As the concept of art expands, a way of seeing arises that no longer categorizes art strictly according to epochs and genres but instead perceives it as a simultaneous whole. “Crossover” now describes more than just an art practice: it encompasses the perception of art in general. In this respect, the collection of Richard and Ulla Dreyfus-Best in Basel is doing groundbreaking work: both opulent and austere, it adheres to a principle that relies on the originality and quality of its works as well as on their “stylish style.” This has resulted in a cabinet of curiosities containing visual worlds and spaces whose artificiality seems to fathom the depths of every form of art possible. For instance, a rare aeolipile from the twelfth century can be found alongside curios from nature; secular artifacts are contrasted with works of ars erotica and ars religiosa; masterful drawings from the Baroque era harmonize with Surrealist paintings, and Mannerist fantasies with Symbolist works. (English edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3743-2) Artists featured (selection): Hans Baldung Grien, Hans Bellmer, Arnold Böcklin, Victor Brauner, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Angelo Caroselli, Giorgio de Chirico, Francesco Clemente, Salvador Dalí, Monsù Desiderio, Gustave Doré, Max Ernst, Frans Floris, Johann Heinrich Füssli, Maarten van Heemskerck, Jan van Kessel, Alfred Kubin, René Magritte, Man Ray, Gustave Moreau, Richard Oelze, Bartholomäus Spranger, Yves Tanguy, Andy Warhol Exhibition schedule: Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, May 23–August 31, 2014 | Kunstmuseum Basel, September 20, 2014–January 4, 2015 | Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris, March 20–July 20, 2015
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