The Hole is proud to present a suitcase-sized exhibition in Basel this year, CARRY ON. From all over the world—ok but mostly New York—our artists have traveled to Basel for this project. Each has brought the largest artwork they could fit in their luggage. Please visit us at Klybeckstrasse, 51 Basel 4057 for work by Adam Parker Smith, Anne Vieux, Alex Gardner, Eric Shaw, Joakim Ojanen, Johnny Abrahams, Jonathan Chapline, Maja Djordjevic, Matthew Stone, Morgan Blair, Palma Blank and Ry David Bradley.
Whole art movements have been carry-on sized; before art shippers, DHL and airplanes, paintings had to make it from point A to point B as easily and safely as possible and often were modestly scaled to be carried around. Before you made it big, so to speak, you had to make it small. Plein Aire painters of course had to carry their couple canvases in a backpack or briefcase. Picture Van Gogh with his cane and satchel, or when one of the Brussels Surrealists had to take a piece over to the Paris Surrealists? They all made suitcase sized art so they could show each other in the cafes and ateliers of Europe. “Ceci N’est Pas Une Pipe” was huge by Surrealism standards, about two by three feet.
And so will be everything in this show; three feet or smaller, one meter or smaller, fits in a checked bag, flying to Basel in the cargo hold. Consider it an antidote to Art Unlimited; this is Art Limited; restricted by restrictions of personal travel. Which is not to say that a small scale makes for small ideas or minor impact: as Robert Motherwell said “It’s possible to paint a monumental picture that’s only 10 inches wide, if one has a sense of scale, which is very different from a sense of size.”
The lived experience behind these works and this show is part of the point as well; after being inspired by the French Pavilion’s piece by Laure Provost at the Venice Biennale, our director was inspired to rally our own troupe of weirdos to go on this “epic journey” of sorts to bring their works to Basel. Granted we are not riding on horseback through France, but most of us are packing on to the train from Paris to Basel. Others are coming from London, Stockholm, Los Angeles, Belgrade.
Part of the point is getting to stay with everyone in this house outside of the city, cooking dinner together, swimming in the Rhine together, chugging martinis at Three Kings together. Before we all make it big, we have the luxury of getting to all be together and enjoy ourselves traveling for art to a beautiful city, the stakes aren’t too too high yet, and we have a moment to float down the river with our artists for now.
HOURS
Collector Preview: Monday, June 10 from 2:00 – 4:00pm
Tuesday, June 11 from 10:00 – 6:00pm
Wednesday, June 12 from 10:00 – 6:00pm
Thursday, June 13 from 10:00 – 6:00pm
Friday, June 14 from 10:00 – 6:00pm
Saturday, June 15 from 10:00 – 6:00pm
LOCATION
Klybeckstrasse, 51
Basel 4057