The exhibition is generously supported by:
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In the summer of 1982, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) travelled to Modena in Italy. Gallery owner Emilio Mazzoli had invited the 21-year-old New York artist to produce new works on site for a solo exhibition. Within a few days, Basquiat painted eight large-format canvases, some of them now among his most celebrated and valuable works. In the end, however, the planned exhibition did not go ahead and the works were never shown together. More than 40 years later, all the “Modena Paintings”, which are now held in collections in the United States, Asia and Switzerland, are being displayed together for the very first time.
The Modena cycle stands at the beginning of Basquiat’s career. The paintings display Basquiat’s typically colourful and expressive pictorial idiom. They further share several motifs and stylistic features marking them out as a cohesive group within Basquiat’s oeuvre that is key to understanding his work.
The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to experience some of Basquiat’s most celebrated and valuable paintings within the full ensemble they were originally conceived as.
Exhibition catalogue
Basquiat. The Modena Paintings
Numerous publications and exhibitions have examined Jean-Michel Basquiat’s extensive oeuvre that consists of more than 3000 works. This catalogue, however, focuses on eight paintings, created 1982 in Modena. This catalogue revisits this crucial moment of Basquiat’s career some 40 years ago and reunites them for the first time.
Swatch Watches
Basquiat
Discover the new Swatch watches dedicated to the expressive work of legendary artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Hollywood Africans, Untitled (Crown), Ishtar). The limited-edition watches were created as part of the “Swatch Art Journey”, a collaboration between Swatch and renowned museums, studios, and art institutions.
Textiles
Basquiat
To stand in front of originals and look at art one-to-one is always a very special experience. To keep the impressions of your visit fresh in your mind and art a presence in your daily life, too, the Fondation Beyeler offers a variety of products featuring reproductions of works from the exhibition. Including T-shirts, bags, caps, socks and much more.
The exhibition is generously supported by:
If you are interested in the Fondation Beyeler and its various exhibitions and events, we would be happy to keep you informed via newsletters and social media.
Subscribe to Newsletter