Has anyone been to MUBA in Basel? If so, what did you think about the quality and uniqueness of the art? Is it mass produced reproduction type of work or is it artist made one of a kind stuff? It is mostly two dimensional "wall art" ? Does it have functional art, like furniture?

Any info would be great as I don't want to wast my time on a Ducks and Bears show! (nick-knack crafty stuff)

http://www.muba.ch/

I am curious about the same. What is actually sold at Muba? I have never been but am cuious what to exxpect if i do go this year!

Someone gave me a ticket to go in 2010 a few weeks after I first arrived in Switzerland.

I enjoyed the free wine samples, but otherwise it was complete rubbish.

Some "ethnic" knick knacks (think of a craft market in Thailand, but at crazy expensive prices), and the rest was primarily up-market kitchen gadgets/appliances and furniture. The idea of having to pay to get into what is, in effect, a department store focussing on expensive furniture, seems stupid.

But then Basel World is very popular and it's just a collection of jewellery shops.

These things aren't for me

Well, as anything, it depends specifically on the person attending—what one person perceives as culture another perceives as rubbish!! And most things in Switzerland are expensive, as anyone can tell you who's lived here more than a day!! Here are some Muba highlights, for anyone's who's interested…
http://baselcommunity.com/basel/events/muba/

Well I am going for the first time in 6 years but that is because I am in the process of building a new house and am interested to see the demonstrations of kitchen appliances etc. If I were not immediately in the market for these large household items, it would not be worth a trip (as my sources inform me ... having not yet been myself).

You can buy tickets for 50% off at Ikea, Pratteln customer services. You are meant to be a member of their Ikea family scheme but I was not asked for my card when I bought the tickets. They are general tickets and valid for each day.

Yes, I've been a few times and is it worth it, well, It depends.....

It depends on what you want, as other have wrote it could been seen as a large department store of various household stuff. It also has a fair bit of cultural "stands" and it is on that theme, for me anyway, whether it is worth going or not. In past years there have been some great (and classic) stuff going on. Of these, 3 stand out for me:

1) the year the Swiss army turned up to show of their stuff - they even brought a helicopter and F-18 jet with them! - really cool to see up close.
2) The year SF built a full TV studio and broadcast many of their normal news programs from Basel instead of ZH. The whole studio was built so one could see inside and out everything that was going on during a broadcast - maybe a bit boring for some, but truely great for the inter geek in me
3) the year they invited (what seemed like) every model/hobby club in the Basel area. The whole of Hall 3 full of scale models of cars/train/boats/nearly anything else that could be modeled most of which where being run at some point or another....

This year nothing big on that scale, but the local tram company (BVB) are advertising that they will have a large stand to show us the future of transport in Basel (but bring indoors one of the old-timer "bar" trams )

Every year they have cultural "exchange" with another country (Thailand for example mentioned above) - This year is India (IIRC), but strangley didn't invite any of the local Indian resturents to take part food wise, instead giving that "honor" to some place from Genf

Also, NEVER pay the full price to get in - it really is not worth it, As pointed out above, places like Ikea offer discount tickets - which, if I go this year, is were I'll be getting mine.

Based on the offerings this year, I'd say Muba this year was not really worth it, but that's just my opinion. It is great to look around for a rainy afternoon if there is nothing else planned, but not sure if it is worth a long trip for.

Hope that helps

Pat

I am puzzled by this question, the "Art" thing in Basel I am familiar with is the world famous Art Basel, held every year in June. Whereas the MUBA is basically a showcase for the latest domestic appliances and furniture with some tat mixed in...

In the 20+ years I have been in Basel I have seen the overall quality of MUBA decline (especially in regards to the "guest" countries, who - I get the impression - just don't send their "A Team" out to the MUBA [but that's just my impression]) and the amount of tat offered seems to increase year after year.

Whilst one poster quite accurately pointed out that it is basically a "pay-to-enter" department store (of a most uneven quality), the MUBA does offer the following advantage:

• They have some good wines on offer at favourable prices directly from the wine dealers. Buy a case or two and you can get top notch wine at better than COOP prices (also, if you buy a case or two, the dealer will remember you and send you a free MUBA ticket the next year)
• You can get hefty discounts on furniture and appliances at the MUBA - should you be in the market for something like that (and we are not talking about veneered chipboard self-assembly flat pack furniture, either)

However,

• The entrance price has become vastly overinflated (especially when you consider that the traders also have to pay to set up at the MUBA)
• The "ethnic food" offered is neither of great choice or great quality
• It's a zoo most of the time...

Art Basel is also a "pay to enter" department store, although it's "Art" in its various permutations on sale with various Art Galleries/Dealers setting out their wares. Much is unaffordable (Damien Hirst for a cool 2 Million Chuffs anyone?), but you can find some (relative) bargains - such as a work by Wei Wei for about 6000 CHF. If you are into art (as suggested by the OP), Art Basel is probably the show to visit

Adrianlondon and Traindoctor are both right. I went yesterday with a couple of US colleagues here for the weekend. As both of them like shopping and the weather was crummy, it wasn't a bad place to spend a few hours. Fair amount of tat, unimpressive food outlets, but some of the domestic stuff was interesting in a wow, I never knew you could get a self-steaming ironing board kind of a way. Probably a good place for significant discounts if you're in the market for your own Powerplate (down from 9000 CHF to 7000 - whoopee!), fancy ecologically-unsound coffee machine or indoor sauna, that kind of stuff, but no art to be seen - with the possible exception of the twig-weaving and chainsaw-wood carving things going on in the courtyard. I don't need to do it again.

I dashed in yesterday to the MUBA to order some wine (I get two free tickets each year from the wine dealer we have been ordering from on a regular basis) and found that it really wasn't all that enticing, if truth be told.

I stopped by the guest country corner (which it really was) to pick up some bumph and was not impressed by the selection. Even the "Visit India" travel stands were not exhaustive in their selection (amazingly, the National Carrier Air India was not there - or at least it was hidden from me...). India is an fantastic and vibrant place, but that wasn't truly reflected at this year's MUBA.

As it was lunchtime I decided to eat at the "Indian Restaurant", I found it extremely poor: I had a lamb curry which came with rice, two vegtables and a poppadom (add a glass of mango lassi and it was "bye-bye 23 CHF"). The lamb was tender and had a hint of proper spicing, but no oomph or excitement, the yellow dhal was watery and tasteless, the mixed vegtable curry that I received was not only bland to the point of disappearing but it was not even cooked (raw potato and aubergine!) and the poppodom was oily. The rice - a pseudo pilau - was actually quite tasty.

India has amazing food, but you'd not think so based on this outlets cooking.

Some of the food outlets on the food floor had appealing things on offer, but those that were enticing were cram-packed.

In all, I can safely say that this year I'm really glad I had a free ticket...