Wolfgang Tillmans at Fondation Beyeler: A Free-Spirited Retrospective
The Fondation Beyeler in Basel presents a comprehensive exhibition of Wolfgang Tillmans, running from May 28 to October 1, 2017. Curated by Theodora Vischer, the show defies easy categorization, reflecting Tillmans's fluid practice that spans still life, landscape, portrait, and abstraction. The installation is key: works range from 18x24 cm prints pinned directly to the wall to large-scale pieces, some framed, others suspended with clips. Tillmans's early work documents Hamburg rave parties, gay clubs, and youth culture of the 1990s. After his partner's death from AIDS in 1997, his work turned more introspective, exploring the linguistic dimensions of photography. Later works engage social and political themes: migration, anti-isolationism, borders, and fear of the other. A fervent Europeanist and anti-nationalist, he created works for the anti-Brexit campaign. The lower floor features three video works juxtaposing music and silence, social imagery, and polluted water foam. Throughout, Tillmans references Eastern culture and iconographic models. The exhibition presents a series of questions about art history.
Key facts
- Exhibition at Fondation Beyeler, Basel, from May 28 to October 1, 2017.
- Curated by Theodora Vischer.
- Works range from 18x24 cm to full-wall installations.
- Some works pinned, some framed, some suspended with clips.
- Early subjects include Hamburg rave parties and gay clubs.
- Partner died of AIDS in 1997, leading to more introspective work.
- Later works address migration, anti-isolationism, borders, and anti-Brexit.
- Three video works on the lower floor.
Entities
Artists
- Wolfgang Tillmans
- Powell
Institutions
- Fondation Beyeler
- Galerie Buchholz
- Maureen Paley
- David Zwirner
Locations
- Basel
- Switzerland
- Remscheid
- Germany
- Hamburg
- Berlin
- Cologne
- London
- New York