In the previous post we mentioned assemblages of garments in a Haute Couture collection and Pistoletto's "Venus of the Rags," but the concept of assemblages is also part of three different works currently on display as part of the exhibition "Rewilding" at Kunsthaus Baselland in Münchenstein, Switzerland. The exhibition draws inspiration from "Rewilding" by Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe, a volume urging action amidst today's environmental and societal challenges by reintroducing extinct plant species.
Curators at Kunsthaus Baselland wondered instead how to create conditions that are more hospitable to creativity and encourage a creative blossoming. The concept of rewilding and replanting has also got an architectural angle in this case as it hints at the architectural transformations with the Kunsthaus Baselland's relocation to the Dreispitz area. But the revitalization suggested by the curators extends beyond physical spaces to encompass the artists showcased. Despite their stylistic diversity, these artists collectively address themes of responsibility, social justice, and sustainable resource management.
El Anatsui's monumental installation "Drying Line" (2021) exemplifies this ethos, utilizing flattened bottle caps interconnected with copper wire to create textile-like assemblage sculptures.
Symbolizing global trade dynamics and historical oppressions, El Anatsui's work invites contemplation on memory and identity intertwined with material histories. The bottle caps hint at the movement of goods and the interdependence between the Western world and the global South. Originating from spirits and drinks brought to Africa and used as currency during the slave trade, these caps are repurposed through collaborative processing, underscoring Anatsui's commitment to exploring the boundaries of art over time. In exploring the global South's history and its complex relationship with the Western world, El Anatsui aims to contribute to an ongoing narrative of memory and identity tied to materials, natural resources, consumer goods, and their global trajectories.
Similarly provocative is Pipilotti Rist's "Central Hong Kong Chandelier," a chandelier made of underpants neatly arranged along the structure of the chandelier that playfully illuminates both interior and exterior spaces of the Kunsthaus, like a giant jellyfish, blending seduction with profound commentary on gender.
This is not the first time Rist deals with this material as she already opted for undies for other similar chandeliers. The choice of material can be easily explained: Rist conceives underpants as temples of the abdomen, considered by the artist as sacred, the site of our entrance into the world, the centre of sexual pleasure and the location of the exits of the body's garbage.
Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzlinger contribute to the exhibition "Altar des Prekären,” (2024)" a multifaceted installation celebrating fragility and transformation. Integrating local craftsmanship and community engagement, their work invites viewers to discover narratives of resilience amidst the seemingly mundane.
The structure in this case is a sort of altar with branches that extend upwards, while its shelves are filled with a series of objects and bric-a-brac. The artists' installation at Kunsthaus Baselland is part of a larger project to establish a pilgrimage route around Schönthal. This initiative actively involves local residents, utilizing their craft skills, and seeks to connect with the Camino de Santiago. The installation's multifaceted and multilayered elements, serving as an altar for the precarious (in the previous post we looked at ephemeral fashion; here we have instead the theme of precariousness). Described by the artists as an altar dedicated to the fragile, delicate, and overlooked, worthless items are turned in this way into precious objects, while viewers are invited to imagine through this assemblage of objects, medicine men, hasty ghosts, jellyfish, and little monsters.
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