Publisher's Synopsis
Taking its own holdings as its starting point, Kunstmuseum Basel is presenting the compact exhibition 'Helmut Federle. 19 E 21st St. Six Large Paintings'.The painting Asian Sign (1980) dates back to a time when the artist spent several years in New York City and was acquired in 1982.Based on the shape of a swastika, the composition provoked heated discussions and was the subject of great controversy at the time.Although since then Federle's work has found its way into numerous museums and private collections, the debate in Basel did not see a continuation.A good excuse to reopen the discussion is provided by this exhibition of six large-format paintings dating from the years 1980-2005 plus a number of works on paper, combined with a Persian ceramic dish and a Japanese tea mug - two artefacts from the artist's own collection.The texts written for the publication are complemented by numerous illustrations.Accompanies the exhibition 'HELMUT FEDERLE: 19 E. 21ST ST., SIX LARGE PAINTINGS' 25 May -15 Sep 2019, Kunstmuseum Basel. Curated by Dr Josef Helfenstein.English and German text.Design by Anne Hoffmann Graphic Design.
