Latest news with #BaselSocialClub
Arab News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Ahaad Alamoudi presents ‘The Social Health Club' in Basel
RIYADH: This month, Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi is turning up the heat at Basel Social Club — which runs until June 21 in the Swiss city — with her latest installation, 'The Social Health Club.' For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Freshly conceived, but rooted in the artist's past works, the yellow-drenched installation offers a layered, sensory experience — and sharp cultural commentary — as well as a first for the artist: a live-performance element. Jeddah-based Alamoudi is known for creating immersive multimedia installations drawing from and exploring the complex dynamics of her evolving homeland. 'The Social Health Club' is built around pieces found in Jeddah's Haraj market in 2018 — a range of exercise equipment including a rowing machine. 'These are pieces I collected from thrifting. I like the fact that no instructions came with the machines — I don't have their name or the source of where they came from or who made them. But they've become part of the urban landscape that I've been in. And I was trying to create fun within the space,' Alamoudi told Arab News. In 'The Social Health Club,' the equipment, painted predominantly in vibrantly-saturated monochrome yellow, stands untouched, serving as symbols of a culture obsessed with self-optimization. At the core of the installation is a cameo from a yellow-painted iron previously featured in her 2020 video work 'Makwah Man.' (Makwah means iron in Arabic.) 'A lot of my pieces stem from a narrative I create within a video. In 'Makwah Man,' this man wearing a yellow thobe is ironing a long piece of yellow fabric in the middle of the desert. And as he's ironing, he tells us how to live our lives. But in the process of him telling us how to live our lives, he also starts questioning his own in the process — understanding the role of power, understanding the pressure of change, adaptation,' Alamoudi explained. 'The yellow exists within the video piece, but he's also wearing yellow thobe in the video piece. And (in this iteration at Art Basel) there's also a rack of yellow thobes twirling in the exhibition. For me, the yellow thobe is like a unifying symbol. I'm trying to say that we're all experiencing this in different ways. So in the performance (for 'The Social Health Club') a man (a local body builder) in a yellow thobe will be performing on these machines. He has no rule book. He doesn't know anything; he doesn't know how to 'properly' use the equipment. He's going to go into the space and do things with the machines. 'The performance will be recorded. But I think it's more like an activation,' she continued. 'It's not the piece itself. The piece itself exists as the machines.' 'The Social Health Club' was shaped through close collaboration with curator Amal Khalaf, who combed Jeddah's market with Alamoudi in search of 'machines that were a little bit abnormal, like not your typical machines that people would directly know what it is in the gym,' Alamoudi said. 'She's quite incredible,' she continued. 'And we really built the space together. Essentially, the main thing that I created was the video; everything else was built off of that. She really helped. She really looked at social change and how we navigate that. Our collaboration was perfect.' Yellow dominates every inch of the piece—deliberately and intensely. 'I obsess over symbols within certain works I create. And with that also comes a color,' Alamoudi said. 'I wanted to showcase something that was luxurious, colorful, almost like gold, but it's not gold. It's quite stark in its appearance.' Yellow is both invitation and warning. 'I think that yellow is also quite deceptive. I like it as a color to get people excited to come closer and see what's happening, but at the same time question what it is — it's so aggressive that it becomes a bit uncomfortable.' The viewer's interaction is critical to the piece's meaning. 'I think the machines represent something and they carry something, but they really are activated by the people — what people are doing with them,' Alamoudi said. 'And that's why I'm encouraging a lot of viewers to engage with and use the pieces, or try to use them without any instruction. A lot of people entering into the space (might) fear even touching or engaging with them. Having the performer there activating the structures is going to add another layer to the piece itself.' She hopes visitors feel free to explore, unburdened by expectations. 'People are meant to use it any way that they want to use it. They can sit on it, stand on it, touch it — they can leave it alone,' she concluded with a laugh.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Basel Social Club: A Former Bank Becomes The City's Most Immersive Art Space
