The Helvetia Art Foyer finds a new home on the campus in Basel
At the opening of the new Helvetia Art Foyer at the Helvetia Campus Basel, the insurance company will present works by a total of 16 winners of the Helvetia Art Prize, which has been awarded for 20 years. At the same time, the new exhibition space will open up another part of the Helvetia Campus to the public – after the B1 Rooftop Bistro and the auditorium.
29.05.2024 | Media releases
In just under ten years, since the merger of Helvetia with the former Nationale Suisse, the Helvetia Art Foyer at Steinengraben has become a firm fixture on the Basel art scene. At the end of March, an era came to an end with the much-publicized exhibition "I like!". This era is set to be continued at the new location on the Helvetia Campus.
Putting art on show
Whereas the Helvetia art collection at the old location had really become part of the building – one example being the monumental installation entitled "Aufgeweckter Rosenscheitel" by Pipilotti Rist, which occupies an entire staircase – it is now time to integrate it into a completely different architectural environment. At the same time, the collection and exhibition at the new location are now even more accessible to the public. Hedwig Ulmer, Head Pension Provisions and Member of Executive Management Switzerland at Helvetia, put it this way at the opening event: "On the campus, we want to literally put art on show. Thanks to the wide window front at the intersection of St. Alban-Anlage and Engelgasse we offer insights into our current exhibitions and invite passers-by to come in and be enchanted and inspired."
With the opening of the Helvetia Art Foyer, the third platform in the Helvetia Campus has already been made accessible to the public. Almost two months ago, the B1 Rooftop Bistro celebrated its opening and in mid-May, the first public event on the subject of the LOB reform took place in the auditorium in the form of the Helvetia Forum.
"Momentum"– A review of 20 years of the Helvetia Art Prize
The premiere exhibition "Momentum", which provides an overview of the work of the previous winners of the Helvetia Art Prize, is the first opportunity to view Helvetia's collection and commitment to the arts. The prize, which was launched in 2004 and known since 2016 as the Helvetia Art Prize, is intended as start-up aid for graduates of Swiss universities of applied sciences. It is awarded annually and underlines the company's long-standing commitment to Swiss artistic creation. The art prize includes prize money of CHF 15,000 and an exhibition at the international art fair Liste Art Fair Basel.
For Nathalie Loch, Head of the Art Department at Helvetia, who put the exhibition together with her co-curator Marlene Bürgin, the title "Momentum" represents an opportunity to be seized. "This concept unites the momentum and the moment – the special circumstance and the fleeting moment. In this respect, momentum is a happy, transient driving force that enables joyful change and development."
Works that look to the present and future
The exhibition highlights different moments in the past by illustrating the history and development of the art prize over two decades. But beyond their actual year of origin, the artistic works also make the here and now tangible. New ideas and implementations reflect – sometimes even literally – a present that is both experienced and lived. Moreover, some of the 16 artists represented open a gateway into a potential tomorrow: partly dystopian and disturbing, partly visionary and enlightening.
Works by the following artists are represented in the show: Kathrin Affentranger, Josse Bailly, Bisso Yann Stéphane, Andriu Deplazes, Florian Germann, Aloïs Godinat, Dijan Kahrimanovic, Elisa Larvego, Kaspar Ludwig, Tiphanie Kim Mall, Luc Mattenberger, Thomas Moor, Anita Muçolli, Gina Proenza, STELLA and Jonas Van Holanda.
Key dates of the "Momentum" exhibition
30 May to 29 August 2024
Every Thursday, 4–8 p.m. (except 1 August 2024)
Admission free
Helvetia Art Foyer
Helvetia Campus, St. Alban-Anlage 26, 4052 Basel
Putting art on show
Whereas the Helvetia art collection at the old location had really become part of the building – one example being the monumental installation entitled "Aufgeweckter Rosenscheitel" by Pipilotti Rist, which occupies an entire staircase – it is now time to integrate it into a completely different architectural environment. At the same time, the collection and exhibition at the new location are now even more accessible to the public. Hedwig Ulmer, Head Pension Provisions and Member of Executive Management Switzerland at Helvetia, put it this way at the opening event: "On the campus, we want to literally put art on show. Thanks to the wide window front at the intersection of St. Alban-Anlage and Engelgasse we offer insights into our current exhibitions and invite passers-by to come in and be enchanted and inspired."
With the opening of the Helvetia Art Foyer, the third platform in the Helvetia Campus has already been made accessible to the public. Almost two months ago, the B1 Rooftop Bistro celebrated its opening and in mid-May, the first public event on the subject of the LOB reform took place in the auditorium in the form of the Helvetia Forum.
"Momentum"– A review of 20 years of the Helvetia Art Prize
The premiere exhibition "Momentum", which provides an overview of the work of the previous winners of the Helvetia Art Prize, is the first opportunity to view Helvetia's collection and commitment to the arts. The prize, which was launched in 2004 and known since 2016 as the Helvetia Art Prize, is intended as start-up aid for graduates of Swiss universities of applied sciences. It is awarded annually and underlines the company's long-standing commitment to Swiss artistic creation. The art prize includes prize money of CHF 15,000 and an exhibition at the international art fair Liste Art Fair Basel.
For Nathalie Loch, Head of the Art Department at Helvetia, who put the exhibition together with her co-curator Marlene Bürgin, the title "Momentum" represents an opportunity to be seized. "This concept unites the momentum and the moment – the special circumstance and the fleeting moment. In this respect, momentum is a happy, transient driving force that enables joyful change and development."
Works that look to the present and future
The exhibition highlights different moments in the past by illustrating the history and development of the art prize over two decades. But beyond their actual year of origin, the artistic works also make the here and now tangible. New ideas and implementations reflect – sometimes even literally – a present that is both experienced and lived. Moreover, some of the 16 artists represented open a gateway into a potential tomorrow: partly dystopian and disturbing, partly visionary and enlightening.
Works by the following artists are represented in the show: Kathrin Affentranger, Josse Bailly, Bisso Yann Stéphane, Andriu Deplazes, Florian Germann, Aloïs Godinat, Dijan Kahrimanovic, Elisa Larvego, Kaspar Ludwig, Tiphanie Kim Mall, Luc Mattenberger, Thomas Moor, Anita Muçolli, Gina Proenza, STELLA and Jonas Van Holanda.
Key dates of the "Momentum" exhibition
30 May to 29 August 2024
Every Thursday, 4–8 p.m. (except 1 August 2024)
Admission free
Helvetia Art Foyer
Helvetia Campus, St. Alban-Anlage 26, 4052 Basel
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