– The Regionale, an annual festival for contemporary art in the tri-national region surrounding Basel, continues to shine as a beacon of creativity and cultural exchange. Drawing nearly 20,000 visitors each year, the festival is a platform for artists from Northwestern Switzerland, Southern Baden, and Alsace to showcase their work in an array of carefully curated exhibitions. As the 25th edition unfolds in late 2024 and early 2025, 18 institutions present a diverse range of art exploring contemporary issues, with the theme “Interconnected, Interwoven, Entangled.”
This landmark edition features the works of 186 artists, including 10 collectives, in exhibitions that challenge traditional notions of identity, community, and transformation. With an emphasis on inclusivity and diversity, the Regionale promotes lesser-known voices and invites audiences to engage in an intercultural dialogue that transcends physical and conceptual boundaries.
A Unique Cross-Border Initiative
The Regionale is an unparalleled project that unites artists and exhibition spaces from three countries. Over its 25-year history, it has fostered exchange between artists, curators, and audiences, creating a space for artistic and social debates that resonate beyond national borders.
This year, nearly 900 artists responded to the open call, with about 200 selected to exhibit their works. Prioritizing diversity, the Regionale underscores the importance of connecting social and cultural realities through art. Against the backdrop of global polarization, this year’s exhibitions highlight the role of art in bridging divides and generating dialogue.
Exhibitions Exploring Boundaries
The Regionale 25 exhibitions explore the dissolution of physical, cultural, and digital borders. Themes of identity, community, and global influence permeate the art, with many works delving into the tensions between protection and threat, intimacy and public life, reality and fiction, and human ambition versus ecological limits.
Some exhibitions address the challenge of navigating between local roots and global forces. These works engage audiences through participatory formats, inviting them to reconsider societal changes and artistic practices.
Featured Exhibitions
GarageCOOP: À la Limite
In the evolving Strasbourg port district, artists from the somebodyies* collective explore the boundaries between public and private spaces, construction and reconstruction. Their performances and video works guide audiences through an industrial landscape undergoing radical transformation, questioning the separation of individual and collective creation.
Kunsthalle Basel: A Private Smile
Thirteen artists examine the interplay between private and public spaces, from room corners to public squares. This exhibition invites viewers to uncover the hidden connections within everyday settings, creating a bridge between inner worlds and communal experiences.
E-Werk: Artificial Life and Death
This exhibition combines video art and installations that probe the relationship between artificiality and nature. Artists examine the impact of societal and technological changes on life and death, challenging perceptions of material and immaterial boundaries.
Fabrikculture: From Chaos to Order and Back
The interplay between chaos and order takes center stage in this exhibition. Inspired by the ancient Greek concept of chaos as primordial matter, the artworks explore transitions and the frameworks that define personal and societal order.
HEK (House of Electronic Arts): L’Échappée Belle
In a hyperconnected world dominated by technology, this exhibition offers an alternative perspective. It critiques technological dependencies while celebrating its potential to reimagine our relationship with nature and daily life.
Highlights Across Borders
Expanded Drawings
The Kunst Raum Riehen presents a reimagined approach to drawing, combining traditional techniques with mediums like ceramics, light, and video. These works challenge the boundaries of artistic classification and explore the historical roots of drawing as a form of human expression.
Kunstverein Freiburg: And If We Stand Still Long Enough
This exhibition tackles themes of stillness and societal paralysis. Through various media, the works reflect on feelings of powerlessness, the urgency to act, and the search for new narratives in times of crisis.
Kunsthaus Baselland: Regionale Internationale
The interplay of local and global perspectives is at the heart of this exhibition. Artists explore the significance of working beyond cultural and social contexts, highlighting the importance of collaboration in addressing global challenges.
Reflections on the Regionale’s Legacy
As a platform for contemporary art, the Regionale has continually fostered creativity and dialogue, transcending geographical and ideological divides. This year’s theme, “Interconnected, Interwoven, Entangled,” aptly captures the festival’s mission of bringing together diverse artistic practices and social realities.
The Regionale 25 offers a glimpse into the complexities of modern life, presenting art as both a mirror and a catalyst for change. By celebrating interconnectedness, the festival not only reflects the vibrant cultural dynamics of the tri-national region but also emphasizes the transformative power of art in addressing global issues.
