Driver injured in collision with lorry on A5 motorway
A driver was severely injured when the van he was driving hit an articulated lorry on the A5 motorway on Monday morning.
The collision, which happened early on Monday morning near Efringen-Kirchen, was partly caused by slow moving traffic as lorries waited to reach the Weil am Rhein/Basel border crossing.
Shortly before 7am, the driver of an articulated lorry swerved off the hard shoulder where he had been waiting, and crossed two lanes of traffic. A van driver approaching from behind did not see the lorry swerving in front of him and collided with its rear at full speed.
The 30-year-old van driver was severely injured but was able to free himself from the wreckage. He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being rushed to hospital.
The van was a complete write-off and had to be towed away. The lorry was repaired enough to enable it to be driven to agarage for further repairs. The A5 motorway towards South Switzerland was closed for several hours while the debris and wreckage was cleared. This led to long delays and major tailbacks a traffic was re -routed at the Efringen-Kirchen exit. The motorway was re-opened at 11am.
The cause of the accident is under investigation. A possibility that the van driver may have fallen asleep while driving has not been ruled out.
50 years of Picasso at Basel Kunstmuseum
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Kunstmuseum’s first presentation of all the Picasso works that it acquired in 1967.
This jubilee will be celebrated with an extended presentation of the Picasso collection. Moreover, the event offers a view behind the scenes of Basel’s Kunstmuseum then and now and rekindles the questions of an artistic debate from 1967 and 1968.
In 1967, Picasso’s “Les deux frères” and “Arlequin assis” were set to be sold on the international market. Thanks to a sum of six million Swiss francs granted through a referendum and a further two million francs donated by the public, the two paintings could be acquired for the public art collection of Basel. Picasso then donated four more of his paintings to Basel.
The new exhibition “Kunst. Geld. Museum. 50 Jahre Picasso-Story” (Art. Money. Museum. The Picasso Story, 50 Years Later) offers a fresh perspective of these events and focuses on the various players who were responsible for the link between Basel and its art and museums: the public, the artists, the director, the art commission, and the patrons.
Then and now
The debate over which artworks should go on display at the Kunstmuseum is still relevant, decades after the acquisition of the Picasso paintings. Artistic merit, financing, and museum interests as well as the relationship between the public and the Kunstmuseum are no less important today. The events from 1967 and 1968 are transported to the present day in “Art. Money. Museum” – for example by showing large-scale photographs by Kurt Wyss, archive materials, and of course the Picasso paintings themselves.
Furthermore, historical statements are juxtaposed with contemporary voices of museum visitors and artists of Basel. This includes a fictional talk between the museum’s former curator Franz Meyer and its present curator, Josef Helfenstein. Through various channels, a bridge from the past to current debates about art, money, and museums is created. The Picasso paintings were first presented to the public in 1968 and now also form the centrepiece of this exhibition in a context of controversy and museum-politics decisions – without losing their timelessness.
The “Picasso Story” is complemented by an events programme that underlines the dialogic nature of the project with table talks and other formats.
The collection will be on display in the main building of Basel’s Kunstmuseum from 10 March until 12 August.
Parking zones will disappear during Fasnacht 2018
The city is making preparations for the “three most beautiful days”, with Fasnacht beginning next Monday at 4am.
As with every Fasnacht, part of these preparations affects the bicycle and motorcycle zones in the city centre and along the cortège routes. Temporary signs were put up a few days ago. Bikes and motorcycles that have not been removed from the designated zones By Fasnacht will be removed by the police and their owners will have to pay a fine to get them back.
The parking zones affected by this change are fitted with special signs and barrier tape. Traffic service employees from the cantonal police will also attach information sheets to the parked bikes and motorcycles.
All collected vehicles will be kept in the “Zentraler Sicherstellungsort für Zweiradfahrzeuge” at Zeughaus. Owners can reclaim their vehicles in exchange for paying a fine of 20 Swiss francs for wrong parking as well as 35 francs for the towing service. The opening times and location of the collection centre are available here: http://www.polizei.bs.ch/was-tun/verloren-vermisst/velosammelstelle.html
Public transport is the better option
The cantonal police advises active Fasnacht participants as well as visitors to use public transportation. Parking spaces for cars will also be unavailable during certain times. Any car that is wrongly parked will be towed away too.
Watch out for pickpockets
There will be crowds in the city centre not just during the opening of Fasnacht. The cantonal police is also therefore reminding the public to take particular care of their valuables at all times. Carrying backpacks and bags during Fasnacht is not a good idea.
The police provide children’s badges this year as well. A child who loses its parents or guardians can be identified bz their name and phone number on the badge. Such badges can be obtained for free at all police stations and at Fasnacht committee information stations.