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Hi from Lac de Derborence!
What do a walking torso, a moldy frame, and a phallic shoe have in common? They all somehow explain the 69th Eurovision Song Contest.
In post-Eurovision week, I drove away from Basel, back to southern Switzerland, to give my head a deserved break in the mountains (above and underground – more on that soon!).
Away from all those milkshakes, espresso macchiatos, and poison cakes, I had to treat myself to something truly delicious – a blueberry pie.
But still, spending 10 days in the Eurovision host city, surrounded by half a million passionate fans and never-absent controversies, does leave a mark.
Before leaving the town, I revisited one of my favorite museums in Basel – the Kunstmuseum. I thought the best cure against the songs stuck in my head (many of which will surely have a short expiry date) was to reflect on art masterpieces that have been occupying our attention for centuries.
Kunstmuseum Basel, as the world’s oldest public art collection, displaying the best creatives from the Renaissance to our time, seemed the right place to go.
But then, I couldn’t help it. I saw Pablo Picasso‘s “Two Brothers” and couldn’t kick Eurovision out of my head. No, it wasn’t a toddler looking at me from the canvas. I clearly saw Red Sebastian, sadly undervalued ESC representative of Belgium, piercing me with his eyes.
From there on, it just continued. I was walking through the museum, trying to evict Eurovision acts out of my brain. The museum was responding, though: What if the contestants stayed permanently? Think Kusama meets Poland, “How Much Time Do We Have Left” sang by a seal, or Sweden‘s sauna anthem predicted more than four centuries ago!
So, that’s the background of how I came to match this year’s most memorable performances with iconic artworks from Kunstmuseum Basel.
I find some pairings disturbingly perfect. Others required more thought on the alignment.
Check out this Eurovision-museum crossover, and do let me know what you think! Some connections will do just that (make you think), but hopefully, some can also bring a smile to your face.
Have a refreshing week!
Ivan Kralj
Pipeaway.com
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