Description

Classical modernism meets Africa and Oceania

The 2009 “Visual Encounters”exhibition presented a superb selection of non-Western art in the company of masterpieces of classical modernism. Paintings and sculptures by Monet, van Gogh, Picasso, Mondrian, Matisse and other notable artists were juxtaposed with artworks from Africa and Oceania, bringing into focus the unmistakable contribution of art and culture from outside Europe to the history of world art. The exhibition was curated with the aim of demonstrating the artistic force and visual impact of the works on show.

This was also the first exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler to center upon the important holdings of African and Oceanic art within the Beyeler Collection. These were complemented by 180 loans from over 50 public and private collections, which together provided a compelling overview of ethnographic art.

The catalogue documents and discusses connections and contradictions between the exhibits and looks at the works from an art-historical perspective. Essays by distinguished experts provide insights into this complex thematic field.