Art|Basel|2017 – Bernhard Hofstetter: «Die lebende Schnittstelle zwischen Kunst, Mode, Design und deren adäquate Zubereitungsformen».

Bernhard Hofstetter und Mouna Rebeiz auf der Art|Basel
von unserem Redaktionsfotografen Andreas Baier
Click to enlarge hofstetteredly

Fangen wir der Einfachheit halber mal ganz klein und basic an; oder, um im internationalen Sprachgestus zu bleiben: «Bernhard Hofstetter, a designer and artist from Switzerland, wears a Tom Ford shirt, Fendi shoes, an Olympia Le-Tan bag, Alexander McQueen sunglasses and a hat he had personally designed by himself.» Well, und da es unser Haus- und Hofphotograph mal wieder nicht hatte lassen können, sich reichlich an digitalen Farbtöpfen zu bedienen, möchten wir unsere hochgeschätzten Meerschweinchenreportleserinnen und Meerschweinchenreportleser mit einem Link zum «New York Times Magazine» versorgen, der Sie zu «Bernhard Hofstetter digitally untouched» führen wird. Wählen Sie einfach das dritte Bild im Slider aus – et voilà!

Na? Eben! Das Leben kann so wundervoll durchinformiert sein, n’est-ce pas? Kommen wir also nun zum eigentlichen Kern unseres Anliegens, zumal es dazu noch so hübsch und gut und überaus verlockend aussieht: Das Ding mit der kombinierten Ästhetik im grenzüberschreitenden Medium der integralen Kommunikationsdisziplinatik. Dochdoch, Sie haben ganz richtig gelesen: Disziplinatik! Das Leben kann so wundervoll woanders stattfinden, nicht wahr? Schrauben wir also das Rädchen der Zeitmaschine H.G. Wells’ ein paar Jährchen zurück – also nur so weit, daß wir beim Aussteigen nicht Gefahr laufen, daß uns ein paar durchgeknallte wilde Irre mit Allmachtsphantasien unsere Finger mit ein paar unter geschmacklichen Gesichtspunkten deutlich überbewerteten Chicken-Wings verwechseln – und klicken diesen Link an. Wir befinden uns in der Pariser Galerie Hubert Konrad; und zwar am 12. März 2013. Präsentiert wird die «Betty Boop Collection» der französich-libanesischen Künstlerin Mouna Rebeiz. Und wen erblicken wir auf besagtem Foto ebenfalls? Genau: Bernhard Hofstetter – who else?

Das sollte uns zu denken geben. Aber, was sollte uns zu denken geben? Ganz einfach: Was Generationen von international agierenden Spitzenmodels nur bedingt hinkriegen, gelingt einem Bernhard Hofstetter scheinbar mühelos: die stil- und geschmackssichere Kombination von Kleidungsstücken, die normalerweise nichts miteinander zu haben dürften. Allein schon deshalb nicht, um bei der Bank keinen schlechten Eindruck zu hinterlassen. Aber unser Protagonist stellt mal soeben und ganz locker fast jeden Modeschöpfer kalt. Grandios. Da dürfte sogar ein Tom Wolfe in der Pfanne verrückt spielen. Ähm, was? (Erinnerungen aus dem Kindergarten: «Das heißt nicht: Was? Das heißt: Wie bitte? Und wir konnten gefahrlos süße Kekse mampfen, ohne daß uns eine frustrierte Magersuchttussie, die sich ob eines kulturellen Mißverständnisses versehentlich zum Kindergärtnern berufen fühlt, entsetzt den bösen Zuckerkeks entreißt, um ihn in der Folge vermutlich heimlich selbst zu verdrücken.)

Kommen wir nun zum nächsten Streich. Wir begeben uns direkt dorthin. Wir kümmern uns um diesen Link. Wir befinden uns nun am 26. Februar des Jahres 2015 auf der Vernissage der Ausstellung «Le Tarbouche» der, once again, Künstlerin Mouna Rebeiz in «The Saatchi Gallery», Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London SW3 4LY. Klar, daß wir auch hier Bernhard Hofstetter antreffen. Und was schreibt das «Tatler»-Magazine zu seinem Outfit? Ziemlich präzise dies hier: «Where to begin? There’s the fur, the printed jumpsuit, the spotted bow tie and that Teletubby hat stolen from Dipsy. The whole combination is far more fabulous than anything we have worn in the last year. Top marks.» Es hat, in der Tat, auch irgendwie ein bißchen was eltonjohneskes, keine Frage. Aber letztlich: auch nur «irgendwie».

But how does he do this?

