10 Questions with Karim Bassegoda - Keight

Karim Bassegoda, also known as Keight, was born in Lausanne in 1988. He lives and works in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, where his studio is located near the city of Lausanne. In 2013, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication, majoring in Graphic Design, from the Lausanne University of Art and Design (ECAL). Throughout his career, his artistic work has been exhibited in different cities around the world, granting him international exposure. In 2012, he was selected to exhibit at the 2nd Graphic Art Biennial of Szeklerland, in Romania. Following his training at ECAL, he participated in a project for Hors Pistes as part of an artist residency in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where he collaborated with industrial designers, graphic designers, photographers, artists, and artisans. The project was a success, and it was first exhibited in Ouagadougou and later in Europe, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, and Lausanne. As a finalist and exhibitor at various national and international competitions in Rome, London, Paris, Gimpo (near Seoul), Geneva, Martigny, and Lausanne, he has developed a growing interest in intercontinental artistic exchanges. He is the winner of the Alfred Latour Art Prize 2023-2024.

keight.art | @keight.art

ARTIST STATEMENT

Keight is a multidisciplinary artist who explores a variety of experiments and mediums, ranging from “traditional” art to immersive installations and digital works. His references are strongly aligned with artists known for a distinctly visual semiotic, such as Edvard Munch, the Delaunays, and Vasarely, but also with more contemporary creators who blend “graphical” and “metaphysical” dimensions, including Paul Laffoley, Alfred Latour, and Matt Mullican. Equal parts artist and designer, and both conceptual and expressionist, Keight takes the viewer on a visual journey through his unique language, peppered with references and symbolic pictograms that circumscribe his abundant yet coherent universe.

The word “Keight” evokes the image of a “trapdoor,” and through his work, he invites the audience to descend into basements or ascend into attics, uncovering the secrets of the psyche buried deep or perched high above. Beyond the formal quality of his creations, Keight invites the viewer to join in a meditative experience, expressed through pieces that represent various states of consciousness, drawing them back to their deepest feelings. Four series summarise and interconnect his exploratory vision of the inwardness necessary to achieve freedom of choice: Life, Society, Death, and Metadiscovery. Like the matrices of an ecosystem, they form four expansive “manifesto” panels that invite the audience to embrace life, reject societal attitudes, confront death, and release their energies into the global flow.

SURVIVE #1, Photography, Print on aluminum, 100 × 70 × 7.5 cm, 2013-2025 © Karim Bassegoda - Keight

INTERVIEW

How did your background in graphic design at ECAL influence your transition into multidisciplinary art, and how do you integrate design principles into your artistic practice?

When I enrolled in the Graphic Designer program at ECAL, it seemed to be the most pragmatic option for evolving in the art world. However, throughout my journey, I quickly realized that I didn't fit entirely into predefined categories such as visual arts, photography, or design. I discovered a form of hybridity within myself, between applied design and visual arts (photography, drawing, digital art).
Thanks to my graphic design training, I gradually understood that it was possible to develop a personal visual language that deviated from traditional design frameworks. I thus explored universal forms, such as pictograms and symbolic representations, to transcribe the meditation experiences I was having at that time. These experiences, pertaining to the realm of the sensible, of inner and bodily perception, were difficult to verbalize or define precisely. Design offered me a tool to materialize and give form to these feelings, thus creating a dialogue between the intangible and the visual.

You work across a range of mediums, from traditional art to digital installations. How do you decide which medium to use for a particular concept, and what are the challenges of balancing these approaches?

The choice of medium naturally emerges based on what I wish to represent. For example, my meditation experiences belong to a sensory, bodily, and almost metaphysical order. These complex dimensions often require a mixture of differentmediums, such as photography, design, or digital painting. Through photomontage, I manage to construct an image that attempts to transcribe the lived sensation from the entire body—from head to toe—from formless to form. This process aims to rationalize through mental thought what has been experienced while maintaining a connection with the richness and depth of the inner experience. The main challenge of this approach lies in creating a singular language that is coherent with the rest of my practice, allowing my work to be understood in its entirety.

SURVIVE #2, Photography, Print on aluminum, 100 × 70 × 7.5 cm, 2013-2025 © Karim Bassegoda - Keight

SURVIVE #3, Photography, Print on aluminum, 100 × 70 × 7.5 cm, 2013-2025 © Karim Bassegoda - Keight

You've mentioned that your pieces represent states of consciousness and invite meditative experiences. How do you approach creating works that evoke these profound emotional and psychological responses?

My works translate states of consciousness deeply rooted in my body, whether physical, mental, or energetic. Each creation is akin to a cellular memory process that reconnects me to lived experiences. When the work comes to life, it becomes a materialization of the energy released by my body, forming an intimate and universal cartography. This work also explores an almost atomic dimension, translating the infinitely small of these sensations into a powerful visual narrative.

Your work is divided into themes of Life, Society, Death, and Metadiscovery. How do these themes intertwine, and how does each contribute to your overarching vision of achieving freedom of choice?

The themes of Life, Society, Death, and Metadiscovery reflect the natural cycle of human existence. We are born, shaped by social rules and customs, and as we evolve, breaches—or "metadiscoveries"—come to disturb this established equilibrium. These experiences, whether the loss of a loved one or a significant encounter, open new perspectives on reality and allow for deep introspection, questioning our certainties, and conditioning.

