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Hi fromĀ Basel!
I’m back at the place where Alphorns resurrected everything fromĀ “Euphoria”Ā toĀ “The Code”, and evenĀ Remo ForrerĀ couldn’t help but singĀ Loreen‘sĀ “Tattoo”.
Messe Basel, a grand exhibition center whose stunning architecture, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, brought it to the cover of my article on free things to do in Basel, first hostedĀ Eurovision VillageĀ as one of theĀ ESCĀ locations.Ā But, just two weeks later, another great feast followed.
There was not much advertising around it, probably because superfans already snaggedĀ their tickets months ago. Only when I saw an elf walking down the street did I learn:Ā the Swiss answer toĀ Comic ConĀ was in town!
Fantasy BaselĀ is a festival for gamers, tech geeks, science nerds, art lovers, and, not least, thousands of cosplayers.
If you’re not familiar withĀ cosplayĀ (short for costume play), it’s the art of dressing up as characters from movies, anime, comics, video games, or other pop culture sources.
Putting a costume on is not enough;Ā cosplayers also mimicĀ the mannerisms of their favorite characters, bringing them to life.
I’ve seen many extraordinarily elaborate creations –Ā BaselĀ was definitely a European center of cosplay passion this weekend.
Whether you are intoĀ “Star Wars”,Ā “Wuthering Waves”,Ā “League of Legends”,Ā “Hazbin Hotel”,Ā “Harry Potter”, or any other major or minor fandom, Fantasy Basel was the place to find like-minded spirits.
But who am I to convince you it was an extraordinary gathering? Take a look at the gallery of visitors, and let me know if you have a favorite!
Did you ever put on a costume outside of the carnival season? (Or local money heist?)
Eight years ago, I was organizingĀ Bestiarum, back then the largest fetish feast in theĀ Balkans.
Even though that’s another story, the lesson is probably similar: there is something restorative in abandoning the usual constrictions of societyĀ and, let’s say, being aĀ Snow WhiteĀ for a day.
In these crazy times of fear, when we require people’s faces to be always visible andĀ clearly identifiable, walking around in masks shows that a world without bad intentions is still possible.
It’s probably just a short-term illusion, as laws inĀ SwitzerlandĀ doĀ ban wearing masks and helmets in public spaces.
But for these three days, an exception was made. And we allowed the universe of furries andĀ warriors,Ā “Silent Hill”Ā Pyramid HeadsĀ andĀ “Squid Game”Ā Pink Guards to spill into the streets.
Dystopian characters in a utopia where everyone can co-exist next to each other.
If that’s not a special lesson, I don’t know what is.
Have a tolerance-filledĀ week!
Ivan KraljĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Pipeaway.com
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