Bernhard Hofstetter, modernes Bauhausverständnis
souverän zelebrierend: Das Runde schiebt das Eckige
photographiert von Andreas Baier
Click to enlarge bauhausedly

Ganz so wie bei «Merz-Spezialdragées» die natürliche Schönheit immer von innen kommt, so ist eine entspannte Grundeinstellung zu allen Fragen rund um Kunst und Kultur eine zwingend Voraussetzung, um ungezwungen ganz selbst zu sein. Nur dann läßt sich modernes Bauhausverständnis in der praktischen Anwendung – beispielsweise auf der Art|Basel, oder gar signifikant verkleinert in einem Brotkasten – auch souverän zelebrieren. Ergebnis: Das Runde schiebt das Eckige.

Would you like to visite «World Redeye» in order to find out how Mr. Hofstetter’s outfit looks like in colour? Sure, just follow this link.

Bleibt eigentlich nur noch die Frage, was Bernhard Hofstetter beruflich macht. Hierzu gibt es, wen wundert’s, im Netz unterschiedliche Angaben. Vergleichsweise häufig heißt es, daß er Künstler und/oder Kunstvermittler sei. Gemäß dieses aktuellen Berichtes des SRF heißt es jedoch, daß er in einem Alters- und Pflegeheim arbeitet. Auf jeden Fall ist er, unabhängig davon, wie sehr er sich um die ebenso abwechslungsreiche wie perfekte Gestaltung seiner Oberfläche kümmert, inhaltlich klar strukturiert und entsprechend bodenständig ausgerichtet. Woher wir das wissen? Nun, wer Meerschweinchenreport regelmäßig liest, weiß, daß wir nicht wissen sondern spekulieren wollen. Aber dennoch: Wir sind im Falle Bernhard Hofstetters von der Richtigkeit unserer Vermutungen felsenfest überzeugt.

Auf der «QVED 2016» hielt unser Haus- und Hofphotograph einen Vortrag über seine Arbeit. Mit dabei auch das Aufmacherportrait von Bernhard Hofstetter und Mouna Rebeiz auf der Art|Basel, wie eines der Bühnensituationsfotos zeigt.

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Art|Basel|2016: «An Incredible Evening With Douglas Gordon And Hans Ulrich Obrist At Fondation Beyeler»

All photographs by our staff photographer Andreas Baier
Click to enlarge fondationedly

Please note:
In order to honour this great event at its utmost deserved way and to give our readers a referable idea what it was all about; and how this amazing happening took place; the following description has been originally written in German and was sent through translation row afterwards: Step 1 – French; step 2 – Italian; step 3 – Swedish; step 4 – Chinese (Traditional); step 5 – English. Should you wish to find out the real meaning of the lines below you might like to decode by re-translating them backwards. We used this translation pool. We are pretty far from sure if this will work but we are more than happy to wish you good luck!

View out of the window at Fondation Beyeler

What a beautiful «Art dialogue» of the Foundation Beyeler. Hans Ulrich Obrist directly from London, due to the associated traffic problems, too late, which is why the artist Douglas Gordon invited replace public bath on the podium and make their short-term social seemingly absurd dialogue.

Selbstgeimkerten he took a cup of honey, let it go through the audience, is aufdaß all its costs time. When the challenge audience – originally scheduled for the end of the evening was not observed in all cases – beginning of the problem, rather than as usual, at the end of the event. The basic feeling dadaeske seems even now, by the public, because the first question is that you can easily have a response from Douglas Gordon ironic, but came back. «I’m the best political bees?» «No, bees can not pull so easily.» And before the audience has been able to explain what this sentence misunderstanding we finally managed to find a way to overcome hatred. Violence then laughed, not to mention the name, word and gesture of bad habits – like some other artists – turning Nazi greeting into absurdity good movie!

And now, simulation based on the social networking pioneer: tattoos. Old «show who you are – and wear» memory shirt. In this context, long no longer apply. This is quite uncomfortable to use and a «slap in the face» registry is now completed by a qualified tatto studios: personal conviction, a special word of perseverance or sometimes just a shopping list will be clearly visible and indelible stripes. When the surface of the skin, Douglas Gordon, which means «do so forever.»

Hans Ulrich Obrist is now entering the building; and the stadium. Soon after, he threw himself in a variety of content including: white – Hongjian control. In line with the rest of the event. Eventually, Douglas Gordon, turn the bottle choose to invite the audience on the stage, talk to them and ask them to sing their favorite button. The rest of the crowd joined in, which is a more spontaneous and whistling chord Summkonzert. Reward knowledge: Flaschendrehen seem to international practice.

Last, but not all of the participants in the photo, said the custom client. Great cinema!

Sam Keller, the director of Fondation Beyeler, introduces the audience right in the center of a quite bloody projection by the artist Douglas Gordon.

Douglas Gordon gets his mike right.

Since Hans Ulrich Obrist still sticks in a traffic jam at the airport Douglas Gordon invites Sam Keller to share some absurd thoughts with the public.

Douglas Gordon’s credo: «do so forever»

Hans Ulrich Obrist arrives.

Our staff-photographer loves photographs from people standing right in the projection light of a beamer.

Our staff-artist loves to create artistic portraits based on real photographs.

