Parcours at Art Basel 2017 Disappoints with Weak Installations

The 2017 edition of Parcours, the public art section of Art Basel curated by Samuel Leuenberger, has been widely criticized for its lackluster quality. Set in Basel's historic center around the cathedral, the exhibition features works in piazzas, alleys, courtyards, and private spaces. This year's pivot piece in Münsterplatz is Ai Weiwei's monumental "Iron Tree," which the reviewer dismisses as derivative of Giuseppe Penone. Other prominent artists like Berlinde De Bruyckere and Nathalie Djurberg also fail to impress. Notable exceptions include Gianni Colombo's "Spazio elastico" (1992), Pedro Cabrita Reis's 12-meter neon tube referencing reformer Johannes Oekolampad, and Katinka Bock's playful intervention that diverts water from a private fountain through a bronze fish to spray onto a public square, connecting the medieval center to the modern Kunstmuseum plaza. Despite these highlights, the overall impression is that Parcours has exhausted its format, with energy seemingly diverted to the Unlimited section. The reviewer concludes that even Parcours Night performances cannot salvage the event, calling for a reinvention of the concept.