Francis Alÿs - Fabiola

This catalogue is published on the occasion of the exhibition, 12 March – 28 August 2011, of Francis Alÿs: Fabiola, organised by Schaulager at Haus zum Kirschgarten, an extravagant Basel museum of domestic life. For the exhibition, Francis Alÿs, born 1959 in Belgium, has installed his collection of over 370 amateur paintings and images of Saint Fabiola, found in flea markets and antique shops. Essays by the exhibition’s curator, Lynne Cooke (New York/Madrid) and Dario Gamboni (Geneva), a renowned expert on Francis Alÿs’ work, describe the nature of the installation at Haus zum Kirschgarten and discuss Alÿs’ creative strategy. The catalogue also includes a comprehensive bibliography and also is available in German.

The Laurenz Foundation is the host foundation responsible for the Schaulager of Basel. It was founded in 1999 by Maja Oeri and named after her son, who died young. The foundation financed the construction of the Schaulager and now funds the operation. The Schaulager is an open warehouse, that accommodates the works in the collection of the Emanuel Hoffman Foundation and makes them accessible to a specialist audience. The Schaulager broadens the Basel cultural scene also by occasional exhibitions, special events and two permanent installations by Katharina Fritsch and Robert Gober.