June 13–16
“One of the truly striking aspects of this year’s Basel show is how many of the works still feel incredibly timely, incredibly topical. Now, many of these works are new and they respond specifically to today’s challenges…”
“But many of them are older. They might be ten years old or decades old. And yet, because of the nature of the work, they still speak to us in this very moment that we are living”.
— Marc Spiegler, the global director of Art Basel.
Both Schneemann and Semmel’s artworks, created two decades apart, are incorporating their own bodies, the female body as a symbol of “primal, archaic force which could unify energies…” (Schneemann, ArtBasel)
These artworks are especially prevalent in the current climate of activism and challenges facing feminism, women’s rights, and gender equality.
“I stay angry because everybody is so slow. I am very angry because women still don’t have the same rights like men. It’s not aggression, anger is also a very good motor to do art. Art should be free. Art should be free from things. From political correctness”.
— Miriam Cahn on #MeToo, discipline, and why she’ll never stop being angry
Despite female artists’ attempt at bringing about social change through this artistic freedom, multi-media artist, Andrea Bowers has caused an outbreak of controversy for including photos in her work without one of the survivor’s consent.
Furthermore, research compiled by Artsy shows that the names of the mentioned female artists above did not make it on the list of “Top-selling Artists by Value at Art Basel in Basel 2019”. In fact, almost all the names belong to male artists.
What does this imbalance in sales between female & male artists’ work from Art Basel 2019 tell us?
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