Field Trip: ‘What have great bales of poo, a “pavilion of reflections”, banks of iPhone chargers and glossy sculpture halls got in common? Switzerland during art fair season, finds Jack Welsh…’
Admittedly, flying to one of the few non-EU countries in Europe, just a few days before the EU Referendum, wasn’t the greatest omen.
After baggage reclaim at EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg, my angst-ridden British soul was greeted by a rather unique exit system. On leaving, you have two options. Either, take the exit to the left: GERMANY / FRANCE, or turn right into: SWITZERLAND.
Occupying a unique geographical position in the heart of Europe, Basel straddles the borders of France and Germany with many residents exploiting the Schengen agreement to freely live and work across different borders.
Despite this, the underlying context of choosing to enter into Europe or non-EU territory wasn’t lost on me.
For the feature, read on : www.thedoublenegative.co.uk/2016/07/field-trip-art-basel-and-manifesta-11-switzerland
Header image: Mike Bouchet, “The Zürich Load,” on view at the Migros Museum of Contemporary Art
(© Camilo Brau, 2016)