Philippe Decrauzat, Secession (detail), 2008

Swiss art at the crossroads

Switzerland's cultural identity is undeniably unique. Being situated at the crossroads of Europe, bordered by five nations, and having four official languages make it a melting pot for ideas and perspectives. The Alpine country has long been independent and renowned for its economic prowess — making it the perfect environment for art to flourish in. In this issue, Artkrush contributing editor Marlyne Sahakian surveys the Swiss contemporary art scene from within, and we talk to New York's Swiss Institute director Gianni Jetzer about the impact of the country's artists in the international art world. We think you'll be surprised by how many significant artists of the moment hail from this small, but culturally rich nation.

- Paul Laster, Managing Editor

FEATURE

For institutions such as Art Basel (with Art Basel Miami Beach) or the Swiss Institute (with showrooms in both New York City and Paris), contemporary Swiss art is certainly not confined to national boundaries. Yet, Swiss galleries and museums very much give respect to their own artists, both with more established names and a new wave of young guns.

In Zurich, Galerie Eva Presenhuber represents local duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss, heavy hitters with a fantastic sense of humor that plays on the banality of objects taken out of context. Another big name in the Presenhuber stable is Ugo Rondinone, whose rainbow Hell, Yes! graces the New York's New Museum, but is also known for bringing traces of melancholy to his work. Sylvie Fleury, with her chrome-plated Gucci shoes on display in the gallerist's loft residence, also shines in this constellation; her works place women in positions of authority, drawing from the worlds of fashion, car racing, and even space travel. Bringing up the rear, young artist Valentin Carron is currently showing replicas of bas-relief sculptures representing traditional work activities — not without a touch of irony — at New York's 303 Gallery.

Known for spotting rising stars, Galerie Francesca Pia also represents a cluster of young artists, including Mai-Thu Perret, Vidya Gastaldon, Stéphane Dafflon, and Philippe Decrauzat. Showing at the Aspen Art Museum, Perret's work ranges from diary entries to papier-maché figures in utilitarian dresses — part of her fictive narrative about women living in a New Mexico commune. Fascinated with optical shapes, Decrauzat is a master of precision and repetition, constructing graphic works that include discrete references to both film and architecture. His current show at Elizabeth Dee in New York features paintings and installations designed to destabilize the viewer's perception of space.

Keep reading for the full report »

INTERVIEW

Founded in 1986, the Swiss Institute in New York is an international art venue that provides a forum for cultural dialogue between Switzerland, Europe, and the US. Examining the history of the space — documented on its website since 2001 — reveals a tradition of adventurous exhibitions and provocative programming. Artkrush editor Paul Laster caught up with Gianni Jetzer, who became the director of the Institute in 2006, to discuss the Swiss art scene and what's in store for the innovative organization.

Artkrush: Switzerland has a long history of producing avant-garde art — Paul Klee, Alberto Giacometti, Jean Tinguely, and Olivier Mosset immediately come to mind. What is it about Swiss culture that nurtures such compelling art?

Gianni Jetzer: I guess it's the density of the Swiss art world, with its numerous institutions, art schools, museums, and collectors. There's a whole chain of production to prepare great careers. Nevertheless, a lot of Swiss artists have had to leave the country after some time to be successful on an international level — but most of them maintain a strong affinity with Switzerland.

AK: Who were some of the standout Swiss artists that you exhibited when you were the director of the Neue Kunst Halle St. Gallen and a curator at the Migros Museum for Contemporary Art in Zurich?

GJ: The Migros Museum was very supportive of Urs Fischer's work. Ugo Rondinone, Sylvie Fleury, and Stefan Banz also had big solo shows there. Andro Wekua had his first institutional solo show in St. Gallen, which was very important for his career. The Rubell Family Collection in Miami acquired most of the show.

AK: What are the gallery scenes like in Zurich and Geneva? Who are the established players, and who shows emerging art?

GJ: Zurich is multi-layered. On one hand, there's Bruno Bischofberger and Gmurzynska, who are big players in the secondary market; then there are the contemporary leaders, including Hauser & Wirth and Eva Presenhuber, followed by a swarm of successful galleries, such as Peter Kilchmann, Bob van Orsouw, Mai 36, and Francesca Pia. In the younger segment, there's Karma International, a former alternative space that has turned into a gallery, and Kenworthy-Ball, a gallery with a great selection of young Swiss artists. The Geneva scene is somewhat less interesting, but there are a few galleries, such as Guy Bärtschi, Analix Forever, or Evergreene, that have good programs.

AK: Are there any particular schools that are known to train the best artists, such as Columbia University in New York and Goldsmiths College in London?

Keep reading for the full interview »

NEWSWIRE

Pulling art sales out of thinning air (New York Times)
An unauthorized, investigative profile of secretive mega-art-dealer Larry Gagosian.

Gehry slows, but not by choice (The Star)
Tough times and delayed projects for starchitect Frank Gehry, who just turned 80.

The art of nothing: Pompidou Centre celebrates half a century of minimalism (The Independent)
Empty rooms of works, ranging from Martin Creed's Lights On, Lights Off to Roman Ondák's More Silent Than Ever, offer a peaceful repose.

To ramp up its website, MoMA loosens up (New York Times)
New York's Museum of Modern Art taps social networks and employs digital devices to attract more art lovers.

Andy Warhol gets soundtrack for 'Screen Tests' (Chicago Tribune)
Former Luna band members Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips land a commission for a performance piece pairing live music with Warhol's silent film-portraits.

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen masters the art of modern design (Seattle Times)
A Seattle architecture firm — one of America's best — gets a top honor, and in the process, analyzed.

LA's artistic iconoclasts (Los Angeles Times)
A Hammer Museum exhibition focuses on nine local artists known for their idiosyncratic, often incredibly detailed work.

China's art market: cold or maybe hibernating? (New York Times)
As market demand spirals downward, Chinese artists and art collectors reflect on the past and consider the future.

Marfa makes an art out of quirky (Chicago Tribune)
Marfa, Texas, the small cattle town that James Dean and Donald Judd put on the map, still holds charm for creative misfits.