With the help of this little bottle friend Douglas Gordon convinces selected members of the audience to enter the stage.

A perfect performance by «The Mothers’ Whistlers».

Also the sound of a popping bottle cork is part of the sound collage, which is caught by Douglas Gordon and Jonas Mekas.

Hans Ulrich Obrist is documenting the performance.

A group shot of all members of the audience …

… conducted by the artist Douglas Gordon.

Real happiness has many faces.

The Fondation Beyeler also offers perfect conditions as a daylight studio for photography as well. Here: Sam Keller, director of Fondation Beyeler, and Jonas Mekas, the «godfather of American avant-garde cinema».

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Andreas Baier: «Jan Delay»

Andreas Baier: «Jan Delay»
Click to enlarge delayedly

Er schlich sich durch die Menge, der Dichter und Denker, verglich die vielen Klänge, als schlichter Beschenker – ohne sie und sich zu schonen, die Stränge diverser Kompositionen, vermischt mit Klängen der Inder und Perser, vermögen ihn und uns um Längen wie ein Kuß besser zu betonen, wie Nußmakronen, ein Muß, sie und sich wie Fässer zu klonen, mit dem Kahn auf der Lahn im Akkord an den Ort, wo sie wohnen, zu befördern – und dort mit Knete reichlich zu entlohnen. Trompete, Bass und Holz-Schoschonen spielen stolz, doch leicht verweichlicht, in einem Fluß und auf der Fete Jan Delays. Schluß.

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Bogislav von Wentzel: «Walter Stöhrer»

Fotos von Andreas Baier
Click to enlarge störeredly

Der DüŸsseldorfer Galerist Bogislav von Wentzel präsentierte auch auf der Art|Basel im Jahre 1990 beeindruckende Arbeiten des KüŸnstlers Walter Stšöhrer.

Walter Stöhrer im Mannheimer Kunstverein (1981)

Ganz zu Beginn seines beruflichen Werdeganges, also noch zu Schulzeiten, machte sich unser späterer Redaktionsfotograf Gedanken über das «lästige hin und her mit dem Schafstellen» und wie man diesen Vorgang «in seiner Komplexität reduzieren oder am besten gleich beseitigen» könne. Bei der Entwicklung seiner These, daß man bei der Aufnahme auf das genaue Schafstellen verzichten könne, weil sich dies «später im Fotolabor am Vergrößerungsgerät bequem nachholen ließe», war ihm eben jene Beobachtung im Fotolabor, wonach dort das bereits entwickelte Negativ in der Vergrößerungsbühne auf das Fotopapier «ja auch schaf gestellt wird», behilflich.

In dieser glücklicherweise nur sehr kurzen Schaffensperiode, in dem unser Mann fürs grobe Korn sein «Prinzip der vereinfachten Fokussierung» leidenschaftlich zur Anwendung brachte, entstand im Jahre 1981 auch das vorstehend abgebildete Portrait des Künstlers Walter Stöhrer anläßlich einer Ausstellung mit seinen Werken im Mannheimer Kunstverein.

Ein Blick in die Vita Walter Stöhrers zeigt, daß er 1961 seine erste Ausstellung in der Mainzer Galerie Baier hatte. Die Überschrift der Kritik zu dieser Ausstellung lautete «Stöhrer mit Störungen». 1984 wurde er dann auch von Adrien Maeght ausgestellt.

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Art|44|Basel|2014: «Money Makes The Art Uprise»

The artist Hamish Fulton found a great way to camouflage the positive price development on the artmarket as a spectacular and emotionally moving uphill mountain panorama, which is simply fantastic.

Click all photographs to enlarge egoenlargingly

Our this year’s report about Art|Basel starts in the ICE going from Karlsruhe HBF to Basel SBB arriving short before noon. A guy, aged mid-fifties, chooses to sit opposite from us. It is quite obvious that he tries hard to be categorised as an art collector pretending to be an artist pretending to be an art dealer. Consequently, our humanised three-in-one-package celebrates a sophisticated form of understatement that – let’s face it – fails dramatically: two of its four kissing buttons on the left are heavily broken, its glasses, however, are over-polished and all its rumbling-mumbling-stumbling mind knows about art must have been generated from pseudo-glam magazines such as Superillu or Das goldene Blatt with which he must have come in contact with while visiting his hairdresser: «There is no quality in art anymore!» Or: «I don’t like the mechanisms of the artmarket.» Finally: «Jonathan Meese, Wolfgang Tillmans and Gerhard Richter are not artists. I can do this by myself as well!» Really?

