"Where Should I Look?" Crowds in Bikinis Flock to Masterpieces... Who Are These Visitors?

Cezanne's 'Bathers' Exhibition
Admission Fee Waived for Visitors in Swimsuits

An art museum in Switzerland held a unique event by waiving the admission fee for visitors who entered wearing swimsuits.

According to AFP in early May, the Beyeler Foundation Museum on the outskirts of Basel, Switzerland, hosted a special event on the 1st (local time) in celebration of the exhibition of French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne’s ‘Bathers’ series. For one day only, visitors who entered wearing swimsuits were exempted from the 25 Swiss franc (approximately 47,000 won) admission fee.

On the 1st (local time), at the Beyeler Foundation Museum on the outskirts of Basel, Switzerland, visitors wearing swimsuits are admiring "The Bathers" at the Paul Cézanne exhibition. Photo by AP, Yonhap News Agency

Inside the museum, unusual scenes unfolded: a young woman in a black swimsuit with a towel draped over her shoulders admired the artwork, while a man wearing only orange swim trunks and no shirt closely observed the brushstrokes.

Julien Longdez, a 34-year-old Swiss graphic designer, told AFP, “It’s a somewhat absurd yet bold idea, but I like it.” He added, “I had already seen the exhibition, but I decided to take part again to fit this new concept.” He also remarked that visitors in swimsuits “looked like part of the exhibition itself inside the museum.”

In the museum’s garden, visitors enjoyed sunbathing on the lawn and around the pond. Lionel, a 53-year-old HR manager wearing a colorful bikini, described it as “a unique experience,” adding, “I kept looking around to see if other visitors were also in swimsuits.” He continued, “It’s fun to exchange smiles when you make eye contact, but it can be a bit distracting when trying to focus on the artworks.”

Visitors are gazing at Paul Cézanne's Bathers at the Beyeler Foundation Museum on the outskirts of Basel, Switzerland. Photo by Beyeler Foundation Museum Instagram

This project, planned by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was inspired by Cezanne’s ‘Bathers’ series.

Ana Lopes, a 34-year-old architect from Portugal working in Basel, explained, “In Cezanne’s works, you can sense the organic relationship between nature and humanity. Wearing a swimsuit is also an experience of getting closer to nature, almost in a state of undress.”

The museum explained, “This initiative is a modern reinterpretation of the artist’s gaze on the human body and nature. It narrows the distance between visitors and the artworks, encourages new perspectives, and adds humor and a sense of freedom.”

From around 1870 until his death, Cezanne created about 200 pieces in the ‘Bathers’ series. This body of work is regarded as a central theme that encapsulates his artistic universe. Without a specific narrative, these works combine figures and landscapes to highlight the harmony between humanity and nature. Through color and composition, the human body is organically connected to its surroundings.

Additionally, rather than depicting the human form realistically, Cezanne reconstructed it with simplified shapes and structures to emphasize the overall balance and rhythm of the composition. This approach is considered to have had a significant influence on modern art, including Cubism.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.