ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Chus Martínez on Renaming Basel's Art Institute and Creating a Transformative Educational Model

institutional · 2026-04-20

Chus Martínez, who leads the Institut Kunst Gender Natur HGK FHNW in Basel, reflects on the 2014 rebranding of the art department at Basel’s University of Applied Sciences and Arts, which aims to integrate art with concepts of gender and nature. The institute comprises 110 students and 60 faculty members, focusing on collaborative teaching and strong mentorship. The bachelor’s program, mainly conducted in German, has become more global, welcoming Peruvian students after 2018 and Ukrainian students following the Ukraine crisis. The master's program is exclusively in English, with 60% of its students coming from abroad. Martínez also curates exhibitions at der TANK, featuring artists such as Eduardo Navarro and Julieta Aranda. During the pandemic, she initiated weekly check-ins and organized a graduation exhibition at Kunsthalle Basel, highlighting joy and comprehensive care in art education.

Key facts

  • Chus Martínez became head of Basel’s University of Applied Sciences and Arts art department in 2014.
  • She renamed the department Institut Kunst Gender Natur (Institute Art Gender Nature).
  • The institute has 110 students and approximately 60 teachers.
  • Classroom teaching involves three teachers working together simultaneously.
  • The bachelor program shifted to English in 2018 to accommodate Peruvian students from Corriente Alterna in Lima.
  • Six Ukrainian students joined the bachelor program after the Ukraine crisis began.
  • The master's program is 60% international students and 40% Swiss or Swiss-documented students.
  • During the pandemic, Martínez organized weekly check-ins, cooking courses, and a graduation exhibition at Kunsthalle Basel.

Entities

Artists

  • Chus Martínez
  • Eduardo Navarro
  • Ingela Ihrman
  • Cecilia Bengolea
  • Julieta Aranda
  • Sergio Rojas Chaves
  • Renee Levi

Institutions

  • Institut Kunst Gender Natur HGK FHNW
  • University of Applied Sciences and Arts
  • ArtReview
  • Kunstmuseum
  • Kunsthalle Basel
  • Corriente Alterna
  • der TANK
  • Art Basel

Locations

  • Basel
  • Switzerland
  • Zürich
  • Lima
  • Peru
  • Ukraine

Sources