Champagne Mercier Cellar © Christophe Meireis A post to celebrate the sunshine season. Having spent three weeks on the south coast of England in warm sunny weather, I travelled back to Switzerland by car and stopped off at the beautiful region of Champagne in France. You may be wondering what champagne has to do with contemporary art. Well, apart from the exquisite wine-making which is an art in itself, champagne is the perfect accompaniment to an art preview event, and v

A surprising title you may think given current times. But the title is inspired by the plethora of Russian artists who are speaking out and demanding to be seen and heard. During Art Basel, I attended three inspirational preview evenings that showcased the work of such talents. Emerging, unrepresented, even completely unknown, and often working without government sponsorship, these young creatives are defining a new consciousness that is both poignant and stark. ‘State of Di

Extract from 'Daddy's Little Helpers' by Jodok Wehrli (2022) I attended the opening of this eclectic contemporary art exhibition, cleverly staged by the Nomad Design & Lifestyle Hotel, Basel and curated by Dorian Orlando Weber. In its second year and set to become an annual event, the show brought together nine young artists from different backgrounds and perspectives. Interestingly, the works are displayed in the bedrooms over three floors, allowing the visitor a casual mea

I was invited by gallerist Daria Lobyntseva, founder of on-line gallery. Voskhod, to the opening of her new physical gallery in Basel. I find the new 'space' and the group of guests gathered for its launch in an intriguing nook within the access passages to Basel's Swiss and French railway station. It's a glacial evening but spirits are warm. The excitement being the featured artist, Fedora Akimova and the installation that laid hidden behind the paper covered 'vitrines' of

We often think of art and science as mechanisms that are difficult to combine. I for one had my perceptions shifted after a visit to a rather special exhibition 'Terra incognita - art science fabulation' at the Praxis, Basel. Here's a brief taster. Conceived and curated by Bienne based artist Andrea Marioni, the exhibition brought together 32 artists from all over Switzerland and internationally with a contributor from India. 'The project's methodology was Inspired by the sci

I dropped in at the HeK (House of Electronic Arts) based in Basel to check out their Swiss Media Arts exhibition. The show, featuring the work of 2021 Pax Award Winners Marc Lee, Chloé Delarue and Laurent Grüdel totally stole my afternoon and I'm so pleased it did. The works throw a critically reflective light on some of today's most relevant and challenging topics - such as over-fishing and ocean acidification, the destruction of animal habitats and the alarming extinction o