Photographing the Empty Messe Basel: Art Basel Without the Crowds
Francesca Pompei's photo series captures the Messe Basel, the venue of Art Basel, devoid of its usual crowds. The Messe Basel, renovated and expanded by Herzog & de Meuron, is a vast structure designed for public events. Pompei's images explore the unsettling emptiness of spaces meant for collective experience, offering a rare individual perspective on the architecture. The photographs, taken in 2022, reflect on the pandemic's aftermath and the return to in-person art fairs, highlighting the tension between architecture's public purpose and the solitude of empty spaces.
Key facts
- Francesca Pompei photographed the Messe Basel without visitors.
- The Messe Basel is the venue for Art Basel.
- The building was renovated and expanded by Herzog & de Meuron.
- The photos were taken in 2022.
- The series is titled 'The Messe Basel, 2022'.
- Pompei is a photographer specializing in art and architecture.
- The work was published on Artribune.
- The photos show the empty spaces of the convention center.
Entities
Artists
- Francesca Pompei
Institutions
- Art Basel
- Messe Basel
- Herzog & de Meuron
- Artribune
Locations
- Basel
- Switzerland