. Women Artists and their Companions takes a look at works by female painters from the 16th to 18th centuries, their living conditions and the social challenges they faced. The presentation can be seen in the main building of the Kunstmuseum Basel from 2 March to 30 June and is accompanied by a comprehensive program of events.

On the same day, the exhibition Dan Flavin. Dedications in Lights. The American Dan Flavin (1933-1996) is regarded as a pioneer of Minimal Art, an art movement to which he never wanted to belong. Flavin used industrially produced fluorescent tubes as the material for his artworks - for the first time in 1963, when he attached one of these tubes to a wall in his studio and declared it a work of art. A milestone in 20th century art, in which standard products manufactured for consumption have been regularly used as art material ever since. However, the Kunstmuseum Basel wants to place a different focus on Flavin's work: the artist often titled his »situations« with references to specific events or people. This aspect has often been neglected in the interpretation of his oeuvre, but gives it a completely new dimension that contrasts with the simplicity and beautiful austerity of minimalist works of art. This exhibition ends on August 18.