As long as there are human beings, there will be ghosts. They slip between reason and the senses, and appear in stories, onstage, and in corners of the imagination. This exhibition in Basel brings together more than 160 spector-inspired works from over 250 years. Much of the show is dedicated to the 19th century, when spiritualism, science, and art intersected. A rise in séances and stage tricks coincided with technological innovation, especially photography and film, and apparitions became emblematic of a new artistic front. The surreal spectacles envisioned by these artists remind us that ghosts continue to haunt cultures everywhere. —Charlie St John