The exhibition takes as its starting point a selection of works from the renowned ”la Caixa” Fondation Contemporary Art Collection. One of Spain’s leading private collections, it has grown steadily since the 1980s and today encompasses an exceptionally wide range of contemporary art. Through its ongoing acquisitions—including a number of large-scale installations—it has played an important role in supporting contemporary artists around the world.

The idea of presenting a selection of works from the ”la Caixa” Foundation Contemporary Art Collection through the lens of perception originated with Nimfa Bisbe, Director of the ”la Caixa” Foundation Contemporary Art Collection, and Ferran Barenblit, independent curator, former director of MACBA – Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, and chief curator of the 16th Shanghai Biennale (2027). Kunsthaus Baselland’s new home offered an ideal setting for this project. At the same time, it aligns closely with the museum’s curatorial program, which regularly highlights artistic practices from France, Spain, and South America while seeking meaningful dialogue between art and architecture and maintaining close ties with artists working in the region.

A broad selection of works from the ”la Caixa” Foundation Contemporary Art Collection is complemented by contributions from artists based in the Basel area or with longstanding ties to the canton of Basel-Landschaft. Among them are Maya Rikli, Giacomo Santiago Rogado, Hagar Schmidhalter, and Rémy Zaugg, whose works enter into dialogue with the selection from the collection.

Also opening on the museum’s upper floor is a solo exhibition by Basel-based artist and musician Yanik Soland, whose practice explores new ways of experiencing sound and music beyond listening. The exhibition is the first comprehensive presentation of his work.

Together, the invited artists—Geneviève Cadieux, Esther Ferrer, Douglas Gordon, Cristina Iglesias, Anish Kapoor, Ernesto Neto, Tobias Rehberger, Maya Rikli, Giacomo Santiago Rogado, Hagar Schmidhalter, Soledad Sevilla, and Rémy Zaugg—create a parcours through the Kunsthaus that invites visitors to navigate the galleries in new ways. The exhibition's title, Senses Enchanted, evokes the desire to move among the artworks with all the senses, almost as if riding on a wave, while allowing oneself to be moved in return.

Philosopher and psychiatrist Thomas Fuchs argues that human perception depends on our ability to situate ourselves physically in the world. Rather than relying solely on the intellect, or on the brain as the body’s central processing organ, perception requires that we place ourselves physically within a situation. One might think of extreme climbers who, season after season, gradually acclimatize to changing conditions, continually training their perception, orientation, and sense of balance under demanding circumstances. Perception can be cultivated—but it can also fade through neglect. One might hope for something similar in the context of an exhibition or museum visit: that through the direct, embodied experience of art, visitors can “train” themselves and their perception, thereby developing greater openness, agility, and resilience in the face of the sometimes extreme demands that everyday life places on each of us.