Exhibitions
13 June – 7 September 2025
Irène Zurkinden: Love, Life
Irène Zurkinden: Love, Life is a tribute to an artist who explored life and society through her drawings and paintings with an observant, thoughtful gaze. The exhibition invites a renewed understanding of an artist who engaged with questions of identity, belonging, and expression throughout her life, displaying how groundbreaking her art was then and how relevant it remains today.
The exhibition opens with a room dedicated to Zurkinden’s works on paper. Throughout her six-decades-long career as a visual artist, Zurkinden has filled the pages of more than 100 sketchbooks. Together, they form the visual and conceptual foundation of Zurkinden’s practice, serving as studies for later works as well as moments of private reflection. They capture daily life and artistic thought, offering a glimpse into the creative mind of an artist who was always closely engaged with her surroundings.
Building on this self-reflective entry point, the second room in the exhibition presents a loose chronology of Zurkinden’s paintings, organized around themes that shaped her artistic life: her long relationship with Paris; her close ties to friends and family; and her fascination with the circus, ballet, and the vibrant culture of the Basel carnival.
The exhibition is curated by Rebecca Eigen and Reto Thüring with Elsa Himmer.