Masterpieces in conversation: annabelle visits the Fondation Beyeler

On the "Friday Beyeler" evening, annabelle presents the highly personal body stories from the successful "Bodybuilding" section in the middle of the "Matisse - Invitation to a Journey" exhibition. Twelve selected nude photographs will be shown, accompanied by personally intimate texts in which the women portrayed talk about their relationship to their bodies. "Bodybuilding" focuses on the female body - naked, unretouched, impressively photographed by Sara Merz.

The women's faces are never visible, the focus is entirely on their bodies. Since the launch of the section in March 2021, 65 readers have already had their photos taken and shared their stories, each one different from the next, dealing with beauty, pregnancy or illness, strength, sexuality, gender reassignment or organ donation. Bodies are objects of scientific and artistic study, bodies are potential and handicap, bodies are worshipped, coveted and criticized, often most harshly by ourselves. In the Bodybuilding section, annabelle traces the complex nature of individual and social body images. Physicality also plays a central role in the work of Henri Matisse.

"It is exciting to relate today's perspectives on the body to the artistic and male perspective of Henri Matisse," says editor-in-chief Barbara Loop. "Friday Beyeler" is a series of events organized by the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen near Basel. Every Friday evening from September 6 to November 29, 2024, visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the current exhibitions and exchange ideas with other art enthusiasts on a variety of topics. The evening program will be designed in collaboration with interesting personalities and collectives from the worlds of art and culture: as changing hosts, various voices on Matisse will provide inspiration for shared art experiences.