Irène Zurkinden: Love, Life

The Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger / KBH.G proudly presents Irène Zurkinden: Love, Life, a major exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Irène Zurkinden (1909–87), a remarkable Basel-based artist of the 20th century. The exhibition offers a comprehensive and recontextualized look at Zurkinden’s artistic legacy, showcasing celebrated works from public and private collections as well as intimate works on paper being publicly displayed for the first time.

It has been four decades since Irène Zurkinden’s work was last presented in an institutional setting—most notably at the Kunstmuseum Basel and Schloss Ebenrain in the 1980s. This exhibition aims to reintroduce her to a new generation of viewers and shed fresh light on her remarkable artistic legacy: Spanning five decades of artistic production—from her early days in 1930s in Paris to the late works of the 1980s—the exhibition highlights Zurkinden’s bold experimentation, her fluid visual language, and the depth of her engagement with subjects ranging from the intimate to the political. While celebrated for her portraits and cityscapes the exhibition, above all, reveals lesser-known drawings, paintings, and sketchbooks, some displayed for the very first time.

Organized across two rooms, the exhibition opens with an intimate insight into Zurkinden’s drawings. Her works on paper encompass countless individual drawings and more than 107 sketchbooks, which formed a vital part of her creative practice. Their sheer number testifies to her lifelong habit of recording her surroundings—both visually and in writing—often in a diary-like manner. In these pages, themes of identity and sexuality emerge alongside everyday observations. The interplay of image and text offers a direct, personal entry point into Zurkinden’s thinking and working process, forming a conceptual bridge to her paintings. The works on view reveal the range of her interests: from Surrealist influences and tender portraits of family members to evocative travel scenes, all distinguished by a keen observational eye and a remarkable sensitivity to detail. Among the highlights is a monumental, newly restored sketch for the tapestry Zurkinden designed for the Basel registry office—measuring approximately 150 x 300 cm—which is being shown publicly for the first time. 

Zurkinden’s self-portraits, which she created consistently over several decades, form a recurring theme throughout the exhibition. With an unflinching, direct gaze, she placed her own experience at the center of her practice. These works radiate a striking intensity, offering a compelling and often vulnerable reflection of the artist herself. Her 1937 portrait while pregnant is a striking example—asserting her dual identity as both artist and mother, juggling multiple roles with clarity and pride. Elsewhere, her work moves fluidly between the playful and the grotesque, and the quiet poetry of everyday objects. Together, the works in the exhibition trace the arc of an artist who refused to be confined—by conventions, expectations, or categories. Throughout her life, Zurkinden maintained a sharp, attentive gaze, which she translated into drawings and paintings, using art as a way to make sense of the world and her place within it.

Irène Zurkinden: Love, Life not only illuminates the artist’s aesthetic journey but also delves into the enduring relevance of her work. The accompanying publication features reflections from contemporary artists including Tracey Emin, Valérie Favre, Sadaf H. Nava, Ariane Koch, Lenz Geerk, Sanya Kantarovsky, and Peter Suter—offering powerful dialogues across generations. Scholarly essays by Marie-Eve Celio-Scheurer, Quinn Latimer, and Florian Illies, along with contributions from curators Rebecca Eigen and Reto Thüring, provide fresh insight into Zurkinden’s artistic significance in today’s context.

In addition, a film based on a screenplay by Ariane Koch—adapted and directed by Garrick Lauterbach—offers a cinematic exploration of Zurkinden’s world through the eyes of her beloved cat Matou, adding yet another contemporary perspective. This landmark exhibition invites visitors to rediscover Irène Zurkinden as a vital and visionary artist whose expressive works continue to resonate, provoke, and inspire.

Curated by Rebecca Eigen and Reto Thüring with Elsa Himmer.