STAMPA gallery was founded by Gilli and Diego Stampa in 1969. From its very beginning, there has been a continuous exhibition concept of international and Swiss contemporary art, including initial presentations of Vito Acconci, John Baldessari, Miriam Cahn, Luis Camnitzer, Marlene Dumas, Valie Export, General Idea, Marcel Odenbach, Pipilotti Rist, Roman Signer, Erik Steinbrecher, Gerda Steiner & Jörg Lenzlinger as well as Rosemarie Trockel in Switzerland. The mediation of contemporary art forms a central issue in its activities, amongst others including pioneering video presentations and performances by Nam June Paik, Peter Weibel, Ulrike Rosenbach and Pipilotti Rist since the early 1970s. Archive exhibitions, book launches and interdisciplinary collaborations complete the programme. The STAMPA bookshop as an integral part of the gallery concept offers a highly specialised range of publications on art, photography, architecture and design as well as videos, artists’ books and editions.
In 2006, the Prize for Culture of the City of Basel was awarded to Gilli and Diego Stampa, honouring their merits in the promotion of contemporary art and the creation of a unique place of cultural interaction in Basel. In 2009, STAMPA expanded in collaboration with PLATTFON, an exclusive shop and venue location for contemporary music.