About identity crises the famous psychoanalyst (an art collector and artist) Dr. Mustapha Mandelbaum says: «It is an expression of a period of uncertainty and confusion in which a person’s sense of identity becomes insecure, typically due to a change in their expected aims or role in society. Some try to cure this dreadful disease through hugging a serious amount of trees. Others simply go to art fairs and think that will do. Both does not. When you try to cure yourself with the gracious help of art it is very important to know that you have to start building up your own art collection for which you have to pay real money. Imagine: A collector who recently paid $ 107m for Edvard Munch’s ‹The Scream› is surely pretty fare from having ever heard anything about something that is called identity crises. A person like him always knows who he is and what he wants.»

These two young art collectors seem to have just bought some art for almost $ 2.5m. Any signs of an appearing identity crises? One cannot really say so.

So, this might be a perfect moment to make three things clear:

1) Whatever the price for a piece of artwork is; as long as there is an artist or an art dealer who will mention it and as long as there is an art collector who is willing to pay it then that’s the price. And, most importantly, it is only the business of the people who are involved in it – and no one else’s.

2) The term quality, especially when it comes to art, cannot be defined. In case of doubt, please consider reading Robert M. Piersig’s «Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance».

3) As an artist you can do whatever you want unless you do not affect someone else’s rights significantly. You can create a painting which colours will vanish within a year, or even faster; you can built a house which will collapse if it pleases you; you can chop off your fingers if you think you need to do so. All that is not necessarily art but it will be if you declare it as such.

The entrance hall of Herzog & de Meuron’s new building for the «Schweizer Mustermesse» looks a little bit like an American airport terminal. Is this to be seen as an homage to the high flying artmarket prices? If so: why not?

Taking full advantage of the fact that an artist can do whatever he wants our this year’s feature about Art|Basel will not be a traditional reportage but labeled as communication art. Enjoy.

If there ever was a proof missing that the process of negotiating an acceptable price for a work of art can be very passionate – here it is.

Isn’t it great to move upwards in the artmarket world with the creative support of Daniel Buren? By the Milky Way: the art collector who is to be seen on the left-hand side is Hollywood actor Kevin Spacy. Maybe he still wonders how quick everything was sold out.

Katja Novitskova’s «Pattern of Activation» also reflect about the power of the uprise. Is horsemeat getting more expensive? Or do we see how agile the sperm of a covering stallion can be? Any other suggestions?

Another «Pattern of Activation»: L’art pour l’art becomes L’art c’est moi.

Everything that can be in motion will be in motion – even it is an atomic blast offering items of daily use a new place to move on …

The artist Wolfgang Tillmans introduces his very young family member to the positive aspects of being relaxedly in motion.

Video installation by Julian Opie

Video installation by Julian Opie

We do not know what Sir Simon Rattle and Warren Edward Buffett are talking about specifically but we would not be surprised if the subject was «something about music, art and investment».

The smell of a freshly chopped off tree comes from Giuseppe Penone’s «Matrice di linfa».

The Long March Space presents Xu Zhen.

The New York based Edwynn Houk Gallery presents Vik Muniz’s «Hercules and Omphale (Detail) After Francois Lemoyne, 2007» from the series «Pictures of Junk». The chromogenic print, sized 227.3 x 179.1 cm, costs $ 95,000. The edition is 6 + 4 APs.

Since decades a great and stunning art magazine: «Flash Art» – If you haven’t yet you should better subscribe it!

Vincent van Gogh Reloaded? Art collectors come in various types and forms.

There are lots of brand new «Mirror Paintings» by Michelangelo Pistoletto to be seen. However, this is here not the case.

The small street between Halle 1 and Halle 2.

The way to «14 Rooms» leads through the small street between Halle 1 and Halle 2. The artists are: Bruce Nauman, Xu Zhen, Marina Abramović, Roman Ondák, Ed Atkins, Joan Jonas, Otobong Nkanga, Santiago Sierra, Laura Lima, Allora & Calzadilla, Damien Hirst, Jordan Wolfson and John Baldessari.

The two artworks by Gavin Kenyon (foreground) and Kara Walker (background) match perfectly: One could associate that we see human viscera, a product of stupid war games, such as ironically projected against the wall.

The Publishing House Taschen features Annie Leibovitz.

The Gagosian Gallery presents (from left to the right): Roy Lichtenstein, Alexander Calder and Andreas Baier.

On the left: One of Jonathan Meese’s best paintings ever: «Lolly, The Spiritual Homebase of My Mind». However, we have an emotional problem with Jonathan Meese linked to his strange spleen – just to express it most politely – to notoriously demonstrate the «Hitler Salute» in public, which is not only naive but stupid and dangerous as well. At least Hitler saw himself as an artist too … and we all know what this psychopath of an artist did to the rest of the world.

We are pretty much certain that Meese is not a Nazi but in a lot of European countries right-wing extremists are gaining ground, in France they already made it up to 25% during their last election. So, if someone who feels responsible for our quite mindless and lollyesque yetibaby it would be cool if such person could just explain him to better stay away from topics he obviously suffers serious problems to cope intellectually with.

The Berlin based artist and «Lollipop Monster» Franziska Riemann has left the underground: her distinctive «Portrait of a Friend» was sold for Sfr 43,000.

