Exhibition The unknown pioneer of modern sculpture at the Kunstmuseum Basel
His works went beyond the boundaries of classical sculpture: Kunstmuseum Basel is presenting an overview of Medardo Rosso's revolutionary oeuvre and illustrating his influence on modernism in dialog with works by other artists.
27.03.2025, 13:36
SDA
When asked who is considered the inventor of modern sculpture, many will probably answer Auguste Rodin. The Kunstmuseum Basel, in cooperation with the Museum of Modern Art in Vienna, is now bringing another name into play: that of the Italian artist Medardo Rosso (1858-1928), who was even more radical than his contemporary Rodin in bringing sculpture into the modern age.
On display in the museum are around 50 sculptural portraits and busts made of bronze and painted or wax-coated plaster, some of which are reproduced in series. They often appear to be unfinished versions of classical sculptures that have yet to be freed from their basic material.
With his works, Rosso liberated sculpture from the claim of real or heroic depictions of heroes and kings. He brought out the soul and subconscious of his models in his sculptures in an experimental way. They are often heads of children and women, but also busts or full-body sculptures that are completely liberated from classical realism.
Confrontation with icons of modernism
In the first exhibition co-curated by the new director Elena Filipovic, the Kunstmuseum Basel confronts Rosso's sculptures in a separate exhibition parcours with works by 60 artists from the past 100 years: from Rodin, Constantin Brâncusi, Edgar Degas and Alberto Giacometti to Andy Warhol, Richard Serra and Pamela Rosenkranz. This covers a range from Impressionism to contemporary trash art.
With these encounters, the museum is taking up something that Rosso himself already practiced, as can be seen in some of his many photographs on display. And it presents in an obvious way how art history has developed since the "invention of modern sculpture", as the exhibition is entitled.
The exhibition "Medardo Rosso - The Invention of Modern Sculpture" is on display until August 1.
