The Order of Spaces Lost

Tobias Nussbaumer creates large-scale drawings in ink and coloured pencil on paper, which he integrates on special supports into exhibition situations as well as installations. Further pictures appear in the picture; reflections can continue into infinity. He juxtaposes imaginary or digital spaces with real architecture; everyday objects and modular constructions are given a sculptural impact. In doing so, the artist questions conventional exhibition practices and ways of seeing as well as one-point perspective, making in the process new contexts and connotations possible. The active viewer is invited to explore Nussbaumer’s works in the second and third dimension.

The exhibition of the Basel-based artist in the Museum Franz Gertsch that extends across two rooms on the basement level features installations with sculptural elements and large-format drawings. Nussbaumer works with contrasting materials and colours, making use for example of grey concrete elements, highly polished stainless steel and dark red rubber granulate safety mats. The artist places numerous large-format drawings made especially for this new exhibition into this setting. They not only take up and interleave the spaces but also show human figures, plants and pictures in the picture.

Tobias Nussbaumer was born in 1987 in Basel (CH), where he still lives and works. After taking his B.A. in illustration fiction at the HSLU D&K in Lucerne (2011), he studied philosophy and art history at the Basel University, completing an M.A. in fine arts at the FHNW HGK in Basel in 2017. He has been awarded the Kiefer Hablitzel Prize (2015) and received the support of the Christina Spoerri Foundation (also in 2015). In 2016, he furthermore won the Kunstkredit Basel-Stadt competition for ephemeral art projects with his accessible sculpture ‘Vectors & Skin’ outside the Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst FHNW. The artist has shown his work in solo exhibitions since 2014 and takes part in group shows.

The exhibition was curated by Anna Wesle in collaboration with the artist.

The exhibition was generously supported by: Ursula Wirz-Stiftung, Kanton Basel-Stadt Kultur, Klossner AG, M. Schwab AG.