BANKSY EXHIBIT • TROPICAL GARDENS • FREIE STRASSE MAKEOVER • SWISS WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE Volume 9 Issue 6 CHF 6 6 A Monthly Guide to Living in Basel March 2021 2 Basel Life Magazine / www.basellife.com LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, Like every year, March meets us with a sense of renewal with its warmer temperatures, increased daylight hours, and the start of the blooming season, which in Switzerland March 2021 Volume 9 Issue 6 includes crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, wisteria, cherry trees, and the magnifi- TABLE OF CONTENTS cent magnolia trees. This year, however, March will hopefully also bring another form of renewal with the long-awaited, albeit careful, lifting of some of the coronavirus-related restrictions, including the opening of shops, museums, libraries, zoos, botanical Events in Basel: March 2021 4–9 gardens, outdoor sports facilities, and other such venues. As announced on February 17, most of the current restrictions will not yet be lifted at the Fun Outings: Beyond Basel 10–13 end of February as originally anticipated, forcing us at Basel Life Magazine to once again discard nearly half of the already laid-out March issue. This revised and slightly short- ened version is nonetheless filled with information about what is happening this month Calendar: March 2021 14–15 in Basel, including some very inviting new or re-opened museum exhibits. The topics of these exhibits range from the works of British artist Banksy and cartoonists’ views of big cities to 3000 years of Egyptian culture, the history of Basel’s pharmaceutical industry Information Desk: Pregnancy & Postpartum Fitness 16–17 and of Mercedes Benz cars, and Jean Tinguely’s do-it-yourself art machines, to name just a few. Inside Basel: Construction Projects 2021 18–19 Also, rather than cancel their events altogether, some organizers are opting to hold their events without an audience and live-stream them for all to appreciate. This way, you can enjoy symphony concerts, music composition competitions, story times, first aid and 20–21 Workshops, Tours, and Education theater workshops, and sporting events like the Yonex Badminton Swiss Open. Even Basel’s annual apprenticeship fair will be taking place in an online format this year! Health Matters: Nutrition Labels 22 If you have been aching to go somewhere warm this winter, but the pandemic has prevented you from getting on a south-bound plane, check out our “Beyond Basel” section to discover how you can enjoy that tropical feeling in some of Switzerland’s trop- Did You Know…? 23–27 ical gardens or houses. If, on the other hand, you are not quite ready to hang up your snowsuit for the season, you can also read about some additional ideas for cool winter Mark Your Calendar: April 2021 27 fun, such as a “Mario Kart-type” sledding run, snowbiking, and dogsledding. In addition to these suggestions, this issue is packed with information and tips about life in Basel. You can get some practical information on recycling, new parking rules, the ins Ticket Office: Get Your Tickets Now! back page and outs of Swiss nutritional labels, safe exercising during pregnancy and after birth, and Switzerland’s new paid paternity leave, or learn about the 50th anniversary of women’s suffrage in Switzerland; the 10th anniversary of Basel’s Technologiepark; and how nearly 30 years ago, you could get across the Rhein in Basel by gondola! You can also discover what major construction plans are in store for Basel this year, including the complete makeover of Freie Strasse, or learn about Basel’s milkman service, wild garlic, rules for street musicians, and so much more. With a little luck, patience, and perseverance, we will hopefully soon see a return to a more “normal” life with a re-opening of restaurants, cafés, bars, cinemas, concert venues, casinos, fitness centers, swimming pools, etc. Meanwhile, continue to respect social distances, carefully and frequently disinfect your hands, and wear a mask around people from other households. Check out our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ basellifemagazine) for up-to-date information about cantonal/federal decisions and other important news. Remember that things may still change following the publication of this issue, so please be sure to check the provided websites before heading out to avoid any unforeseen closures! Wishing you a magnificent March! Basel Life Magazine Staff: Editor-in-Chief: Christine Pesold Christine Pesold Advertising & Subscription Manager / Editor: Susanne Hiller Cover: In late March, trees in Basel are starting to flow- er with beautiful blossoms. Among the first are the Design & Print: magnolia trees that typically start blooming towards the PRINTHOUSE by jobfactory, Basel end of the month. You can find them all over town, but some especially beautiful specimens grow in front of the For more information about subscribing or advertising – please