BASEL.- The Kulturstiftung Basel H.Geiger, a new cultural foundation, will open a permanent exhibition space in Basel, Switzerland in June 2020. Located in the heart of the city in the former factory for micromotors, the foundation will organise a rotating annual programme of temporary exhibitions on a variety of cultural themes. As a new part of Basel's already rich cultural landscape, KBHG aims to show content that fits the foundation's mission to engage and educate a broad audience, offering a platform for different artistic perspectives.

Founded by philanthropist Sibylle Piermattei Geiger in 2018, the foundation is named after the late Swiss pharmacist and entrepreneur, Sibylle's paternal grandfather, Hermann Geiger. The foundation is headed by former cultural journalist, Raphael Suter and all exhibitions will be free of charge and accompanied by a complimentary visitor catalogue.

The inaugural exhibition will be an international group exhibition organised by the Caribbean Art Initiative (CAI). CAI is an independent, not-for-profit programme that aims to foster the development of arts and culture across the Caribbean region through global support and promotion. Founded by Albertine Kopp in 2019, this will be CAI’s first exhibition project with an invited curator, adding a significant new dimension to its artist in residency exchanges, events, and publications. As such, it will be a major step in advancing CAI’s goal of fostering new creative opportunities for Caribbean arts around the world, while encouraging deep and salient dialogue with a broad international public.

By situating this first exhibition project in Basel, in the heart of Europe, CAI and the organisers endeavor to offer a crossroads for education and discourse about a still little-understood and under appreciated segment of the international art community. The presence of the exhibition during Art Basel week in Basel, which draws a large international contingent to the city, provides an opportunity to further expand awareness and understanding of contemporary Caribbean art.

The exhibition curators, Yina Jiménez Suriel and Pablo Guardiola, have been selected via an open-call process. Yina Jiménez Suriel is a researcher, architect, and a curator at Centro León, in the Dominican Republic. Pablo Guardiola, co-directs Beta-Local in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In dialogue with CAI’s curatorial advisors, they will engage with a diverse group of artists from across the region to assemble a group of existing and newly-commissioned works that respond to the contemporary political and geographical challenges of the Caribbean, finding common spaces where artistic practice reflects reality.

Raphael Suter, director of the Kulturstiftung Basel H.Geiger, ‘As a new foundation opening in Basel, a city with great cultural richness and heritage, it is important that we offer an innovative programme that brings different perspectives on art for Basel locals and visitors alike. We are delighted to be working with the Caribbean Art Initiative on this exciting exhibition of contemporary art from the region and we look forward to revealing more about our future programme in 2020.’

Albertine Kopp, founder of the Caribbean Art Initiative, added, “It is thrilling to bring the diverse aspects of today’s Caribbean art to the city of Basel where our two initiatives are based. This city is not only known as a global cultural hub but also as a point of intersection for progressive ideas and global networks. Our aim is to weave Caribbean artists from various parts of the region more deeply into the unfolding international narrative about art.”