Art Basel Unlimited

For Art Basel Unlimited, Stephen Friedman Gallery presents ‘The Hunter’s Dream’ by Venezuelan artist Juan Araujo. Drawing on the Fondation Beyeler in Basel as its inspiration, the installation explores the relationship between Renzo Piano’s architecture and Ernst Beyeler’s collection of indigenous African art. The paintings and projections are housed in a bespoke pavilion designed by Araujo to replicate the museum’s modernist structure. Since moving to Portugal from Venezuela, Araujo has become fascinated with the genesis of modern and postmodern architecture in Europe, and how these ideals travelled across the Atlantic to influence the development of 20th century Latin American architecture. Looking at the significance of Renzo Piano in the history of postmodern architecture, Araujo was particularly struck by the Fondation Beyeler and the synergy between the building, art, and the surrounding landscape. 

Juan Araujo (born 1971 in Caracas) has pursued over the last 20 years a highly personal investigation of the history of Western culture, art history and modernism by making hyper-realistic paintings based on found images. Araujo lives and works in Porto, Portugal.