In 2017, the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen (Basel, Switzerland) is celebrating its 20th birthday with three special exhibitions of its collection. The first show that is on display until 7th May 2017 is a tribute to the museum’s founders, Ernst and Hildy Beyeler. Titled “Beyeler Collection / The Original”, the exhibition is a reconstruction of the collection’s original hanging at the Fondation Beyeler’s inauguration twenty years ago. This video takes you on a virtual tour of the exhibition.

Curated by Raphaël Bouvier, the show highlights the founders’ view of their own collection and document the point of departure for the subsequent presentations. The exhibition features works by Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Henri Rousseau, Claude Monet, Joan Miró, Fernand Léger, Alberto Giacometti, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Mark Rothko, Mark Tobey, Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon, and also African and Oceanic sculptures.

Over fifty years, the collector couple Ernst and Hildy Beyeler assembled a collection of artworks of classical modernism, parallel to their work as gallery owners. The collection was converted into a foundation in 1982. It includes approximately 300 paintings and sculptures and gives a personal view of classical modernism.

The museum is located in an English park with a historical villa, old trees, and water lily ponds. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the museum is popular for its human-scale architecture and the presentation of the artworks in natural light. Under the direction of Sam Keller, the Fondation Beyeler became the most popular art museum in Switzerland and is considered one of the finest worldwide.

The second exhibition in the series (June – September 2017) will show the collection in its present state and includes the acquisitions of contemporary art. The third show (October 2017 – January 2018) presents possible ways in which the Fondation Beyeler’s collection could be extended.

Beyeler Collection / The Original at Fondation Beyeler in Riehen (Basel, Switzerland). March 13, 2017.

Soundtrack by User 383913618.

> Right-click (Mac: ctrl-click) this link to download Quicktime video file.