A PERFECT SWISS TOUCH ! THE FONDATION BEYELER HOSTS MAJOR ART SHOWS OF THIS SUMMER
A PERFECT SWISS TOUCH!
THE Fondation Beyeler
PRESENTS MAJOR ART SHOWS
OF
THIS SUMMER!
Reporter ; Nazli Kok
Vija Celmins, Gun with Hand # 1, 1964 .Oil on canvas. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
The Fondation Beyeler is internationally renowned for its high-calibre exhibitions, its significant collection of modern and contemporary art, as well as its ambitious schedule of events. The museum building was designed by famous italien architect Renzo Piano in the idyllic setting of a park with venerable trees and water lily ponds, offering a magical athmosphere. In collaboration with Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the Fondation Beyeler is now constructing a new museum building in the adjoining parc, thus further enhancing the harmonious interplay of art, architecture and nature.True to its reputation, The Fondation Beyeler is hosting three major art exhibitions this summer that are sure to impress .
THE Fondation Beyeler
PRESENTS MAJOR ART SHOWS
OF
THIS SUMMER!
Reporter ; Nazli Kok
VIJA CELMINS
15 JUNE – 21 SEPTEMBER 2025
CURATORS ; Theodora Vischer, James Lingwood.
Vija Celmins, The Fondation Beyeler, 2025 .Nazli Kok Photography .
The exhibition “Vija Celmins” is curated by Theodora Vischer, Chief Curator of the Fondation Beyeler, and writer and curator James Lingwood. This is one of the most comprehensive solo exhibitions ever devoted to the American artist Vija Celmins (*1938, Riga) in Europe. The retrospective features Celmins meticulous paintings, drawings of spider webs, night skies and ocean waves.
The Chief Curator, Theodora Vischer, mentions that, " although she rarely offers verbal explanations, the clarity and intensity of her vision over the years is unmistakable."
Vija Cermins, Untitled (Big Sea # 2 ) 1969, Grafitti and acrylic on paper, Private collection. Celmins is best known for her deeply absorbing paintings and drawings of galaxies, moon surfaces, deserts and oceans, Celmins’ work invites the viewer to pause, look closely and immerse oneself in their captivating surfaces. Vija Celmins "invites the viver into a deeper, almost meditative space, while always remaning anchored to the flatness of the page", Vischer Says.
Vija Celmins, Heater, 1964. Oil on canvas, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.In 1992, Celmins came across illustrations of spider webs in a book. Drawn to their fragile threads and concentric patterns, she made a group of paintings and charcoal drawings. Celmins' spider's web paintings draw the viewer in, prompting contemplation of the interplay between surface and space, proximity and distance, and stillness and motion. 
Vija Celmins, Untitled (Web#5) 1999 charcoal on paper.Renee and David Mckee
This exploration continued with a number of paintings of objects with textured surfaces; the cover of a Japanese book, the cracked enamel of a Korean vase, the scuffed surfaces of slate boards picked up in flea markets on Long Island, the pitted form of an eroded seashell – each painting an exquisite meditation on the passage of time.
Vija Celmins, Japanese Book, 2007- 2010, oil on canvasCelmins’ images are based on photographs or, in the case of the rare sculptures, on objects as models. The template is a kind of tool for Celmins, allowing her not to have to concern herself with composition and framing. However, she does not make a copy of the original; it is not a matter of photorealism. Rather, Celmins recreates or rebuilds the original.
Vija Celmins, The Fondation Beyeler, 2025 .Nazli Kok Photography .
Vija Celmins was born in Riga, Latvia in 1938, she became a refugee in 1944 before emigrating with her family to the United States in 1948. Celmins grew up in Indianapolis and later as an art student moved to Los Angeles, then to New Mexico, New York and Long Island, where she lives and works today. Her work is sought after by renowned museums and private collections alike. However, opportunities to see Celmins’ work in any depth are extremely rare, not least because the artist has made only around 220 paintings, drawings and sculptures over the course of her entire career. Vija Celmins has always worked at her own pace, refusing to bend to the prevailing currents of the art world and remaining resolute in her close attention to her practice.
Vija Celmins, Rhinoceros 1965, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCThe exhibition offers a retrospective of Vija Celmins' remarkable 60-year career, presenting carefully selected groups of her paintings, drawings, graphic works and sculptures. Beginning with a selection of important early paintings of everyday objects from the 1960s, the exhibition culminates in a room of recent masterful paintings of snow falling through a night sky, conjuring up the mystery of the cosmos.
Vija Celmins, Snowfall #1 2022-2024, oil and acrylic on canvas
In the final room of the exhibition, this meditation continues through Celmins’ most recent paintings, which are among the largest works she has ever made. Based on photos of snowflakes illuminated in the sky at night, they convey a profound sense of silence and awe.The Short Film "Vija " by Beka & Lemoine
Alongside the exhibition, the Fondation Beyeler presents “Vija”, a short film by renowned filmmakers Bêka & Lemoine. Over 30 minutes, the film paints a special, spontaneous portrait of the artist, who reflects upon her lifelong practice while opening both the doors to her studio and the drawers of her archive. The portrait takes viewers on a journey among the forms, images and thoughts at the heart of Vija Celmins’ unique sensibility.
COLLECTION DISPLAY :
"There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend: One day, the black will swallow the red."
