Basel museums prove there is life after dark

People will get to visit Basel's fine arts museum after hours. www.basel.ch

On January 18, Basel's many museums are keeping their doors open after dark, to shed light on art, science and the intriguingly peculiar.

Often overshadowed by its reputation as an industrial city, Basel has long been recognised as a city of culture – thanks to its many excellent museums, galleries and art fairs.

Nearly 30 of Basel’s museums are taking part in this year’s “Museums by Night” event, when tours and special events will be put on from 6pm to 2am.

The city’s leading museums are well represented, including the Beyeler Foundation, the Art Museum and the Jean Tinguely Museum. Of the events at the Art Museum, visitors can join a tour by torch for a dark inspection of the house’s rich collection of works by Dutch masters.

The gallery devoted to the weird and wonderful mechanical sculptures of Jean Tinguely is highlighting the humorous creations of his life partner, Niki de Saint Phalle. Films by and about de Saint Phalle will run through the entire evening.

There are many unexpected surprises in store for visitors making the most of the night to wander through some of Basel’s lesser-known museums.

The Anatomical Museum will demonstrate how specimens are prepared for exhibition, and there will be a midnight talk on the mysteries surrounding the world’s oldest specimen of a skeleton.

A journey to ancient Greece for a wine tasting is set to be one of the most popular events at the Classical Antiquity Museum while design and art schools will be on hand at the Paper Mill to give fashion shows highlighting – what else – paper clothes.

There will be live flamenco and classical Indian concerts at the Music Museum and shadow puppet workshops for children at the Museum of Cultures.

The Natural History Museum will give demonstrations dedicated to the life of a truly nocturnal creature, the scorpion.

The History of Pharmacy Museum at Basel University is letting visitors help solve a murder mystery, after someone is found poisoned to death.

A ticket granting entrance to all of the participating museums costs SFr20 and includes shuttle bus transport operating between all the locations. Children, teenagers and adults under the age of 25 get in for free.

swissinfo