Ersatz und Teile refers to two curatorial studios and one exhibition platform based in Basel, Switzerland.
At one point, this project was called Soapbox. You know, the kind of tool that grants oversight and makes you stand out in a public square, usually accompanied by a megaphone and a message to spew. According to the The Great Almanach for Improvised Structures and Temporary Elevations (3rd edition, 2023, Better Material Press) a soapbox is a fickle construct. It refuses long-term elevation and, after 4 to 16 declarations (depending on the user), it either rolls itself into a corner or mutates into a podium.
In our case, the transition occurred somewhere between the 13th and 14th invocation, when the box grew a backbone and flipped into an obstinate podium. The batteries of the megaphone died, we thought. In a last-ditch effort we attempted to reach the podium, to exchange the batteries, but couldn't even get close. At this point we began to ask ourselves what interested us in a soapbox in the first place. Question: Must we always be elevated to be heard?
The podium seemed hungry for the limelight. It wanted to expand its reach, cut shady deals if necessary, and become a celebrity in the art-micro-influencer circuit. That’s when we decided to part ways. So we began looking for something other than a crate and a megaphone. No more dependence on the square, no more speeches, no more batteries. We found new homes on the other side of town, far away from the podium, and dedicated our new venture to seeking out Ersatzteile (German for spare parts) to figure out what other stable temporary structures are out there. Hopefully, this time it'll develop into a companion that doesn’t forget us along the way.
In the inaugural months, following what we call a “continental drift” inside the group, the collective achieved a state of perfect schism. By inserting the wedge of a coordinating conjunction, the und, into the heart of Ersatzteile, the parts become at once related and estranged, even as they share the same shadow. The visibility machine that lays claim to this name operates as twin entities that perform no task other than the magnificent, useless act of existing in pieces—no electricity required.
From time to time we gather spare components—artists, works, spaces, and concepts that have come loose from their original settings—and test whether they might fit together to make something interesting (what a non-descriptive word, but it’s perfect in this case).
Ersatz is run by Vers Dor, Stefan Lux, and Roelien van der Sar.
Teile is run by Gritli Brüll and Lovis Rosencrantz.
Open by appointment only, unless otherwise stated.