Old Couple on a Bench, 1994

This older couple typifies Duane Hanson’s interest in depicting people who represent a social average. In doing so, he engages in a very deliberate play with clichés. The figures’ clothing hints at a North-American middleclass background. Yet within the space of the museum, the couple on the bench also stands for the museum’s visitors: lost in thought, a slightly puzzled smile on their lips, the man and the woman are sitting in front of a painting by Mark Rothko from the Beyeler Collection.

Window Washer, 1984

A window washer stands in front of the museum’s glass façade; distracted from his work, he is looking into the room, lost in thought. In terms of subject matter, the figure falls largely outside the scope of traditional statuary and feels the more daringly groundbreaking. Yet with its pose and its execution in bronze, the Window Washeralso calls to mind classical sculpture, thereby honouring and dignifying the representatives of his profession.

Children Playing Game, 1979

From old women to young men to babies, Duane Hanson’s sculptures feature representatives of all age groups. In Children Playing Game, the artist staged his own children playing Connect Four sitting on a rug. Hanson repeatedly used family members and friends – and sometimes also himself – as models for his sculptures. The children, lost in play, are mirrored in Pawel Althamer’s clay sculpture MAMA IV, also seated on a rug. Deep in contemplation and reminiscent of a jinn – a spirit of Arabian folklore – this figure is part of a series of life-size self-portraits of the artist.

Lunchbreak, 1989

Duane Hanson’s sculptural installation Lunchbreak stands amidst three monumental paintings by Anselm Kiefer dealing with the themes of both construction and destruction. With this multi-figure work, the artist harks back to his sculptural ensembles of the late 1960s. While these tended to be packed with action, here we come face to face with three life-size construction workers on a worksite who have momentarily paused for their lunch break.

Old Lady in Folding Chair, 1976

The motif of the sitting woman plays an important role in the collection of the Fondation Beyeler. For the museum’s founder Ernst Beyeler, these images were possessed of exceptional compactness and force. The sitting position furthermore embodies a particular state of calm. In Duane Hanson’s Old Lady in Folding Chair, this impression is heightened by the figure’s clasped hands, which visually stabilise the sculpture.

Artist with Ladder, 1972

Although directly cast from a live model, Artist with Ladder is not an individual portrait. The sculpture represents an anonymous artist taking a break. With his figures, Duane Hanson did not aim to render the appearance of concrete individuals; rather, he strove for the characteristic embodiment of specific types and representatives of social milieus. Artist with Ladder heralds a pivotal shift in Hanson’s work.

Friday Beyeler

FRIDAYS UNTIL 16 DECEMBER, 6–10 P.M. | The “Friday Beyeler” event series takes place on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Fondation Beyeler. Every Friday, the exhibitions, the park and the restaurant will all be open until 10 p.m.. In addition, under the title “I Hear a New World - 14 Miaows of the Future”, students and artists who teach at the Institute of Art Gender Nature at FHNW Academy of Art and Design in Basel will transform the museum foyer into a creative platform for contemporary art, featuring live performances, films, talks, music, poetry and dance.

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25 YEARS OF FONDATION BEYELER

In 2022, the Fondation Beyeler will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Since its foundation by the collector and gallery owner couple Ernst and Hildy Beyeler in 1997, it has become one of the most visited art museums in Switzerland. The overview of the programme will constantly updated throughout the year. To stay up to date follow us on social media via the hashtag #Beyeler25 or via our newsletter.

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Doris Salcedo: "Palimpsest" | 9.10.2022 – 17.9.2023

The Fondation Beyeler is going to show "Palimpsest", an exhibition project by Colombian artist Doris Salcedo that addresses the global migration crisis.

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