The Fondation Beyeler in Basel, an important city for art collecting and with great museums, features a focused exploration of its collection through the lens of painting. Dedicated rooms highlight individual artists whose work has significantly shaped and expanded the possibilities of this traditional medium.

The exhibition features major works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Mark Bradford, Marlene Dumas, Wade Guyton, Pablo Picasso, Gerhard Richter, Mark Rothko, Wilhelm Sasnal, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Andy Warhol.

The new curatorial approach creates unexpected and compelling dialogues between iconic pieces of modern and contemporary art. A standout moment is the museum debut of Gerhard Richter’s digital projection Moving Picture (946-3), Kyoto Version (2019–2024). This year’s Daros Room is dedicated to Mark Bradford, while Andy Warhol’s monumental Sixty Last Suppers (1986), on loan from the Nicola Erni Collection, adds further depth. A significant section is also devoted to Pablo Picasso, featuring over 30 paintings and sculptures in a comprehensive display.

The concept of painting is interpreted broadly in this exhibition. Four of the featured artists forgo traditional brushes entirely: Andy Warhol employs silkscreen printing, Wolfgang Tillmans creates photographic works both with and without a camera, Mark Bradford constructs his pieces through collage, and Wade Guyton produces images using a computer and inkjet printer. Despite these unconventional methods, each artist consciously identifies with the tradition of painting. Even Gerhard Richter, widely regarded as a painter’s painter, is represented with a new digital film derived from his abstract works.

As the exhibition compellingly illustrates, the history of painting is one of continual reinvention, an ever-evolving medium rich with boundless creative potential.