Monument to a Lost Glove 1998

Installed by Ilya Kabakov in 1998 the crumpled glove lies lost, dusty, and half-buried on the gravelly-sandy soil. Like a silent choir, nine chrome-plated steel lecterns/tablets on poles stand in a semicircle around the inconspicuous garment. Engraved into the tablets are different texts just waiting to be read to stimulate musing or daydreams. The weatherproof installation makes the passer-by pause, the red glove evokes stories and memories. While the monument will remain long term in Basel, temporary versions of the artwork have already provoked ruminating at various other locations, e.g., in Paris, Lyon, or New York.

Ilya Kabakov (b. 1933 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic–now Dnipro UA–; d. 2023 in New York US) worked in diverse media ranging from painting, illustration, installation, collage, everyday objects, and text often creating site-specific monuments or “memorials.” Driving themes include living conditions and social aspects explored through elaborate environments rich in materials and fusing the everyday and the conceptual. Emigrating to the US in 1987, he mainly lived in New York, where he soon received international acclaim and numerous awards throughout his lifetime. Since 1989, he collaborated with his wife Emilia Kabakov. Monument to a Lost Glove was permanently installed in Basel in 1998.