The galleries Sprueth Magers Berlin London and Xavier Hufkens present this environment by Sterling Ruby.

Kherystyna Gmurzynska talks to an art collector. Both Kherystyna Gmurzynska and Mathias Rastorfer were awarded the «Chevalier des Art et des Lettres» by the French Minister of Culture. Krystyna Gmurzynska was the first foreigner to receive the «merit for special achievements» by Michael Shvydkoy, the Russian Minister of Culture, recognising her «important contribution to scientific research, and for the organisation of exhibitions in the field of Russian art of the 20th century.»

This year Gmurzynska Gallery presents a stunning Richard Serra as well as this incredible piece by Scott Campbell:

Scott Campbell

Looks like as if this photograph was taken in the 1960s: Günter Behnisch meets Herzog & de Meuron.

An installation by Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys.

A view from the Media Center following a tram going to Basel’s downtown.

The Galerie Daniel Templon presents Jitish Kallat’s «Syzygy», a group of friendly dwarfs staring romantically at the moon phases which are brought into shape through the usage of differently eaten pizza wheels.

This looks as if Jeffrey Deitch himself has created this piece of art – and it reminds us a bit of New York’s Guggenheim Museum. Apropos Jeffrey Deitch: This article is about «Deitch curates Deitch».

The next BMW waiting to be transformed into a masterpiece of art?

MCH’s delicious bonbonnière …

The Gray Gallery states that «Money Separated From Art» (left) can only be liberated if the art collector opens generously his wallet. A move which leads automatically into a classic win-win-situation. How great is that?

Another 1960s-look-a-like-photograph which was taken during lunch time while our staff-photographer had a schnitzel with french fries at the Warteck.

The artist Sabine Hornig comes up with a roofless but semi-transparent apartment that provides you with the twisted feeling living half in nature and half in a concrete world – an a little bit in a huge exhibiton hall as well.

As we already pointed out: everything that can be in motion will be in motion. The funny thing about the art scene is that famous art collectors (see photograph above) do attract more and more attention than famous artists. Well, to share lunch with Jeff Koons is as exciting as doing the same with Eli Broad or Roman Abramovich but in general: for normal art groupies it is much easier to collectively recognise money as an adorable value than a certain piece of artwork including its intellectual baggage coming along with.

The Media Center where press accreditation takes place. Here you receive all the information you need. One highlight is surely …

… «The Art Newspaper» freshly squeezed. The Art Basel Daily Edition is been published by Umberto Allemandi. Its makers are quick and essentially straight to the point. Even the already printed edition always enjoys being placed close to the window in order to do some proper research in CinemaScope for the next day’s issue …

Art collectors come in various types and forms.

The Konrad Fischer Gallery presents (from left to the right) some «Mistreated Breakfast Sausages With Cream Hammer» by Andreas Baier; a «Hanging Base» by Yuji Takeoka and a couple of water towers by Bernd and Hilla Becher.

This year we made it to Art|Basel for only just one day. It was a great one. Bringing our reflections on the best art fair in the world to an honourable end, we are getting excited to have wrapped this indispensable nourishment for the spirit in the pretty dress of communication art – a technique we might like to use much more in futher future.

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In the past we reported about Art|40|Basel|2009 and Art|41|Basel|2010. At the end of last year our staff-photographer’s mentor Carl Laszlo died. This is his obituary.

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In Memoriam Carl Laszlo (1923 – 2013)

Click to enlarge unimaginably
All photographs by Andreas Baier

On November the 8th in 2013 our staff photographer’s mentor Carl Laszlo died at the age of 90 in Basel. Carl Laszlo was surely one of the great and most fascinating institutions in the international art and intellectual business. He survived the Holocaust while a major part of his family members were murdered; nevertheless he constantly insisted not having been a victim but a spectator sitting in the first row.