contact us: Pauluskirche. The spectacular purple flowers of the [email protected] wisterias also begin to appear towards the end of March. You can find them in many locations in Basel, particular- www.facebook.com/basellifemagazine ly along Feldbergstrasse. Another highlight are the www.basellife.com plentiful cherry trees, particularly in Baselland. BASEL LIFE MAGAZINE / BASEL FAMILY GmbH © Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. It is our goal to provide valuable, timely information to our readers. The opinions expressed in the articles in this magazine are those of the contributing authors and do not reflect those of other members of the editorial staff and of any organizations or agencies distributing this magazine. Though we make every attempt to provide accurate information, we cannot be held respon- sible if any event is cancelled, postponed, or modified. We encourage readers to contact the event organizers or their websites to obtain the most current event information. Please note: No part of this periodical may be duplicated in any fashion, or redistributed in any written language, without permission from the executive staff at Basel Family GmbH. If you have any questions, contact Basel Family GmbH staff at: [email protected]. photo credit: © susanne hiller (cover, page 3) May 2020 3 EventsEvents in in Basel: Basel: March February 2021 2015 (continued) Banksy—Building Castles in the Sky March 1 – May 30 This temporary exhibit at the Messe Basel—labeled as “an unauthorized exhibition”—will bring together more than 100 original works and objects of the British artist who goes by the name of Banksy that represent his entire oeuvre. They reflect 20 years of activity, from the paintings of the very first phase of his career to the prod- ucts of the last year, including works that come from Dismaland, such as the sculpture “Mickey Snake,” with Mickey Mouse swallowed by a python. Banksy’s visual language is simple but not elementary, with messages that explore the themes of capitalism, war, social control, and freedom in a broader sense and within the paradoxes of our time. For the first time, an exhibition examines Banksy’s images within a semantic framework that examines their origins and references. Completing the exhibition are several posters, “Banksy of England” banknotes, some rare t-shirts, and vinyl cover designs. The artist known as Banksy is in no way involved in this exhibition; the works shown all come from private collections but are certified and authentic. This temporary exhibition will take place at Halle 5 of the Messe Basel; they are open 10:00–18:00 on Monday to Friday and 10:00–19:00 on weekends and holidays. Tickets are CHF 24 for adults, CHF 21 for students, CHF 16 for children ages 5–15, and CHF 63 for fam- ilies (2 adults and 2 children); they can be purchased online. www.banksybasel.ch Pharmacy Museum Egypt. 3000 Years of Top Culture on the Nile It is no secret that Basel has a long Starting March 1 history in the field of pharmaceutical The Antikenmuseum Basel has the richest and most diverse collection of research and industry, so it is fitting Egyptian art in Switzerland. The newly designed Egypt exhibition, in which that one of its many museums is a 600 objects are staged in immersive, multimedial, and interactive displays, Pharmacy Museum! The Pharma- takes visitors into the mysterious land of the pharaohs in six themed areas. ziemuseum Universität Basel pres- A children’s course invites you to discover and reflect and offers exciting ents the history of remedies and how entertainment for young and old. they were produced. Founded in 1925 by Professor J. A. Häfliger as a uni- www.antikenmuseumbasel.ch versity study and reference collection, the museum has been preserved in its original form as a scientific gallery to the present day. From carbonized squirrels to powdered mummies, the extensive collection of medicinal Katja Aufleger. GONE substances from all over the world used in times past illustrates the variety Until March 14 of ways in which disease was perceived and the healing approaches taken The Museum Tinguely is pre- over the ages. The exhibition includes two historical laboratories: an alche- senting works by the Ber- mist’s workshop that houses originals from the 16th and 17th centuries and lin-based multimedia artist bears witness to the quest for the Philosopher’s Stone, and the apothecary’s Katja Aufleger (*1983 in Ol- laboratory from the period around 1800, where the most important work was denburg). With her works, the manual preparation of medicinal herbs. The furnishings from three his- she seeks the simultaneity of torical pharmacies represent the changes that have occurred over the cen- possibilities to pose existen- turies: The lavishly decorated court pharmacy from Innsbruck was built tial questions—sculptural around 1755. Another pharmacy from around 1820 presents itself in the and filmic, visual and audito- classical Empire style.