M.S. Bastian
Born in 1963.
M.S. Bastian is the artist name under which Marcel Sollberger (1963) publishes. His documented work lies at the intersection of comics and painting, while also incorporating sculpture, animated film and installation.
He studied at the art schools in Bern and Biel, followed by a year of training in New York and Paris.
He began his professional career as an independent artist in 1993 and, from circa 2000, embarked on collaborations organised around specific projects. Since 2003, he has worked closely with Isabelle L.; the projects they sign together appear under the signature M.S. Bastian and Isabelle L.
The practice unfolds across registers close to comics and painting: beyond drawing, the documentation also mentions works in painting, sculpture, animated film and installation.
Several recurring projects and titles appear in the documentation: the place names Bastropolis/Bastokalypse feature in an exhibition in 2005 as well as in publications from 2007 and presentations in 2017. Documented solo exhibitions include, in particular, Paradis mystérieux at the Nouveau Musée Bienne (2014) and the Halle Nord Genève (2016). In 2017, presentations of Bastokalypse & Bastomania at the Egon Schiele Art Centrum (Český Krumlov) and an exhibition, Bastokalypse, at the Fondation Vasarely (Aix‑en‑Provence) are recorded.
His participation in group exhibitions is also documented, including Ohne Verfallsdatum at the Musée des Beaux‑Arts de Berne (2019) and Mutanten. Die deutschsprachige Comic‑Avantgarde der neunziger Jahre at NRW‑Forum Düsseldorf (1999). The bibliography includes, among other titles, 100 vues de Bastropolis / 100 Ansichten von Bastropolis, published in 2007.
Finally, the documentation notes several distinctions and grants supporting artistic creation, including grants (Anderfuhren, Louise Aeschlimann) and Swiss Federal Design Awards.
