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Kunstmuseum Basel

Kunstmuseum Basel, established in 1661, is the oldest public art collection in the world and is located in Basel, Switzerland. The museum houses a vast collection of works spanning from the early Middle Ages to contemporary art. Its extensive collection includes notable works by artists such as Hans Holbein the Younger, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Rembrandt and Picasso. The museum is divided into three main buildings: the Hauptbau, which showcases the museum’s historical collection; the Neubau, which features modern and contemporary art; and the Gegenwart, dedicated to contemporary works. Kunstmuseum Basel also boasts the Amerbach Cabinet, a collection acquired in the 17th century that includes works by Hans Holbein the Younger and provides a foundation for the museum’s holdings. Read more about Museums.

An immersive purple installation shows a person lying on a raised platform beneath suspended screens, with a surrounding pit of blue and pink plastic balls and projected digital imagery on the walls.

The Future-Facing Museum Exhibitions Not to Miss in Basel

This year’s strongest Art Basel-adjacent shows are asking big questions about our future, with artists using digital worlds, living systems, petrochemicals, machines and ritual to consider what might come next.
By Elisa Carollo
Christie's, Lot 9: Sanyu's Cheval agenouillé sur un tapis (Kneeling Horse on Carpet), 1950s–1960s, hammering at HK$52,000,000. The auctioneer's raised hand signals the final bid. Suggested caption: "Sanyu's Cheval agenouillé sur un tapis hammers at HK$52 million at Christie's Hong Kong, March 27, 2026.

Across the Major Houses, Hong Kong’s March Sales Confirm a New Collecting Maturity

Taken together, the results paint a vivid portrait of a market that is coming of age without losing its appetite and building lasting value and legacy rather than chasing speculative heat.
By Elisa Carollo
A staged performance scene showing a blindfolded figure seated at a table with a candle, crystal ball and open book in a darkened setting.

From Surrealism to Séances: The Art World’s Spiritual Turn

A spate of 2025 shows points to wider institutional interest not only in art that engages mystical or occult frameworks but also in rereading art history through a more spiritually charged lens.
By Elisa Carollo
A painting by Frida Kahlo shows a woman sleeping in a yellow bed while a skeletal figure lies on a second bed stacked above her against a cloudy sky background.

Observer’s Must-See Museum Shows of 2026

By Elisa Carollo
Gallery view featuring Rosso’s busts on minimalist black pedestals in a spacious wooden-floored exhibition room.

At Kunstmuseum Basel, Medardo Rosso’s Radical Dismantling of Form

By Elisa Carollo

What to See in Basel Beyond the Fairs: Our Top Exhibitions of 2025

By Elisa Carollo
A man in a suit walks through a tall grassy field outside Art Basel’s contemporary Messeplatz venue, with a sleek, patterned metal building in the background.

Maike Cruse On Why Art Basel’s Flagship Still Sets the Bar

By Elisa Carollo

See the Best of Black Figuration Widely Surveyed at Kunstmuseum Basel

By Sarah Moroz
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