A Conversation with Hannah Weinberger on Polyphonic Memories and Participatory Practices
Hannah Weinberger
MS – Your work often explores sound, space, and collective experience in immersive ways. How would you describe the core of your artistic practice, and what compels you to work with sound as a primary medium?
HW – In my works, the audience becomes often a cooperative ensemble, heightening awareness of how public spaces can foster shared experiences and individual as well as collective action. My sound works are mostly site-specific sound installations. What fascinates me about them is both their potential for transferability, their uniqueness and tenderness at the same time in relation to place and moment.
MS – In 2022, you presented “listen back / preservation” of difference at the Biennale de Lyon. Could you discuss how this immersive sound installation, which responds to visitors’ movements by playing live radio stations from former French colonies, reflects your interest in collective memory and the politics of listening?
HW – “listen back / preservation of difference” offers an immersive experience: in real time, triggered by the appearance (and disappearance) and movement of visitors, megaphone-like loudspeakers—loudspeakers similar to those installed at mosques, used to broadcast the muezzin’s sung call to prayer—play live radio stations from various geographical areas that were or still are colonised by France. Visitors can stop, observe, or let themselves be carried along by the broadcasts that are activated as they move.
As a continuously evolving artwork—site-specific and time-bound—it conceptually and artistically reflects democratic processes of negotiating shared information. The artistic intervention transforms the exhibition space into one that is never silent: a meeting point for visitors and simultaneously a space for pause, transmitting polyphonic memories from elsewhere in real time. The work was developed for the 16th edition of the Lyon Biennale and installed in the publicly accessible courtyard of the Musée d’Histoire de Lyon & Gadagne.
MS – As a co-founder of Basel Social Club, how do you see its role evolving in Basel’s cultural landscape, and what kind of dialogue are you hoping to create between artists, audiences, and the city through this initiative?
HW – Over the past three years, Basel Social Club has drawn a diverse audience—from local residents outside the art world to collectors, curators, and museum professionals. At its core, though, the space remains artist-centered.
The event takes place during Art Basel week to tap into the city’s heightened artistic momentum. Hosting it at another time would be financially unsustainable for a non-profit project that operates without long-term funding. Initially, there was no long-term plan, yet the first edition, promoted only through word of mouth, was a surprising success.
From the beginning, the Basel Social Club has been free and open to all, consciously distancing itself from institutional formats and market-driven models. While events like Art Basel are essential to the art market, we see the Social Club as an inclusive space for unmediated artistic engagement.
It doesn’t follow a fixed formula: unlike art fairs with permanent venues, each edition finds a new, unexpected location—be it a friend’s garage or an open field. This unpredictability keeps it experimental and difficult to commercialise, providing an alternative to traditional models.
The initiative coexists with fairs and institutions rather than competing with them. It promotes artistic freedom, diversity, and dialogue across a wide spectrum of practices. While we feature many artists, it’s always just a glimpse of the global landscape—there’s no exclusive shortlist.
Ultimately, the Basel Social Club aims to bridge the local and international art communities. It recognises the transient nature of Basel’s art scene during fair week and invites more inclusive exchanges between residents and visiting professionals. As a social club, it remains agile, volunteer-driven, and uncertain in its future—but its mission is constant: to offer a dynamic and inspiring space for artists and audiences alike.
MS – Having lived and worked in Basel for many years, what is your personal connection to the city, and what places, events, or art spaces would you recommend to someone visiting Basel with a passion for contemporary art?
HW – I mostly grew up here, I’m raising my kids in this city, and I feel fortunate to live in a place that is close to several countries, with a scale that makes it easy not to get lost—but also complex enough to never stop discovering.
There are many options, as we all know. I’ve selected a few below, including places that aren’t strictly linked to contemporary art, but which I find inspiring—especially for getting to know the city more deeply and appreciating the diversity of its character: Ausstellungsraum Klingental, Der Tank (HGK FHNW Campus), Fondation Beyeler, For Space, Gare du Nord, Goetheanum, Haus zum Kirschgarten, HEK (House of Electronic Arts), Hoosesagg Museum, Kunsthaus Basel, Kunsthalle Basel (Basel’s Contemporary Art Hub plus Restaurant), Kunstmuseum Basel, Pharmaceutical Museum (Pharmaziemuseum), Schluggstube, The Cloisters and Cathedral of Basel, The Schaulager, Vitra Design Museum (nearby in Weil am Rhein, Germany), Kasko.
