Baselitz Turns 80: Dual Retrospective in Basel

Georg Baselitz, born 1938, is celebrated with two simultaneous exhibitions in Basel marking his 80th birthday. At Fondation Beyeler, 90 paintings and 12 sculptures from 1959 to 2017 are displayed chronologically, including a room of 2017 works never before shown publicly. The Kunstmuseum Basel presents 88 drawings, prints, and watercolors from its own collection, curated by Anita Haldemann. Baselitz, who adopted his name in homage to his birthplace, began inverting his figures in 1969, a practice he described as a self-imposed handicap to prove his talent. The first upside-down works were portraits of friends, landscapes, and still lifes. The Beyeler exhibition, curated by Martin Schwander, will travel to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington this summer, marking Baselitz's first North American retrospective since 1995. The Kunstmuseum's relationship with the artist dates to 1970 when curator Dieter Koepplin mounted his first drawing show. Baselitz has donated numerous works to the museum over time. A talk with the artist will be held at Fondation Beyeler on February 16, 2018. Both exhibitions run until April 29, 2018.