American minimalist artist Dan Flavin (1933–1996) was a trailblazer in the field. His use of industrially produced fluorescent tubes propelled him to renown in the 1960s, creating a new medium and solidifying his place in art history. The Kunstmuseum Basel’s show centres on his pieces that honour other artists or allude to certain occasions.

Through pieces and series selected from Flavin’s oeuvre, the curators of this significant special show at the Kunstmuseum Basel investigate these storytelling techniques and encourage viewers to engage in a sensory investigation of his singular body of work. Dedications in Light is presented at the Museum until August 2024.

Dan Flavin declared his 1963 installation of a single industrial fluorescent light tube at a 45-degree angle on his studio wall to be art. At the time, the act was revolutionary, and it remains so now. In fact, it was because of this move that commonplace consumer goods would be included into art: the emphasis of the period’s emerging Minimal Art was on seriality, reduction, and matter-of-factness. Ironically, in some ways, while the artist went on to become one of the movement’s most renowned exponents, never sought membership in this art movement.