Installed along the Rhine on the façade of The Merian, When the sun goes away we paint the sky sends a message of hope
Art Basel and UBS are bringing stars to Basel with the new iteration of a work by Petrit Halilaj marking the 30th anniversary of the partnership between the two organizations. The Kosovo-born artist first developed the piece for Manifesta 14 in Pristina in 2022. He became aware of the stars on the roof of once-prestigious Grand Hotel through friends, but the hotel had fallen into disrepair.
‘One by one, those stars had come down,’ explains Dr. Catherine Nichols, the curator of the installation at the Hotel Merian, in the video. ‘What was once a symbol of prosperity and hope became a symbol of decline. Petrit's idea, upon discovering the stars, was to reassemble them.’ ‘This inherent optimism fits well with Petrit's work, transforming a conflict situation into one of hope,’ she continues.
The title was inspired by an essay by Njomza Vitia, a then twelve-year-old local resident of Pristina. The text, titled ‘When the sun goes away I will paint the sky’ (Kur dielli të ikë, do ta pikturoj qiellin), explored her struggle with the world of adults, as well as her optimism. Halilaj changed the ‘I’ to ‘we’ to transform the statement into a collective aspiration.
This celebration of a three-decade-long partnership between Art Basel and UBS is a compelling narrative of creativity, resilience, and shared dreams. ‘For 30 years, Art Basel and UBS have together created bold artistic projects,’ says Art Basel’s Maike Cruse, the incoming director of the Basel fair. ‘The collaboration over these 30 years between UBS and Art Basel helps us craft spaces together with artists, making their dreams come true and bringing them to reality.’
Petrit Halilaj’s When the sun goes away we paint the sky is a special commission to celebrate Art Basel's 30-year partnership with UBS. Beyond this project, UBS presents an extended series of activations at Art Basel in Basel including a talk at The Merian where Halilaj will discuss his artistic craft in conversation with curator and writer Dr. Catherine Nichols. Join us from 11am CET on Thursday June 13, 2024.
Petrit Halilaj is represented by ChertLüdde (Berlin) and Mennour (Paris).
Production
Producer & Director: Adrian Kelterborn
Camera & Editing: Genevieve Chanel Mathis
Camera: Rafael Graf
Sound: Diego Reiwald
Production: Prismago Ltd.
Art Basel
Senior Editor: Alicia Reuter  
Video Commissioner: Jeanne-Salomé Rochat