Art Basel Unlimited: Ali Cherri

Hall 1.0 / Booth U27

For Art Basel Unlimited 2024, Almine Rech is delighted to present an installation by Lebanese artist Ali Cherri.

In the arresting video work The Watchman, the character Sergeant Bulut dutifully maintains a solitary vigil atop a remote watchtower. Night after night, Bulut scans the horizon, awaiting an enemy that never materializes – until the sudden appearance of strange lights disrupts his routine.

Through this simple narrative, The Watchman deftly deconstructs the ‘myth of duty’ that undergirds omnipresent war rhetoric. Bulut’s Sisyphean task lays bare the fundamental absurdity of such martial posturing, stripping away the veneer of heroism.

The monumental mud-sculpted ‘guardians’ of the accompanying installation are crafted from materials, subverting the normative representations of martial authority.

With The Watchman and its guardians, the artist offers a profound meditation and critique of deep-seated cultural narratives.

Unlimited Opening (by invitation only)
Monday, June 10, 2024, 4 pm – 8 pm, First Choice VIP Cardholders
Monday, June 10, 2024, 6 pm – 8 pm, Preview VIP Cardholders

VIP Days (by invitation only)
Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 11 am – 8 pm, First Choice VIP Cardholders
Tuesday, June 11, 2024, 4 pm – 8 pm, Preview VIP Cardholders
Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 11 am – 8 pm, First Choice and Preview VIP Cardholders

Vernissage Guests (by invitation only)
Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 5 pm – 8 pm

Public Days
Thursday to Sunday, June 13 – 16, 2024, 10 am – 7 pm, First Choice and Preview VIP Cardholders
Thursday to Sunday, June 13 – 16, 2024, 11 am – 7 pm

Unlimited Night
Thursday, June 13, 2024, 7 pm – 10 pm

Messe Basel
Messeplatz 10
4058 Basel, Switzerland

Tickets may be booked online here.