Creators

Who are the people who created all the objects in the Museum der Kulturen Basel (MKB)? That question is explored in the exhibition titled “Creators – People and their works”. Through texts, photographs, and film footage, it introduces visitors to those we know, but it also highlights other forms of authorship such as the collective.

At the same time, the exhibition delves into the creativity and skill of the makers. From a small paintbrush to a 12-metre-long dance beam, from a delicate feather headdress to weighty beer pots, from a simple spoon to an elaborately-wrought dagger: people have created objects in the most diverse forms using unusual materials that visitors to the exhibition can even handle. Whether they are everyday items or objects of ritual significance, all of the exhibits reveal the skill, knowledge, and dedication of their makers.

And today?
With some 250 exhibits, the exhibition not only examines the role of makers, it also shows the influence of indigenous communities on research. Why and when were details about makers collected? In audiovisual recordings, communities, scholars, film-makers, and artists additionally discuss the present-day importance of collections and of community memories of makers.

At the same time, the exhibition invites visitors to question contemporary manufacturing conditions. What do we know about the people who make our clothes, furniture, and everyday utensils? Visitors to the exhibition get the chance to become makers themselves by creating friendship bracelets of their own. The programme of related events as ever includes guided tours and workshops, plus visits to local studios. Another project involving the Neues Orchester Basel and school classes is devoted to composition and performance as creative processes.