Philosopher's Zone Do we still love art?
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Feb 5, 2026 Chus Martinez, curator and art historian who runs the Institute Art Gender Nature in Basel, discusses art, politics and public life. She explores art as a civic medium that shapes shared perception. She examines institutions, accessibility and opening museums into the city. She outlines her show A Velvet Ant, A Flower and a Bird and reflects on collective sense‑making, nature and cultural plenitude.
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Perception Creates Civic Common Ground
- Art can suspend opinions and ideologies to create common ground through shared perception.
- Chus Martinez argues perception precedes language and enables civic encounters that allow coexistence despite disagreement.
Art Offers Non-Normative Experience
- Art is not normative or prescriptive about how people should live.
- Martinez says art's value lies in offering experiences outside bureaucratic control that reshape perception and coexistence.
Living Together Is Political
- Almost everything humans do has a political dimension because living together requires agreements.
- Martinez frames politics broadly as the responsibility to coexist and modify views in response to others.
