Dan Flavin: Dedications In Lights

Exhibition at the Kunstmuseum, Basel, 2 March - 18 August 2024

The American artist Dan Flavin (1933-1996) was one of the pioneers of minimal art. In the early 1960s, he began working with fluorescent tubes, arranging them in 'situations' and then transforming them into large-scale series and installations. The colours and dimensions of the materials he uses are imposed by industrial production. Flooded with light, the viewer himself becomes an integral part of the work: the space and the objects within it are placed in relation to one another, becoming immersive experiences of art that trigger sensual, almost spiritual experiences.

This exhibition catalogue examines Flavin's work in an unfamiliar context: his works, although initially devoid of a clearly recognisable signature, often refer in their titles to concrete events, such as wartime atrocities or police violence, or are dedicated to other artists.