Art Basel Unlimited Performance: Atelier Van Lieshout. Joep van Lieshout reads the “Obituary”, an eulogy in honor of the unknown artist at “The Tomb of the Unknown Artist” as part of his large-scale installation “The Voyage – A March to Utopia” at Art Basel 2025 Unlimited.
Art Basel 2025 Unlimited sector. Basel (Switzerland), June 17, 2025.
00:00This is the grave of those artists who lost their lives in the eternal battle for recognition.
00:19They will turn to dust and rise from the ashes and rise up to lead us to a better future.
00:25Friends, colleagues, seekers of beauty and truth, we stand here today before a special place, not a traditional grave, but a monument, a silent witness to an unceasing struggle.
00:46This is the resting place, a symbolic last breath of those artists who gave their lives in the often merciless arena of recognition.
00:59They fought their battle with brush, sizzle, words, notes and movement with everything their soul inspired them to create.
01:10Many of them remained unheard during their earthly journey.
01:17Their genius was not seen.
01:19Their passion was not felt by the eyes and ears of their time.
01:25They told on solitude, driven by an inner fire that was sometimes the only light in their darkness.
01:34The recognition they sought, the confirmation that their work had a meaning, often remained absent.
01:42The toll this took was sometimes their very life force.
01:46Look at this monument.
01:49It's an invitation.
01:50It is the open arms for those who come after them and experience a similar struggle.
01:56A place where the physical remains of those who fully dedicated themselves to their art can find a place.
02:07A common ground, saturated with the blood and energy of the creation and pain of under-recognition.
02:19It is a question that challenges all.
02:22Will the stories of these unknown heroes of creativity be forgotten?
02:28Will their efforts have been in vain?
02:31Or will a new generation arise from their legacy?
02:35From the ashes of their unfulfilled dreams?
02:38Artists who build upon their foundation, who learn from their faith and who, through their work,
02:45indeed leads us to a better, more understanding future.
02:50Let this place be a reminder of the fragility of the artist in a world that is sometimes blind to real value.
02:59A memory of the importance of appreciation, of seeing and hearing those who lay bare their souls in their creations.
03:12But let it also be a source of hope.
03:16Hope that the sacrifices of those who symbolically rest here have not been in vain.
03:23Hope that the future generations of artists may receive recognition they deserve.
03:28And that their work may enrich the world in ways we cannot yet imagine.
03:35Today we honor their memory.
03:38We acknowledge their struggle.
03:40And we hope with all our hearts that from their ashes a future will blossom in which art and the artist receive the appreciation and the place in society they deserve.
03:51Rest softly, pioneers of imagination, your legacy lives on in the stones of this monument and in the hearts of those who will one day discover your work.
