Eglisee

Gartenbad Eglisee: - 25th October 2025 - 15th February 2026, Basel

Name: Eglisee

Description: Metal sculpture with wire and glass fish

Dimension: Lifesize human figure; 160 cm + 30 cm fish

Position: At the side of the children's pool

The artwork idea is based on the swimming and bathing centre's name itself, where Eglisee can be broken up into two parts:

Egli: Lake fish also called Perch in English and in Perche in French
See: Lake, swimming pool, a body of water

Exhibition Guide

Historically, the name of the bathing centre comes from quite a different idea of a Forest pond with leeches, namely the "Egelsee" (on a Waldweiher mit Blutegeln, den "Egelsee"); as an artist of non-native Swiss origins, in ethnicity and languages, I related the name to some common idioms in English such as; 'fish out of water', which refers to a fish being out of it's native element. Another commonly used expression 'as a fish to water' refers to the nature of a fish existing comfortably in it's natural element.

At the edge of the pool, I imagine a bather warming up for a swim, whilst releasing a fish back into the water, as a symbolism to a kiss of life, a rebirth, a revival and a counter-intervention or reaction to humans intervening in nature's course, harvesting, consiming and over-consuming. Water is the natural element of life and vitality. For human consumption and for sporty pleasures, we remove and displace many types of organisms from their natural habitats, interrupting their life cycles and existences throuhg over-fishing. Inspired by yogic practice; in an intensive spine mobilising posture, through a back-bend, in a counter-intuitive direction, it can be possible to release tensions and blockages that may be masked, disguised and trapped in the psycho-soma. Through regular practice, this movement can offer great relief to the ageing and shrinking human being, with a release from back pain and spinal blockage.

As for the fish, in Switzerland, it is often served at the table as 'Filet de Perche' at restaurants in Suisse Romande, after crossing the Röstigraben, one can find this 'item' on German language menus as 'Eglifilet'. As a former meat-eater with pescatarian cravings, I feel that I owe it to these innocent creatures, whose lives I have taken, over so many years, in many acts of harvesting from mother earth, for my wants and desires, irrespective of life or limb of other multi-eyed beings; with hearts, minds, sensibilities and souls, perhaps as mine, I feel that I owe this memoriam to all those that 'lost their lives at sea'.

Nourishing myself at the detriment of taking innocent creature's lives, seemed so natural to grow and thrive with my own existence as an omnivore with a voracious appetite. Despite having these diversified digestive capabilities, we are living in a world challenged by the over-provisions and over-abundances of the meat and fish industries, along with the push for the ever increasing counter-positions and fadisms of the modern world with the paradoxes and plant-based diets of the global north.