Mitmach-Mittwoch

For young people aged 14 and over
Every Wednesday from 5–8 p.m.

Meeting point: Hauptbau, studio, St. Alban-Graben 16, Basel
Free participation and without registration

Your museum! Every Wednesday evening, the Kunstmuseum Basel makes room for your ideas. Would you like to upcycle your clothes? Would you like to try out virtual reality or screen printing? Or would you like to use the museum as a space for your own creative project? Here you can experiment, help design and exchange ideas with others.

Current dates & monthly topics

December: Collecting, Organizing, Archiving
As the year draws to a close, we reflect together on what we want to carry into the new year and what can be left behind. What do you collect, and why? What criteria determine whether something stays in your personal archive? Together, we lay out, organize, assemble, and discuss the museum as a collection space.

January: Experiments with Image Supports
This month, we swap pencils and paper for unconventional image supports and application techniques. Whether it’s wood, fabric, or everyday objects, we’ll experiment together to see how these surfaces can be painted, scratched, played upon, dripped, or splattered, exploring modern and contemporary art beyond the canvas.

February: Relief
When is a picture still a picture? At what point does it become three-dimensional and turn into an object? In February, we explore the boundaries of the image, transitioning into sculpture. Using clay, plasticine, plaster, or paste, images become space and can ultimately even be read by touch.

March: City and Urbanity in Transition
What does "city" mean to you? Do you find Basel urban? Together, we will discuss different ideas of public space and explore artistic interpretations of urban environments.

April: In Search of Realism
Can art depict reality? Or is it an expression of the artist's subjective perception? What tricks can be used to deceive viewers? In April, we will delve into questions of truth, art, and artificiality in the collection and in our studios.

May: Period, Cycle, and Series
Why did the artist Pablo Picasso switch from his blue to his pink period? What makes a series a series? Together, we will examine the collection for cycles, series, and formal connections, and approach the topic practically in the studio.

June: Sculpture
Have you ever wanted to be part of an artistic installation or pose as a model? From all angles, we will explore figures, installations, and objects, as well as their materials, sizes, and production. We will work with found materials, plaster, wood, or clay. Whether your artwork fits on a pedestal or not is entirely up to you.

July: Patterns and Repetition
Where in the art museum can certain shapes be found repeatedly? When do repetitions become a pattern and an aesthetic rule? Together, we will embark on a search through the museum and design basic elements for our own patterns in the studio, using stencils or stamps to replicate them endlessly.

Past Agenda & Monthly Topics

January: Space & Shell
What do my feet touch? What do my eyes sense? We explore the farthest corners of the art museum, compare the materials and spatial structures around us, and take a look behind the scenes of the building.

February: Impressed!
Armed with potatoes, cardboard, milk cartons, and your ideas, we get started! We color, print, and multiply. Patterns, unique pieces—anything is possible.

March: Conflict
What do we mean by conflict? From internal disagreements to arguments with a friend to devastating wars, we use the same word. Together, we explore the concept of conflict and engage with it artistically.

April: Faces and Identities
What defines our outward appearance? How does our outward appearance relate to our inner self and our self-image? This month is all about identities, faces, masks, and costumes.

May: Naturally, Plants!
Spring shifts our focus to nature: the plant world awakens from its winter slumber, and greenery begins to sprout everywhere. Accordingly, May will be filled with green themes.

June: Could it be a little less?
Reduction is the magic word. What worked in the 1960s and 70s is even more relevant in today’s world of digital overstimulation. We practice the art of omission and train our eyes to notice the extraordinary in everyday moments.

July: Let there be light!
How can light be shaped, colored, or blended? We experiment with light as a material and explore its effects on our perception.

August: Zoom In – Zoom Out
Where shall the journey take us? Into hidden microcosms or to the ends of the earth? We examine the contrasts between near and far, exploring familiar and unfamiliar territories.

September: Empowerment
What gives you courage? Where do you find the energy to face challenges? What powers can be unleashed through solidarity and collective exchange? We seek artistic strategies for self-empowerment, alliances among artists, and the interplay of art and activism.

October: Text, Poetry, Typography
Whether lettering on canvas or poetry inspired by art—October focuses on the written and spoken word. We write, compose, and perform in the museum and alongside its works.

November: Inner Worlds
This November, our participatory Wednesday takes us on an inward journey: What moods and emotional worlds do the artworks in the collection convey? In the studio, our own inner lives take center stage, paired with the question of the image as a potential “path outward.” We express our thoughts, create landscapes of the soul, and map our emotions.

With Katharina Anna Wieser, Mauro Berther, and Wolfgang Schneider.

Any questions?
+41 79 376 43 05

With the kind support of

Next dates

Wed 8 Jan

WORKSHOP

HAUPTBAU Atelier
17:00–20:00

Mitmach-Mittwoch: Experiments with Image Supports

Your museum!

This month we exchange pen and paper for unconventional backgrounds and application techniques. Every Wednesday. Age: From 14 years. Participation free of charge, no registration.

Wed 15 Jan

WORKSHOP

HAUPTBAU Atelier
17:00–20:00

Mitmach-Mittwoch: Experiments with Image Supports

Your museum!

This month we exchange pen and paper for unconventional backgrounds and application techniques. Every Wednesday. Age: From 14 years. Participation free of charge, no registration.

Wed 22 Jan

WORKSHOP

HAUPTBAU Atelier
17:00–20:00

Mitmach-Mittwoch: Experiments with Image Supports

Your museum!

This month we exchange pen and paper for unconventional backgrounds and application techniques. Every Wednesday. Age: From 14 years. Participation free of charge, no registration.

Wed 29 Jan

WORKSHOP

HAUPTBAU Atelier
17:00–20:00

Mitmach-Mittwoch: Experiments with Image Supports

Your museum!

This month we exchange pen and paper for unconventional backgrounds and application techniques. Every Wednesday. Age: From 14 years. Participation free of charge, no registration.

Wed 5 Feb

WORKSHOP

HAUPTBAU Atelier
17:00–20:00

Mitmach-Mittwoch: Relief

Your museum!

In February, we explore the boundaries of the image, transitioning into sculpture. Every Wednesday. Age: From 14 years. Participation free of charge, no registration.

Wed 12 Feb

WORKSHOP

HAUPTBAU
17:00–20:00

Mitmach-Mittwoch: Relief

Your museum!

In February, we explore the boundaries of the image, transitioning into sculpture. Every Wednesday. Age: From 14 years. Participation free of charge, no registration.

Wed 19 Feb

WORKSHOP

HAUPTBAU
17:00–20:00

Mitmach-Mittwoch: Relief

Your museum!

In February, we explore the boundaries of the image, transitioning into sculpture. Every Wednesday. Age: From 14 years. Participation free of charge, no registration.