British Constructive Artists at two Basel Venues. Artist and Exhibition organiser Andrew Bick opens a project at la Maison de la Poésie in Basel by invitation of Betty Leirner.

Parallel to the Show ‘The Conversation’ at Basel Gallery von Bartha Collection, ‘Specific Structures’ at la Maison de la Poésie is comprised of four questions formulated by Bick, which are being answered in writing by the four British artists Anthony Hill, Peter Lowe, Jeffrey Steele and Gillian Wise.The Folio ‘Rationale Konzepte | Rational concepts’ produced by edition & galerie hoffmann in Friedberg, Germany, will be displayed at both Venues. Also present at La Maison de la Poésie is a photograph of the Panel made as a tribute to these four artists, which was Bick’s show contribution for The Savage School Window Gallery, a Venue led by the London based artists Cullinan + Richards.

Mainly known to lovers and researchers of constructive abstraction, the Construction & Systems groups have experienced decades of underappreciation in England, despite consistent exhibiting in mainland Europe. The revival of interest among younger generations is reflected in Andrew Bick ‘s concurrent exhibition and symposium, ‘Construction and its Shadow’, at Leeds Art Gallery as well as in the two shows in Basel.

From the point of view of the dialogue between the von Bartha exhibition and the Maison de la Poésie project, conversation in all its ebbs and flows, brings about changes of definition on the layers and nuances within the named artists’ specific structures and practices.

Florian Kutzli’s and Betty Leirner’s Maison de la Poésie is a space of curatorial practice in the heart of Kleinbasel, kept together around a centenary Glyzinie.

Specific Structures at la Maison de la Poésie, Basel. Betty Leirner in conversation with Andrew Bick (excerpt), Basel / Switzerland, April 8, 2011.

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