Evaporating Suns

•Contemporary art from the Arab world •Gender and social power dynamics •Exploration of myths and fiction in the age of fake news

Evaporating Suns explores myths from the Arabian Gulf through contemporary art. Based on the concept that the mythical and the factual are like two sides of the same coin, the catalogue accompanying the exhibition shows that myths do not simply convey fictions, but are also capable of presenting truth much more vividly than statistics and facts ever could. The publication showcases the work of 13 contemporary artists from the Arabian peninsula, who explore the folklore and popular myths of their homelands, and use cynicism, satire, and fiction to build their universes and rewrite the parallel history of their contemporary societies. Completed by essays by authors from the region, myths are seen here as opportunities for a new approach to the negotiation of current issues such as the environment, gender, and social structures of power.

Founded in 2018 by the artist Sibylle Piermattei-Geiger and her husband Rocco Piermattei, KULTURSTIFTUNG BASEL H. GEIGER I KBH.G creates a cultural program with current political or cultural references. The Basel exhibition space hosts three topical art exhibitions a year, each of which goes beyond the concepts of established institutions.