20.11.2022
Markthalle Basel
The final art exhibition of the short project «Art on Sundays» was realized with the vernissage on November 20, 2022. The fourth exhibition took place from November 20th to November 30th, 2022. The exhibiting artists were Jan Pulfer and Simeon Dimitrov. For Simeon Dimitrov, it was the first time he was able to showcase his illustrations at an exhibition. His imaginative artworks offer a wonderful insight into a fictional world. Jan Pulfer showed a multi-part series based on sculptures exhibited in public spaces in Basel that are usually almost never noticed. The reinterpreted sculptures differ from Dimitrov‘s style.
At the vernissage, we had about 100 people present, who walked through the exhibition space. A playlist from the artists helped to create a beautiful atmosphere. As an aperitif, there were Pides, provided by a food stand from the market hall. The food and various drinks were enjoyed. During the vernissage, contact details were exchanged between interested parties and the two artists. The audience arrived on time and eagerly viewed the exhibited artworks.
In the last art exhibition, the color scheme and visual language were the linked element of the works. As both artists have different styles, these elements bring harmony to the exhibition. Dimitrov joyfully showed his sketchbook to many visitors and happily engaged in discussions about his works.
Pulfer approached the visitors and shared his conceptual thinking for the sculpture series with them. Since he had composed the images on different levels, he explained his steps in a way that was understandable to outsiders. This contextualized his depicted figures and helped people to understand his approach.
For the first time, visitors also came who wanted to learn more about the «Art on Sundays» project and happily left their contact details for further exchanges. The exhibition was well attended, with an average of 12 guests per day. The last exhibition closed its doors with a total of 190 visitors.
The last Kunstpalaver was held in a small circle and focused intensively on comics. Koostella, a comic artist and organizer of the Comic Festival, first answered technical questions about creating a comic: choice of pens, color types, and panel structure. He also mentioned the advantages of self-publishing: quick publication of one’s own artistic works without having to wait for approval from a large publisher. Koostella is interested in output and not in the network of an established publisher or potential income. He builds his own network and audience with many small editions, regularly releasing comics in new editions. Demand and income seem to be satisfactory for him.
Koostella has a characteristic style with a strong recognition value. In particular, his color choice stands out for Simeon Dimitrov: Koostella always works with brown, yellow, and red. And yes, Koostella loves these colors and actually hates green and blue. He works with a reduced color palette alone because of this antipathy. He enjoys his style, which is more important to him than constantly changing it. Koostella takes a lot of time for storytelling. He works very systematically, always starting from the beginning and end of a story and then considering how one thing leads to another. These can be shorter or longer stories. Simeon Dimitrov listened attentively and talked about his current project with a comic artist for an almost epic work. Koostella, on the other hand, would never draw comics in collaboration. He always works alone.
Towards the end of the conversation, we learned more about Koostella’s longstanding work as an organizer of both concerts and comic festivals in Brazil and Switzerland. He apparently did it out of laziness, as he charmingly puts it: “I don’t have to go to the people, I just bring them.”
In his first exhibition, Simeon Dimitrov demonstrated his skill in illustrative art, showcasing a range of characters in tense atmospheres, from deep-sea fish to witches and fantastical creatures. With his evocative characters and thoughtful use of color, it was easy for visitors to immerse themselves in these different worlds. Simeon Dimitrov also exhibited a 3D sculpture, a detailed mask that connects to his mystical illustrations.
Jan Pulfer has exhibited at several exhibitions before, but this was the first time he exhibited an illustrated sculpture series from Basel. His approach was to be inspired by Basel sculptures and create his own interpretation of them. With his diverse range of sketches, both digital and analog, he ultimately created a digital collage for each portrayed sculpture. With his free and conceptual approach, his images provide a carefree interpretation of historical sculptures.
Finally, for the fourth exhibition, we provided a handout with the exhibited works and the contact details of the artists for download. Of course, the artists and we look forward to further exchanges.