25 May - 31 August
Curator; Theodora VischerReporter; Nazli Kok
Jean-Michel Basquait, Profit I, 1982, mixed media,
To coincide with the 'Vija Celmins' exhibition, the Fondation Beyeler is presenting a selection from its collection focusing exclusively on painting.The rooms devoted to individual artists showcase works that have made a significant impact on this traditional medium and introduced new perspectives.
Andy Warhol, Sixty Last Suppers, 1986, Nicola Erni Collection.
The exhibition presents works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mark Bradford, Marlene Dumas, Wade Guyton, Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter, Mark Rothko, Wilhelm Sasnal, Wolfgang Tillmans and Andy Warhol.
Wolfgang Tillmans
Marlene Dumas is considered one of the most important painters working today. Through her expressive visual language, she explores fundamental human themes such as vulnerability, intimacy, fear, empathy, and affection.
Marlene Dumas, Broken White 2006, oil on canvas, The Fondation BeyelerHer works challenge common visual habits as well as societal norms. The Fondation Beyeler owns an important group of works by the artist, providing many-layered insights into her oeuvre.
Marlene Dumas, Nuclear Family, 2013, oil on canvas, The Fondation Beyeler.They include the museum’s most recent acquisition The Devil May Care, 2024, an impressive painting typical of Dumas’ ability to combine psychological depth and painterly sensitivity.
Marlene Dumas, Schoolgirl, 1973, Oil on canvas, The Fondation Beyeler
As a key figure of Abstract Expressionism, Rothko has had a decisive influence on modern art and established a new understanding of the emotional impact of colour and form. The title of the exhibition is a quote attributed to Rothko by John Logan in his stage play Red: “There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend... One day the black will swallow the red.” This quote is sensual and beautiful, while simultaneously powerful, almost imploring that painting is no harmless endeavour.”
Rothko, Untitled (Red-Brown, Black, Green) 1962, oil on canvas, The Fondation Beyeler The exhibition runing until 31 August is complemented by long-term loans from the Collection Marx, the Daros Collection, the Nicola Erni Collection, the Rudolf Staechelin Collection, as well as private collections.
Nazli Kok Art Reports
VIJA CELMINS
15 JUNE – 21 SEPTEMBER 2025
CURATORS ; Theodora Vischer, James Lingwood.
Vija Celmins, The Fondation Beyeler, 2025 .Nazli Kok Photography .
The exhibition “Vija Celmins” is curated by Theodora Vischer, Chief Curator of the Fondation Beyeler, and writer and curator James Lingwood. This is one of the most comprehensive solo exhibitions ever devoted to the American artist Vija Celmins (*1938, Riga) in Europe. The retrospective features Celmins meticulous paintings, drawings of spider webs, night skies and ocean waves.
The Chief Curator, Theodora Vischer, mentions that, " although she rarely offers verbal explanations, the clarity and intensity of her vision over the years is unmistakable."
Celmins is best known for her deeply absorbing paintings and drawings of galaxies, moon surfaces, deserts and oceans, Celmins’ work invites the viewer to pause, look closely and immerse oneself in their captivating surfaces. Vija Celmins "invites the viver into a deeper, almost meditative space, while always remaning anchored to the flatness of the page", Vischer Says.
Vija Celmins, Untitled (Web#5) 1999 charcoal on paper.Renee and David Mckee
This exploration continued with a number of paintings of objects with textured surfaces; the cover of a Japanese book, the cracked enamel of a Korean vase, the scuffed surfaces of slate boards picked up in flea markets on Long Island, the pitted form of an eroded seashell – each painting an exquisite meditation on the passage of time.
Celmins’ images are based on photographs or, in the case of the rare sculptures, on objects as models. The template is a kind of tool for Celmins, allowing her not to have to concern herself with composition and framing. However, she does not make a copy of the original; it is not a matter of photorealism. Rather, Celmins recreates or rebuilds the original.
Vija Celmins was born in Riga, Latvia in 1938, she became a refugee in 1944 before emigrating with her family to the United States in 1948. Celmins grew up in Indianapolis and later as an art student moved to Los Angeles, then to New Mexico, New York and Long Island, where she lives and works today. Her work is sought after by renowned museums and private collections alike. However, opportunities to see Celmins’ work in any depth are extremely rare, not least because the artist has made only around 220 paintings, drawings and sculptures over the course of her entire career. Vija Celmins has always worked at her own pace, refusing to bend to the prevailing currents of the art world and remaining resolute in her close attention to her practice.
Vija Celmins, Rhinoceros 1965, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
COLLECTION DISPLAY :
"There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend: One day, the black will swallow the red."
Marlene Dumas is considered one of the most important painters working today. Through her expressive visual language, she explores fundamental human themes such as vulnerability, intimacy, fear, empathy, and affection.
Her works challenge common visual habits as well as societal norms. The Fondation Beyeler owns an important group of works by the artist, providing many-layered insights into her oeuvre.
They include the museum’s most recent acquisition The Devil May Care, 2024, an impressive painting typical of Dumas’ ability to combine psychological depth and painterly sensitivity.
The title of the exhibition is a quote attributed to Rothko by John Logan in his stage play Red: “There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend... One day the black will swallow the red.” This quote is sensual and beautiful, while simultaneously powerful, almost imploring that painting is no harmless endeavour.”
The exhibition runing until 31 August is complemented by long-term loans from the Collection Marx, the Daros Collection, the Nicola Erni Collection, the Rudolf Staechelin Collection, as well as private collections.
Nazli Kok Art Reports
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