After the second world war was over he was taught psychology by ‪Léopold Szondi‬, provided museums as well as private art collectors with Réne Magritte and Salvador Dali, published his legendary magazine «Panderma» and was rumbling around with guys like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, with Robert Mapplethorpe and Gerard Malanga, with Allen Ginsberg, Dieter Meier or William S. Burroughs. With Richard Avedon and Kostas Axelos. With Manon, Simon Marsden or Olle Baertling. With Victor Bockris and John Cage. With Udo Breger and Howard Brooker and Earle Brown as well. With Dr. Dieter Burckhardt, Lucius Burckhardt and Louis Cartwright. With Christo, Bob Colacello and William Coupon. With Tim Curry. With Prof. Rolf Fenkart, Marie-Louise von Franz and James Grauerholz. With John Giorno, Patrick Gossweiler and Johannes Grützke. With Brion Gysin, John Hall, Debbie Harry, Frederick Hughes, Peter Hujar and Herbert Huncke. With Gérald Incandela, Marion Kalter, ‪André Kertész‬, Heiner Koechlin, Wayne Kramer, Dr. Alan Krassai, Les Levine and, of course, Klaus Littmann. With Thilo Maatsch, Chris Makos and Dr. László Mátéfi. With Duncan McLaren, Taylor Mead, Stewart Meyer, Marisol Escobar, Philippe Mikriammos and Paul and Kitty Mirani Pagano. With Eric Mottram, Gianna Nannini, Floris M Neusüss and – quite right – James Nitsch. With Claude Nobs, Daniel Odier, David Ohle and Meret Oppenheim. With Peter Orlovsky, Verner Panton, Esther Pfirter, Jürgen Ploog and Siegfried und Gesche Poppe. With Genesis P-Orridge, Marcia Resnick, Helmut Röhrling and Si und Dieter Rosenkranz. With Patricia Highsmith, Dr. Albert Hofmann, Dr. Robert Gordon Wasson and Baron Johann von Sardagna. With Sidney Janis, Karlfried Graf Dürckheim, Raoul Hausmann and K.O. Goetz. With Jean Arp, Lou Reed, Dieter Hagenbach, Alexis von Goldschmidt-Rothschild and Gräfin und Graf von Posadowsky. With Christian Schad, Janne Schaffer, Christoph Schwegler and Walter Steding. With Chris Stein, Prof. Thomas Szasz, John Tytell and Jörg von Uthmann. With Anne Waldman, Regina Weinreich, Peter Weiermair Carl Weissner, Bernhard Vischer lic. iur. and certainly with Miklos von Bartha as well. With Edmund White, Charles Wilp, Terry Wilson, and, of course, also with Fürstin Gloria von Thurn und Taxis as well.

And with, and with, and with … and with Hans Ulrich Obrist who shared probably Carl Laszlo’s last performance in public at the Fondation Beyeler. About this conversation Meerschweinchenreport reported here (this however in German).

His house, maybe we should better say villa, in Basel’s Sonnenweg 24, was a huge museum itself. Only a small part of his impressive collection gathering some 15.000 pieces of artwork was to be seen in one of the 14 bedrooms and the staircase. Even the guest’s bathroom made one believe being part in a high budget Hollywood-movie:

View into the garden and on the Burmesian temple.

About his time in the concentration camps Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau he published two books «Ferien am Waldsee» in 1956; and «Der Weg nach Auschwitz» in 1987. This is a quote from «Ferien am Waldsee»: «But even the more survival experienced in the concentration camp school were petrified, no one could get used to this sort of adventure. One saw mature men tremble, those who had seen thousands around dying away during several years in prison; one saw trembling Jews who had made it up until here, had managed it to save their lives, and were now forced to witness the destruction of their families in Treblinka and Majdanek; one saw camp elders and Kapos – the most privileged aristocracy of the camp – who had whipped many hundreds of companions in misfortune to death, had robbed, tortured and betrayed them, and were now bent and pale with fear of death, they were now awaiting their victims’ fate themselves. Suddenly everyone was there, even those who had hitherto hidden so skillfully.»

In an interview with Markus Somm from the Baseler Zeitung Carl Laszlo was asked by the editor-in-chief: «But the time in Auschwitz, you can hardly describe it as a happy time?» But Carl Laszlo, however, answered: «Of course, yes! The fact that I survived it, is a good thing. It would have been less good, if I would have been murdered, wouldn’t it?»

In 1986, Andreas Baier met Carl Laszlo the first time on Art|Basel. He instantly became fascinated by him, his very special way to reflect about life and certainly, when he was invited by Carl Laszlo to stay a couple of days in his incredible house, in his «home sweet home» as well.

This photograph shows the guest’s bedroom. Reading «Ferien am Waldsee» while being surrounded by paintings from various artists who all portrayed Carl Laszlo in their very own and special way is an experience that is still impossible to describe. All our staff photographer, formerly aged 21, remembers from that night is that he was constantly asking himself «Where am I?»

The next day, however, Carl Laszlo was so kind to provide him with some proper intellectual coordinates which helped him to find out his actual mental location. He quoted the Russian movie director Andrei Arsenevich Tarkovsky: «The only meaning of art is making dying easier». So, Andreas Baier used the unique opportunity to show him an advertisement that our staff photographer wanted to have published in Red Box (and which was rejected) in order to promote his skills as a creative photographer. On this photograph he wore these typical «cloths» one is to be put in after life and photographed himself standing upright in an opended coffin. The claim said: «Such a coffin should be nice ’cause worms also eat with their eyes!». Followed by his phone number. That was the whole add. To his surprise Carl Laszlo said that death is mankind’s only unsolved problem; and as it seems it will remain as such for a very long period of time.

This example might demonstrate best, that it was simply impossible to draw a clear picture of him.