Every June, Basel turns into the center of the global art world. But just a few streets away from the polished booths and museum-scale shows, something a little looser, more experimental, and more personal takes place. Basel Social Club, now in its fourth year, isn't a traditional exhibition. It's an experience you walk into and end up staying longer than planned - not because you have to, but because you want to. MMMM, 2009 by Maia Naveriani Nel-Olivia Waga From June 15 to 21, 2025, more than 100 rooms of a former private bank at Rittergasse 25 in Grossbasel are open to the public for the first time. It's a place with history, quiet, imposing, built for storing money and secrets. Now it's filled with art, sound, movement, and people. Thus, this year's theme - value, exchange, and trade - feels especially fitting. What used to be a symbol of wealth is now a stage for sharing: ideas, rituals, stories, and new ways of thinking about worth. What not to miss: In one of the former boardrooms, TASONI, the distinctive fashion and design concept store founded by Taya and Tary Sawiris, has set up an unexpected and immersive space. For over a decade, Tasoni has championed independent creators, making its collaboration with the Basel Social Club a natural convergence of creative forces. The space, designed by Damian Fopp, is a harmonious interplay of TASONI's signature fashion pieces, a sound experience by Jan Vorisek, and site-specific art installations. TASONI Pop Up at Basel Social Club FLAVIO KARRER The artworks on display, created by Jasmin Gregory, Mitchell Anderson, Lorenza Longhi, Fabian Marti, and Urban Zellweger, reflect the same roster of artists behind the exclusive merchandise collection. For the first time, visitors can also shop Basel Social Club merchandise, including limited-edition shirts, tote bags, and caps created in collaboration, with subtle nods to the club's past locations: Farm, Villa, Factory, and Bank. TASONI Pop Up at Basel Social Club FLAVIO KARRER Throughout the building, works by Sylvie Fleury appear: neon signs, small sculptures, objects that don't shout for your attention but make you think twice. Her work often plays with the idea of luxury and how we define it. Here, in a space once used to manage money, her pieces ask: What is actually valuable? Basel Social Club: Bijoux Solaires by Sunsworks Set inside a former Swiss bank vault, Bijoux Solaires is a glinting, time-bound treasure room curated by Sunsworks. Jewelry and artworks by artists including Meret Oppenheim, Cinzia Ruggeri, Olympia Scarry, and Zoé Mohm are displayed for sale—each piece balancing rarity with irreverence. Bijoux Solaires by Sunsworks Basel Social Club As you enter, you turn your own sand clock. Each guest is given five minutes to explore the space, adding a quiet tension to the encounter. Time becomes a personal measure—of attention, desire, and decision—in this surreal and shimmering highlight of Basel Social Club. Bijoux Solaires by Sunsworks Sunsworks In a quieter part of the building, Pamela Rosenkranz creates a room that feels more like a mood than a message. Shifting lights, soft colors, and synthetic materials make the space feel strange but calming. You don't need to 'get' the piece - you just feel it. And that's the point. Wishing Well by Remco Torenbosch In Wishing Well (2012–ongoing), Remco Torenbosch turns a fountain in the heart of a financial district into a quiet act of reflection. Visitors are invited to toss in a coin—an ordinary gesture that suddenly feels loaded when placed within the context of global finance. By bringing myth and market into the same frame, the work asks what we believe in when we place value - money, hope, or something in between. Recovery Zone by KEEN Wellbeing In a week full of movement, meetings, and overstimulation, KEEN Wellbeing introduces a space to slow down. Their Immersive Recovery Zone brings together ancient rituals and modern recovery practices, offering a chance to reset both body and mind. Guests can book a 30-minute session with guided breathwork, an ice bath, and a sauna- designed to help you pause, recover, and recharge. KEEN Wellbeing Room at Basel Social Club Nel-Olivia Waga The former private bank Vontobel building is being brought back to life through FOR ART, a multi-year cultural project by Swiss artist and curator Klaus Littmann (yes, the one who once planted a forest inside a football stadium). The goal: to turn this empty bank into a space for creativity, experimentation, and conversation. One room hosts a blood donation station, run by the Swiss Red Cross. Others are filled with scent installations, wellness practices, slow performances, food, light, and sound. Some rooms are quiet. Others are chaotic. You wander, you pause, you come back later. It's open daily from 2 pm to midnight. Admission is free. What makes Basel Social Club different isn't just the art, it's the vibe. You're not rushed. No one tells you where to go or what to look at. You find your way. Some people come alone. Others bring friends - or their kids (there's even a kids programme including fairy tale readings). Some stay for five minutes, others for hours. You don't need to understand everything. You just need to be open to what you'll find. In a week packed with VIP lists, openings, and schedules, this place offers something rare: time. Space. A way to connect to art without the pressure.
