The boat shuttle to Scope was just a few streets away from Liste. Boat ride is popular among tourists here, coming as a bonus with the art fair. Boat shuttle was a small motor boat, taking one on a journey among the scenic river completed with inevitable moments of Basel June rain and wind.
If Art Basel is a serious event; Liste is a pleasant garden tour, then Scope is somewhere in between. Alexis Hubshman is an artist who also owns a gallery in New York. Scope, aiming for young galleries, was founded in 2002. Apart from presenting young galleries with serious potential, it also aims to develop a refreshing, non-commercial art fair experience for the general audience.
Scope was not situated inside a building, but a huge tent on the lawn next to the river. Parasols and plastic chairs designed by Tokujin Yoshioka were all over the lawn, forming an outdoor cafe. Among the chairs placed the upside down sculpture by Fredy Hadorn, making an interesting composition with the people next to it. Overhearing a couple mumbling and seeing cameras flashing towards a red car by the road, I realised it was actually an installation named ‘Autoportrait’ by the Swiss duo Magdalena Kunz and Daniel Glaser. Looking like a couple having a conversation in a car from afar, the blurring of real and unreal made a fascinating experience.
The most attractive element of Scope is not its concept, nor background, but its ‘Museum Presents: Emerging Indian Artists’ event. Indian art has been enjoying increasing attention recently, although in a lesser scale compare to China. Curated by Thomas Erben, the exhibition was composed of video, photography, painting and multi-media art pieces. Participating artists include Ashim Purkayasth, Ashok Sukumaran, Bani Abidi and Chitra Ganesh, a roll call for contemporary Indian artists.
Many art journalists agreed that Scope was the most enjoyable art fair out of the few. Apart from the mainstream Art Basel and Liste which was overwhelmed by its venue, Scope felt more contemporary, and the set up was a success in terms of helping the audience to take in the work. It provided a pleasant and comfortable environment for the audience to enjoy art, without projecting commercial pressure on them.
When Terence Koh in Dior Homme outfit made a ‘fashion icon’ appearance in flashy race car, Takashi Murakami made his impact with the art. It shows that artists seem to be under pressure to multi-task art and commerce these days. Although the discussion about art and commerce is a never-ending one, it makes a clear difference whether one merely makes riches in the name of art or utilises commerce to nourish art. Art Basel, to me, is at the crossroad. The many exhibitions and events made for the public who came solely for the art is the most exciting and relevant part for me.
Text & Photo: Ron Lam | Translation: dilettante