Another example: When our staff photographer’s parents first visited Carl Laszlo in the early 1960s to find out if it might be useful to do business together they were so nervous that his father managed it to have mistakenly droped a fork from a cake plate straight into a painting by Salvador Dali which consequently evoked a small hole in the canvas. Naturally, his parents became instantly cold sweated. But all what Carl Laszlo said was: «Don’t worry, it’s a restorer’s job». So, all three agreed of not doing business together to ensure of not destroying this great and thoughtful atmosphere. It is to be said that this all happened at a time when Carl Laszlo already gained a serious reputation as a tough negotiator.

In his second issue of RADAR Carl Laszlo published some letters to the editor. Quite obviously, one advertising gallery had serious problems with William S. Burroughs’ literary quality, so it wrote: «(…) We do not want to financially support a magazine that plays down the risk of addiction and the drug problem. (…)»

Only to refresh our memories: William S. Burroughs’ book «Naked Lunch», first published in 1959: Because of US obscenity laws, a complete American edition (by Grove Press) did not follow until 1962.

Carl Laszlo replied: «As for the drug problem, we do not fight drugs, but only the risk of addiction in a society which plays down, overlooks or trivializes the risk of the most common addiction – namely alcohol: and the most lethal drug: the ideologies. We are convinced that only outspokenness, ie Enlightenment can help the addicts. For us the diminutiveness of the drug problem is out of the question. For a society, however, which prefers to examine the truth exclusively through the lense of closed eyes, our publications might seem scandalous to it.»

Carl Laszlo was surrounded by hundreds, maybe thousands, of Buddha sculptures: in the gardens, under the roof and in his temple.

At the Art|Basel: Miklos von Bartha with Carl Laszlo.

The stock market guru André Kostolany said about him: «Carl Laszlo has a great and profound knowledge about the human soul.» The painter Christian Schad (1894-1982) wrote about his friend: «He’s someone who permanently walks between all fronts, not only in art.» And the Rumanian philosopher Emile Cioran Michel who gained his fame in France formulated the thesis: «For someone to whom had happened to what Carl Laszlo had to experience, everything on this earth is allowed.» «Nonsense,» replies Laszlo. «I never would have the idea to derive from my camp experience any special rights.»

About Carl Laszlo: Baseler Zeitung, Tacheles, art – Das Kunstmagazin.

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Andreas Baier‘s parents were running an avant-garde art gallery as well as publishing an art magazine called «Magazin KUNST». So, he was born straight into the international art scene.
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Jeff Koons: «Pierced Snail» – Vitra-VIP-Lounge (Art|Basel)

The Full Monty about «Art|41|Basel» is to be seen here.

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Religious topic. Therefore comments off.
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Fondation Beyeler: «Carl Laszlo im Gespräch mit Hans Ulrich Obrist»

Foto von unserem Redaktionsfotografen Andreas Baier

Am 7. Mai 2012 vollzog sich im Hause der Fondation Beyeler einer der seltenen öffentlichen Auftritte Carl Laszlos. Im Gespräch mit Hans Ulrich Obrist, dem derzeitigen Co-Director der Serpentine Gallery in London, gewährt der gebürtige Ungar einen tiefen Einblick in seine faszinierende Lebensgeschichte als Kunstsammler, Galerist, Verleger und Philosoph.

Während des Zweiten Weltkrieges wurde der damals 20-jährige Carl Laszlo deportiert. Seine Familie wurde zum großen Teil ermordet. Er selbst überlebte Auschwitz, Buchenwald und den Weitertransport nach Dachau. Über diese Zeit berichtet er in seinem Buch «Ferien am Waldsee», das seinen Titel dem Umstand schuldet, daß alle Deportierten vom Konzentrationslager aus ihren Verwandten eine Postkarte zu schicken hatten, die den Poststempel «Ferien am Waldsee» trugen.

Nach Kriegsende, im Herbst 1945, zog Laszlo zunächst nach Basel, später dann nach New York, auch reiste er quer durch Asien. Er schloß Freundschaften mit Künstlern wie Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg; aber auch mit dem Dalai Lama sowie mit dem Schriftsteller William S. Burroughs, in dessen Bunker sie beide gemeinsam mit Warhol eine Woche lang bizarre Schießübungen jener Gestalt vollzogen, bei denen einst William S. Burroughs seine Ehefrau am 6. September 1951 in Mexiko-Stadt aus Versehen erschoß, als er im Zustand vollkommener Trunkenheit die Apfelszene aus Schillers Drama Wilhelm Tell nachstellte. An diesem Orte (im Bunker) drohte Laszlo zudem, an einem unglücklich verschluckten Fleischstückchen zu ersticken. Sein Privatsekretär rettete ihn jedoch in letzter Sekunde. Später notierte er, daß es sich in seinem weiteren Leben wahrscheinlich nie wieder eine bessere Gelegenheit finden werde, in einer solch’ illusteren Runde und formvollendeter Weise den Löffel abzugeben, als es hier der Fall gewesen wäre.

