Description

A tour between worlds.

The exhibition Visual Encounters: Africa, Oceania and Modern Art was held at the Fondation Beyeler in 2009. Curated by Oliver Wick with the assistance of Antje Denner, this ground-breaking show – the first of its kind at the Fondation Beyeler – juxtaposed sculpture from Africa and Oceania with paintings and sculptures by European and US representatives of classical modernism. The idea for these “visual encounters” was suggested by Ernst Beyeler’s own passion for extra-European art, reflected in the substantial holdings of African and Oceanic works within the Beyeler Collection. Many protagonists of classical modernism, Picasso and Giacometti amongst them, were not afraid to explore the art of other cultures and took inspiration from the tribal art of Africa, for example. Where can we recognize their common traits?

The DVD takes a tour of the show as seen through the eye of the camera, accompanied by classical music. The beauty of the exhibits, and the force and presence of their thoughtful arrangement in the museum spaces, are highly impressive. Curators Oliver Wick and Antje Denner set out the ideas behind the show and talk about individual installations. Oliver Wick, who worked with Ernst and Hildy Beyeler for many years in the Beyeler Gallery in Basel, also reviews the life and work of the great art dealer and museum founder and his wife.