Posts Tagged‘Jean Tinguely’

In the Footsteps of Jean Tinguely: 10 Places to Visit in Basel

Jean Tinguely in Basel

One of the first things that greets you once you land at Basel Airport is art advertising: posters for local museums and private art galleries are everywhere. There is no doubt about it, Basel is a city of art. It is the proud home of the world-famous Art Basel fair, numerous prestigious art collections (including the Kunstmuseum Basel, the oldest public art collection in the world), and fantastic public art installations. However, Basel was also the home of one of the most intriguing artists of the 20th century: Jean Tinguely.

The Beautiful Chaos of Jean Tinguely: Basel’s Master of Machine Art

Jean Tinguely fountain in Basel Switzerland

While he might not be as famous as his contemporaries like Andy Warhol or Pablo Picasso, Jean Tinguely was one of the most fascinating innovators in modern art. This Swiss artist took the cold and serious world of industrial machinery and turned it completely on its head. In his hands, gears, motors, and scrap metal became beautifully chaotic and unpredictable. He gave these machines a soul, a sense of humour, creating some of the most interesting artworks of the 20th century.