The last visit in Basel was dedicated to the Kunstalle Basel, one of the oldest contemporary art institution in Europe.  Founded in 1871 by the merge of the Society of Basel Artists and the Basler Kunstverein, collectors club, the Kunstalle was conceived, as Johann Jakob Im Hof, president of the Basler Kunstverein stated, “’ a place for the fine arts in order to stimulate, promote and spread artistic interest within our hometown as well as to foster friendly relations between artists and art lovers.”

As an independent institution, the Kunstalle went thought several financial crisis, risking bankruptcy and demolition few times, although the considerable difficulties to maintain and run the structure, the art society managed to self-fund thanks to external partners and to the fund raised from the bar and restaurant.

Walking through the exhibition rooms, currently under renovation, it was clear the evidence of several historical adaptations of the building to keep up to date.  The Kunstalle evolved according to its need, depending on what the artists want to show, depending what the directors and curators want to create, and as a consequence its architecture drastically changed in the past 15 years.