Arab News
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi presents ‘The Social Health Club' in Basel
RIYADH: This month, Saudi artist Ahaad Alamoudi is turning up the heat at Basel Social Club — which runs until June 21 in the Swiss city — with her latest installation, 'The Social Health Club.' For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Freshly conceived, but rooted in the artist's past works, the yellow-drenched installation offers a layered, sensory experience — and sharp cultural commentary — as well as a first for the artist: a live-performance element. Jeddah-based Alamoudi is known for creating immersive multimedia installations drawing from and exploring the complex dynamics of her evolving homeland. 'The Social Health Club' is built around pieces found in Jeddah's Haraj market in 2018 — a range of exercise equipment including a rowing machine. 'These are pieces I collected from thrifting. I like the fact that no instructions came with the machines — I don't have their name or the source of where they came from or who made them. But they've become part of the urban landscape that I've been in. And I was trying to create fun within the space,' Alamoudi told Arab News. In 'The Social Health Club,' the equipment, painted predominantly in vibrantly-saturated monochrome yellow, stands untouched, serving as symbols of a culture obsessed with self-optimization. At the core of the installation is a cameo from a yellow-painted iron previously featured in her 2020 video work 'Makwah Man.' (Makwah means iron in Arabic.) 'A lot of my pieces stem from a narrative I create within a video. In 'Makwah Man,' this man wearing a yellow thobe is ironing a long piece of yellow fabric in the middle of the desert. And as he's ironing, he tells us how to live our lives. But in the process of him telling us how to live our lives, he also starts questioning his own in the process — understanding the role of power, understanding the pressure of change, adaptation,' Alamoudi explained. 'The yellow exists within the video piece, but he's also wearing yellow thobe in the video piece. And (in this iteration at Art Basel) there's also a rack of yellow thobes twirling in the exhibition. For me, the yellow thobe is like a unifying symbol. I'm trying to say that we're all experiencing this in different ways. So in the performance (for 'The Social Health Club') a man (a local body builder) in a yellow thobe will be performing on these machines. He has no rule book. He doesn't know anything; he doesn't know how to 'properly' use the equipment. He's going to go into the space and do things with the machines. 'The performance will be recorded. But I think it's more like an activation,' she continued. 'It's not the piece itself. The piece itself exists as the machines.' 'The Social Health Club' was shaped through close collaboration with curator Amal Khalaf, who combed Jeddah's market with Alamoudi in search of 'machines that were a little bit abnormal, like not your typical machines that people would directly know what it is in the gym,' Alamoudi said. 'She's quite incredible,' she continued. 'And we really built the space together. Essentially, the main thing that I created was the video; everything else was built off of that. She really helped. She really looked at social change and how we navigate that. Our collaboration was perfect.' Yellow dominates every inch of the piece—deliberately and intensely. 'I obsess over symbols within certain works I create. And with that also comes a color,' Alamoudi said. 'I wanted to showcase something that was luxurious, colorful, almost like gold, but it's not gold. It's quite stark in its appearance.' Yellow is both invitation and warning. 'I think that yellow is also quite deceptive. I like it as a color to get people excited to come closer and see what's happening, but at the same time question what it is — it's so aggressive that it becomes a bit uncomfortable.' The viewer's interaction is critical to the piece's meaning. 'I think the machines represent something and they carry something, but they really are activated by the people — what people are doing with them,' Alamoudi said. 'And that's why I'm encouraging a lot of viewers to engage with and use the pieces, or try to use them without any instruction. A lot of people entering into the space (might) fear even touching or engaging with them. Having the performer there activating the structures is going to add another layer to the piece itself.' She hopes visitors feel free to explore, unburdened by expectations. 'People are meant to use it any way that they want to use it. They can sit on it, stand on it, touch it — they can leave it alone,' she concluded with a laugh.
