Japanese Whispers in Basel: Luciano Castelli’s “Whispers of Japan” Exhibition and the Dance of the Soul

The deep fascination of Swiss artist Luciano Castelli with Japanese culture is taking on a new dimension. At Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger (KBH.G) in Basel, the exhibition “Whispers of Japan” — on view until 15 February 2026 — centers on the artist’s longstanding admiration that has continued since the early 1980s. The show presents previously unseen, melancholic photographs dedicated to Butoh dance in striking dialogue with works from earlier periods. Castelli’s distinctive style — shaped by gestural, powerful brushstrokes — carries traces of the past in this new selection while simultaneously forming a complex artistic body that reaches toward the future.

The spatial arrangement of the exhibition bears witness to a mesmerizing fusion of the traditional and the modern. Particularly noteworthy are the paintings executed on folding screens prepared using traditional techniques especially for this show — one of the foundational elements that define the spirit of the exhibition. Castelli does not limit himself to canvases; he conquers the entire exhibition space with a calligraphic approach, as if claiming it with his brush. This method recalls the artist’s famous performances in Berlin or the monumental, spontaneous painting of the entire interior of the SPSI Art Museum in Shanghai in 2016, deliberately pushing the boundaries of classical art presentation.

Visitors can expect an intense, atmospheric journey in which painting and architecture intertwine. Located at Spitalstrasse 18 amid Basel’s historic fabric, the exhibition continues until 15 February 2026. Luciano Castelli’s “Whispers of Japan” is not merely a visual feast; it is a profound artistic manifesto that freezes the dance of body, space, and soul in a single frame.