Art Basel, human remains in Dutch museums, Eva Hesse

The Art Newspaper’s digital editor Alexander Morrison is in Basel for the annual Art Basel fair. He talks to our art market editor, Kabir Jhala, about the atmosphere at the fair after a long downturn in the art market and underwhelming auctions last month in New York. While some major museums around the world would rather avoid the topic of returning objects acquired in the colonial period to their countries of origin, The Wereldmuseum in Amsterdam is attempting to get on the front foot, with an exhibition called Unfinished past: return, keep, or...? One notable aspect of the show is that it is not presenting any human remains. Ben Luke speaks to our correspondent in the Netherlands, Senay Boztas, about the future of human body parts in Dutch museums. And this episode’s Work of the Week is Untitled or Not Yet (1966) by Eva Hesse, which is in a new exhibition at The Courtauld in London, called Abstract Erotic. The exhibition unites Hesse with fellow sculptors Alice Adams and Louise Bourgeois. Ben talks to Jo Applin, the co-curator of the show.

Art Basel continues until Sunday, 22 June.

Unfinished Pasts, Wereldmuseum, Amsterdam, until 3 January 2027.

Abstract Erotic: Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Alice Adams, The Courtauld, 20 June-14 September; Louise Bourgeois: Drawings from the 1960s, the Courtauld, 20 June-14 September.

Summer subscription offer: get up to 50% off an annual print & digital subscription to The Art Newspaper. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/subscriptions-SUMMER25P&D?promocode=SUMMER25&utm_source=special+offer+banner&utm_campaign=SUMMER25

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.