Exhibiting a lifetime’s work: one man’s search for a fitting space to bring his art together

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The artwork of Claude Le Roy is described as “like a graphic improvisation, unbridled and meticulously painted or coloured with details like an illuminator” (Art Historian Laurent Danchin). His giant canvases with their intricate imaginary calligraphy reveal his memories of growing up in Algeria. Painting the colourful symbols comes naturally to him he told me, just as … Read more

All the fun of the fair: the emotional roller coaster for one Syrian family adjusting to their new Swiss home

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Beneath the dazzling lights of Basel’s ancient Herbstmesse fair, I found myself wandering the cobblestones of Munsterplatz today, with a young Syrian family who arrived in Basel with their children three weeks ago. This was the first day the Kurdish family of five had felt brave enough to venture into the city. “What is it … Read more

Denied the right to vote: the stories behind Basel’s provocative posters invading space and minds

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“I would have more kitchens in the streets – outdoor kitchens and cooking – people could cook and eat together, get to know each other, learn things.” This is just one of a wide range of answers given to the question “What would you change about life in Basel?”  The same group of people who were also … Read more