Cartoonmuseum Basel is the only museum and centre of excellence in Switzerland devoted exclusively to the art of narrative drawing, be it in comics, graphic novels, comics reportage, cartoons, satirical drawings or animated films. It collects individual works, curates exhibitions and shares knowledge about the genre. The museum contributes to the debate about the art of narrative drawing, and about the social and political issues it addresses.
The museum possesses a substantial collection of over 10,000 original drawings by renowned national and international artists.[1] The museum’s focus lies on curated exhibitions displaying the works of a single artist or illustrating a specific theme. The exhibitions are supplemented by a wide range of art-education activities, such as guided tours, workshops and talks.
A museum library contains primary and secondary literature on the caricature, cartoon and comic, and presents a broad spectrum of popular and alternative culture and subculture. The museum shop offers a wide range of postcards, selected monographs, cartoon books and comic books, adapted to suit the respective exhibition.
Cartoonmuseum Basel’s founder and benefactor was Dieter Burckhardt (1914–1991), an important patron from a well-to-do Basel family, who wanted to make his private collection of caricatures and cartoons accessible to a wider audience. In 1979, he founded the foundation Stiftung Sammlung Karikaturen & Cartoons, which has been managed by the larger Christoph Merian Stiftung ever since. In 1980, the first exhibition opened at St. Alban-Vorstadt 9 under the name of Karikatur & Cartoon Museum Basel.[2] The museum’s collection is enlarged on a regular basis, be it through the acquisition of selected works or the absorption of entire collections.
The museum is located on the historic street St. Alban-Vorstadt in Basel. In 1991, the foundation bought the building at St. Alban-Vorstadt 28, which was subsequently restored and extended by Herzog & de Meuron Architects.[3] In May 1996, the new Karikatur & Cartoon Museum Basel was opened to the public. In 2009, it was renamed Cartoonmuseum Basel.
