Bloch is back, but..

So far, no agreement has been reached on cost sharing with the logistics company that shipped Bloch from Chile to India in 2024 and caused the situation there, resulting in a re-export at the end of 2025 without achieving an import. As a result, Bloch is blocked once again, now almost at the doorstep, in the container port of Basel. Today, Tagblatt, Appenzeller Zeitung, and TVO reported on it.
Tagblatt: Link
Appenzeller Zeitung: Link
TVO (Eastern Switzerland):  Link 1 /  Link 2 

On the way home

After Bloch had been blocked for over a year, things suddenly moved fast.
If everything goes smoothly, Bloch should arrive back in Switzerland by the end of the year.

India Update

After Bloch was blocked in the port of Mumbai for almost a year due to incorrect declaration and was not allowed to be imported into India, the entire India tour was lost. At one point, the auction of the container and its contents was even threatened (see Photo), which would have resulted in a total loss. This was prevented only through lawyers and the intervention of the Swiss embassy and the consul. Thanks to everyone who helped save Bloch. 🙏

On its way to India

After years of standstill due to the pandemic and political unrest, and after several failed export attempts, Bloch finally left Antofagasta, Chile, on 18 July. After a short stop in San Vicente and a stopover in Hong Kong, the journey continues to India, where it is expected to arrive in Nhava Sheva at the end of September.

In India, a tour of almost two years is planned. It will begin with an exhibition and residency at the Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, followed by appearances at the Serendipity Festival Goa. After that, a tour to Kochi, Bihar, and Delhi is planned, with collaborations involving numerous Indian artists. To prepare this programme, a preparatory trip already took place in 2023, including visits to Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, and Delhi, and meetings with many institutions, curators, and artists.

Invitation to India

Over the past two weeks, Johannes Hedinger of Com&Com spent time in India on a research trip supported by the Swiss Arts Council to prepare the next Bloch tour. He carried out research in Mumbai, Goa, Hampi, Kochi, and Delhi. He also gave three public talks in Mumbai at G5A, in Goa at Sunaparanta, and at the Kochi Biennale. Bloch is planned to tour India for over a year, starting in Goa in autumn 2023.

Bloch in Bern

The initiators of Bloch, the Swiss artist duo Com & Com (Marcus Gossolt / Johannes M. Hedinger) are showing a selection of works from all phases of their 25 years art career as well as two completely newly developed groups of works at Gallery Bernhard Bischoff in Bern/Switzerland – among them of course also some material from the ongoing BLOCH project.

Next to a vitrine with material and emphemera from the last 11 years of the Bloch journey, there will be also the latest video summary from 2020 on view.

Bloch in Lockdown

Article in Urnäscher Nochrichte about Bloch’s lockdown in Chile and  sneak preview to its next station in India. download

Bloch @ MUCEM

The FOLKLORE Exhibition from Centre Pompidou Metz travels to MUCEM in Marseille. Due to the COVID-pandemic the opening is postpones until further notice.
The exhibition was curated by Jean-Maire Gallais and Marie-Charlotte Calafat. Next to the Bloch Project one can find works by Brancusi, Beuys, Valentin Carron, Peter Fischli, Jimmie Durham, Vasarely, Pierre Huyghe, Mircea Cantor. Paul Gauguin, Kandinsky, Jeremy Deller, Marcel Broodthaers and many others. On show is sheduled until Feb 22, 2021. (indoor photos by: François Deladerrière)

Bloch at Critical Conditions Conference

Bloch will be part of the Conference: Critical Conditions: the mind of nature. A virtual human library exploring ecology through 20 candid conversations. Nov 28-29 2020.
Join the conversations by Ursula Biemann (CH), Leonardo Buergi (CH), Aura Chandrasekhar (IND), Richard Dias (IND), Fragmentin (CH), Johannes M. Hedinger (CH), Dr. Anil Joshi (IND), Kreativkonsum (CH), Vanessa Lorenzo (CH), Marcus Maeder (CH), Simrit Malhai (IND), Robin Meier (CH), Anne-Marie Meister (GER), Dr. Jasmine Pradissitto (UK), Extinction Rebellion, Pankaj Sekhsaria (IND), Dr. Vandana Shiva (IND), George Steinmann (CH), Amit Tida (IND), Ivan Vargas (COL).

Bloch @ Centre Pompidou

Finally we made it to the great survey exhibitions „FOLKLORE“ at Centre Pompidou Metz curated by Jean-Maire Gallais. Next to the Bloch Project one finds works by Brancusi, Beuys, Valentin Varron, Peter Fischli, Jimmie Durham, Vasarely, Pierre Huyghe, Mircea Cantor. Paul Gauguin, Kandinsky, Jeremy Deller, Marcel Broodthaers and many others.
On show until Oct 4, and it comes with a great Catalogue too.