Art skating – the blog for ART Basel 2013 (Swiss Press Online 2014, by Marc Krebs) - Swiss Press Award
TagesWoche – http://blogs.tageswoche.ch/de/blogs/artblog/
Marc Krebs
Art Basel is a challenge for local arts editors. But it can be enjoyed online. Because when the world comes to Basel, the city is also somewhat in a state of sophisticated ecstasy, while at the same time, the population is far from invited to all the events, let alone due to time constraints. For these reasons, we on the culture editorial team at TagesWoche decided to reflect the diversity of the fair week in a multimedia format: in the form of a blog called "Kunstlauf," which was updated day and night and thus did justice to the eventful art week. The three-person culture editor and our intern fanned out, capturing impressions in pictures and videos, recounting anecdotes, sometimes reflecting seriously on the art show, sometimes navel-gazing in a more relaxed tone. We also published columns highlighting sideshows—even if it was just the restrooms at Messe Schweiz, where we found a urinal statement that inspired us to caricature the tense and slightly overly strained relationship between the population and their global clientele. We also engaged in dialogue with the community when the world-renowned street artist Space Invader left his mark on corners of the city. With the help of our readers, we compiled a list of all the locations where he carried out guerrilla actions overnight, leaving behind a work of art for everyone to see—which we also listed on a map. Art, affordable for all. I would also like to give special mention to our guest author, whom we flew in from Zurich: Hazel Brugger. Precisely because she had never been to Art Basel before, I hired her for Art Week with the request to observe the whole "circus" with an open mind and to record her observations for the readership. She is now known as the Swiss slam poetry champion, and she demonstrated her versatility as a provider of amusing video, text, and drawing contributions. This complemented our blog, much to the delight of our local readers. I think the art skating blog demonstrates the multimedia added value that can be provided online for a major local event and is the ideal format for covering a multifaceted happening like Art Basel and all its satellite events, where cultural criticism has just as much of a place as everyday scenes that affect, irritate, or amuse the entire population.