SURVIVE #4, Photography, Print on aluminum, 100 × 70 × 7.5 cm, 2013-2025 © Karim Bassegoda - Keight

The trapdoor is a central theme in your work. Could you elaborate on how this metaphor informs your work and guides the viewer?

The trapdoor is a pictogram I created to embody the very essence of my original artistic approach. It symbolizes the meditative state in which I immerse myself to allow sensations, feelings, physical sensations, and energetic perceptions to emerge in the body. Each experience is unique, without expectation or programming. It's impossible to predict in advancethe effect that will occur or what will emerge into consciousness. The trap, once opened, represents this opening towards the unknown, where something new manifests in the lived experience, thus translating the spontaneity and unpredictability of the introspective process.

Your references range from Edvard Munch to Paul Laffoley. How do these diverse influences shape your unique visual language, and what aspects of their work resonate most deeply with you?

My artistic influences are multiple and draw from a wide variety of works, whether visual, sonic, musical, or cinematographic. Those that resonate most deeply with me influence my practice by pointing to my primordial feelings. For example, Edvard Munch's "The Scream" finds a direct echo in my approach through the symbolism it embodies: the anguish of assuming one's own existence. It's an emotion I've experienced deeply myself, reminding me that life is marked by walls of anguish and fear that we must face and overcome to achieve greater self-knowledge.
As for Paul Laffoley, he inspires me through his geometric and esoteric constructions that attempt to represent the unrepresentable of the human psyche. His works translate a quest for meaning and interpretation of inner mysteries, which resonates with my own work of visual translation of human experience.
There are, of course, many others, like Matt Mullican, whose works explore the representation of systems of thought and consciousness, or Hilma af Klint, whose spirituality and abstract compositions open fascinating perspectives on the interconnection between the invisible and the visible. These artists, each in their own way, nourish my reflection and enrich my visual language.

Your work has been exhibited globally, from Seoul to Brussels. How do different cultural contexts influence the reception of your art, and what insights have you gained from these international exchanges?

Exhibiting internationally has given me insight into how cultural contexts influence the reception of my work. For instance, in Asia, the meditative and spiritual aspects of my art appear to resonate particularly well, while in Europe, the focus often shifts toward its conceptual and symbolic elements. These exchanges have highlighted the importance of dialogue with diverse audiences and how universal themes like life and transformation can be interpreted differently across cultures. This has deepened my perspective and inspired me to create work that transcends cultural boundaries.

Your new monograph spans over 10 years of work. What was the process of revisiting and curating your past projects like, and how does this retrospective inform your future artistic direction?

Diving back into a decade of work has been an intense and sometimes challenging process, blending reflection, difficult choices, and moments of introspection. Rewriting the texts of my experience narratives in a concise and essential French confronted me with the very essence of my approach. Selecting or deselecting certain images in favor of others required updating my current thinking while leaving behind works to which I had become deeply attached. It was a challenge but also an opportunity to clarify and refine the purpose that drives my artistic practice today.
Alexandra Pidoux, my partner, also made an important contribution by meticulously rewriting my texts. Thanks to her, my eight accounts of meditative experiences took on a more professional and synthetic form, allowing me to transmit my experiences and emotions with precision and depth. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for her unwavering support.
Pierre Starobinski, who supervised the editorial direction and whom I thank for his dedication, was a valuable asset. His keen editor's eye allowed for a rigorous and relevant selection of images, while the book's layout, which I designed, played a crucial role in highlighting both the visual content and the artistic approach as a whole.
Furthermore, I was fortunate to incorporate contributions from two renowned authors: Philippe Filliot, who wrote an enlightening preface creating a bridge between art and spirituality, and Michel Odoul, who explored in his writings the symbolism of chakras and the body, adding a coherent and complete dimension to the work. This retrospective has deeply nourished me. It reinforces today my desire to continue producing new works and collaborating with other artists or authors, as was the case for this project. I am currently introspective about envisioning the new forms my art could take while seeking to renew myself and pursue this artistic quest with authenticity and commitment.

Speaking of future projects, what are you working on now? How do you see your work evolve over the coming years?

I am currently in a period of semantic and formal research in my artistic work. Indeed, recent life experiences have made me question a lot about how we live daily in our society and where the quest for meaning becomes increasingly essential. I wish to initiate new work that I hope will engage more and more human beings to focus on the importance of human connections beneficial to the advent of love in hearts and the consciousness of being, which is crucial today for transforming our inner and outer reality.

Lastly, what is your biggest goal for 2025?

My main goal for 2025 is to exhibit in a major artistic institution, engage in a broader dialogue with the public, and strengthen the recognition of my work. Such an opportunity would also allow for more regular support from institutions, thus unlocking the necessary resources to create more and develop ambitious projects. Like many artists, the challenge remains access to stable financial resources. Today, I am fortunate to teach applied arts and multimedia in a professional school, which allows me to meet my essential needs while supporting my artistic activity. However, I dream of being able to devote even more time and energy to my practice and to extend the reach of my work through major collaborations and exhibitions.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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