An Unexpected Spring
A selection of works by Etel Adnan, Pierre Alechinsky, Leonardo Drew, Günther Förg, Ficre Ghebreyesus, David Hockney, Samuel Levi Jones, Ana Mendieta, Hélio Oiticica, Jaume Plensa, Zilia Sánchez, Kate Shepherd, Nancy Spero, Antoni Tàpies, Juan Uslé
An Unexpected Spring ('un Printemps Inattendu'), the title of a book by Etel Adnan recently published by Galerie Lelong & Co., gathers interviews of the Lebanese-American poet and artist from the past decades. The title refers in Adnan’s own words to the mystery of poetic creation, but now also echoes how the current global pandemic has brought so much uncertainty to our lives. As much of the world’s population remains in their homes, our artists have used this period to further investigate their practices during these extraordinary times. In March from his house in Normandy, David Hockney said 'Do remember they can't cancel the Spring' in an iPad drawing he shared with the National Portrait Gallery in London. This expression of hope immediately spread through the many social networks that we have always used for connection but now more so than just four months ago. Leonardo Drew, who lives above his studio, continues to make work that plays upon a tension between order and chaos. These two descriptive words embody a sentiment many of us currently feel as we orderly follow guidelines to a safer future while wondering when the chaos will end. Spring can't be cancelled, and artists can't stop creating. We are proud to show here a selection of works, some of them recently completed, that we wish could be on view at Art Basel.