Dan Flavin

This catalogue dedicated to the pioneer of Minimal Art accompanies the exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Basel.

Dan Flavin began work with fluorescent light tubes from the early 1960s on; arranged in so-called 'situations', he would then further develop them into series and large-scale installations. The colours and dimensions of the materials he used were prescribed by industrial production. Flooded in light, viewers themselves become part of the works; the space, along with the objects within it, are set in relation to each other and thus become immersive experiences of art triggering sensual, almost spiritual experiences. Flavin liberated colour from the two-dimensionality of painting.

Dan Flavin: Dedications in Lights is a lavishly illustrated catalogue, in which longer research essays are complemented by more focused introductions to selected core loans and topics. It places emphasis on looking at Flavin's oeuvre in a less familiar setting; his pieces, although initially without clearly recognisable signature, frequently make reference in their titles to concrete events, such as wartime atrocities or police violence, or are dedicated to other artists - as in the work 'untitled'.