Tinguely Anniversary: Vienna Prater Ghost Train as Art Installation in Basel

For the 100th birthday of the artist Jean Tinguely, a special attraction invites you to take a ride starting Thursday. The large-scale installation, designed by artists and in the guise of a fairground attraction, is the Vienna Prater ghost train from 1935, known from the Basel Autumn Fair. It is called "Scream Machines" and is located in front of the Tinguely Museum in Basel.

Spooky Art Exhibition in Under Two Minutes

The British artist Rebecca Moss and the Swiss artist Augustin Rebetez designed the interior of the ghost train. The spooky and humorous course, about 1:20 minutes long, leads past moving sculptures and video installations.

"I was very interested in bringing together the themes of death and humor in the spirit of Tinguely," said Rebecca Moss on Wednesday to the news agency Keystone-SDA. The motif of the dance of death as well as Tinguely's installation of the same name served as inspiration. It was an exciting challenge to create artworks that the viewer only sees for a brief moment during the ride and should also be frightening, Moss and Rebetez further explained.

Viennese Technology from the Thirties in Basel

The Tinguely Museum rented the venerable ride, temporarily removed the interior, and invited Moss and Rebetez to equip the ghost train. "It is robust technology from the thirties that still works," said museum director Roland Wetzel to the media.

The train pays homage to Tinguely's work "Le Crocrodrome de Zig et Puce." The pioneer of cybernetic art erected it in 1977 at the opening of the Centre Pompidou in Paris together with Niki de Saint Phalle, Bernhard Luginbühl, and Daniel Spoerri. The installation consisted of a huge walk-in sculpture with an integrated ghost train.

What passengers can expect in detail on the "ghost ride" will not be revealed here. "Scream Machines" will be opened on Thursday evening at the birthday party in Basel's Solitude Park.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.