Außerdem ließ er es sich nicht nehmen, bei dem berühmten Psychoanalytiker Léopold Szondi die Geheimnisse der Psychoanalyse zu studieren.

Er baute sich eine Sammlung auf, die u.a. Werke von René Magritte, Otto Dix, Andy Warhol und Salvador Dalí umfaßt. Seiner legendären Kunstzeitschrift Panderma lagen immer wieder signierte Originalarbeiten damals junger unbekannter Avantgardisten bei, so zum Beispiel auch ein jeweils signiertes Stück Tapete von Piero Manzoni; serielle Unikate, die es inzwischen vermögen, auf dem internationalen Kunstmarkt fünfstellige Verkaufserlöse zu erzielen.

Als Pressefoto für sein Gespräch entschied sich Carl Laszlo für eine Aufnahme, die unser Redaktionsfotograf Andreas Baier von ihm Mitte der 1980er Jahre während der Art|Basel an seinem Stand machte. Hier ist besagte Presseerklärung inklusive Foto vom Portal der Fondation Beyeler herunterladbar. Carl Laszlo war auch jahrelang der Mentor unseres Redaktionsfotografen, von dem er gerade auch in Bezug auf gesellschaftliche Verhaltensmechanismen sehr viel lernen konnte. Für diese Wissensvermittlung ist er ihm auch heute noch sehr dankbar.

Hans Ulrich Obrist gilt in Kennerkreisen als der Grundsteinleger des heutzutage weltweit agierenden Kuratorenwesens. Bereits als damals 18-jähriger kuratierte er viel beachtete Ausstellungen. Obrist ist ebenfalls für seine Interviews mit Kunstschaffenden, Schriftstellern, Architekten, Musikern und Wissenschaftlern bekannt, die er in «Interviews: Vol. 1 & 2» veröffentlichte. Im Rahmen seiner Bücherserie «The Conversation Series (Hrsg. Walther Koenig)» kam es beispielsweise auch zum qualifizierten und auf intellektueller Ebene durchaus unterhaltsamem Meinungsaustausch mit Yoko Ono, Zaha Hadid, Jeff Koons und Philippe Parreno. Vor seiner Tätigkeit an der Serpentine Gallery war Obrist Kurator beim Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris und beim museum in progress in Wien. Über 250 Ausstellungen hat Obrist co-kuratiert. Er wurde für seine Arbeit mehrfach ausgezeichnet. 2011 erhielt er den Bard College Award for Curatorial Excellence.

Von dem hier gegenständlichen Gespräch zwischen Carl Laszlo und Hans Ulrich Obrist kann man sich zwei Ausschnitte vom Portal der Fondation Beyeler herunterladen (1 + 2), oder sie sich hier auf dieser Seite nachfolgend gestreamt zu Gemüte führen:

Desweiteren gibt es auf myspace (ja, dieses Portal gibt es tatsächlich noch) zwei Tom-Gomor-Filmchen über den heute 89-jährigen Carl Laszlo zu sehen: 1 + 2.

Einen wahrlich lesenswerten Artikel über Carl Laszlo gibt es im art-magazin nachzuschlagen. Ein kleiner Auszug: «Carl Laszlo läßt sich ein neues Glas kalorienfreien Himbeersaft servieren und zündet sich seine zwölfte Havanna in Folge an. Nach ein paar tiefen Zügen springt er unvermittelt auf und bahnt sich – vorbei an Gemälden und Skulpturen – einen Weg zum Garten. “Ich habe eine wahnsinnige Idee“, sagt er und lehnt sich an ein altes Honda-Motorrad, das in einem nachgebauten burmesischen Tempel aufgebockt ist. “Wenn ich kein passendes Museum finde, werde ich in Ungarn ein großes Gebäude kaufen und meine komplette Sammlung darin einmauern lassen. Dieses mit Wachhunden und Alarmanlagen gesicherte Kunstmausoleum darf erst in 50 Jahren wieder geöffnet werden.“»

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Sensibles Thema. Deshalb keine Kommentarmöglichkeit.
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Oliver Laric: «Kopienkritik»

Oliver Laric: «Kopienkritik»

Kopienkritik, exhibition by Oliver Laric at the Skulpturhalle Basel
from 9 June to 14 August 2011
all photos © WFW – We Find Wildness

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Leute, eigentlich läd diese großartige Ausstellung dazu ein, den ambitionierten Kunstkritiker in einem auszupacken, zu reaktivieren, um eine Eloge auf diese Irrsinnsnummer zu verfassen. Jedoch soll nach wie vor der Grundsatz «Unsere Leser haben selbst genug Hirn und funktionstüchtige Augen im Kopf» gelten, was dazu führt, daß dieser Text mit nachfolgendem Satzzeichen seinen Schlußpunkt findet.

via: We Find Wildness

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Sensibles Thema. Deshalb keine Kommentarmöglichkeit.
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