The Swiss pavilion houses Switzerland's national representation during the

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

arts festivals.

Background

Organization and building

The Swiss pavilion was designed by Swiss architect

Bruno Giacometti Bruno Giacometti (24 August 1907 — 21 March 2012) was a Swiss architect and the brother of the artists Alberto and Diego Giacometti. He was among the most notable post-World War II architects in Switzerland. Biography Giacometti was born in S ...

as part of a design competition and was constructed in 1952. It has multiple rooms linked by courtyards. Between 1990 and 2009, Switzerland also used the San Stae church as exhibition venue. From 1932 until 1952 Switzerland had another pavilion, designed by Brenno Del Giudice on the island Sant'Elena. As of 2012,

Pro Helvetia The foundation Pro Helvetia is a public foundation of Switzerland. Presidents *From 1939 to 1943, Heinrich Häberlin. *From 1944 to 1952, Paul Lachenal. *From 1952 to 1964, Jean-Rodolphe de Salis. *From 1965 to 1970, Michael Stettler. *From 19 ...

has assumed responsibility for the Swiss contributions to the Venice Biennale.

Representation by year

Art

* 1920 — Group exhibition * 1926 — Group exhibition * 1932 —

Paul Bodmer Paul Bodmer (1886–1983) was a Swiss painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, b ...

, Numa Donzé,

Augusto Giacometti Augusto Giacometti (16 August 1877 – 9 June 1947) was a Swiss painter from Stampa, Graubünden, cousin of Giovanni Giacometti who was the father of Alberto, Diego and Bruno Giacometti. He was a prominent as a painter in the Art Nouve ...

, Karl Otto Hügin, Reinhold Kündig, Martin Lauterburg, Ernst Morgenthaler, Alfred Heinrich Pellegrini, Karl Geiser, Hermann Haller, Hermann Hubacher, Johann Jakob Probst,

René Auberjonois René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony A ...

, Maurice Barraud,

Hans Berger Hans Berger (21 May 1873 – 1 June 1941) was a German psychiatrist. He is best known as the inventor of electroencephalography (EEG) in 1924, which is a method used for recording the electrical activity of the brain, commonly described in terms ...

Abraham Hermanjat Jacques-Elie-Abraham Hermanjat (29 September 1862, Geneva - 12 October 1932, Aubonne) was a Swiss painter who worked primarily in the Fauvist and Divisionist styles and was one of the first Swiss artists to draw on the work of Paul Cézanne. He ...

, Albert Carl Angst * 1934 —

Cuno Amiet Cuno Amiet (28 March 1868 – 6 July 1961) was a Swiss painter, illustrator, graphic artist and sculptor. As the first Swiss painter to give precedence to colour in composition, he was a pioneer of modern art in Switzerland. Biography Amiet was ...

, Hermann Haller * 1936 — Aldo Patocchi, Emilio Maria Beretta, Max Uehlinger * 1938 —

Victor Surbek . Victor Surbek (1885–1975) was a Swiss painter from Bern. After studies in Italy, Germany (Kunstgewerbeschule München, Kunstgewerbeschule Karlsruhe) and Paris ( Académie de la Grande Chaumière), he married fellow painter Marguerite Frey-Su ...

, Hermann Hubacher, Hans Berger * 1940 — Louis René Moilliet, Johann Jakob Probst, Alexandre Blanchet * 1942 — Karl Walser, Otto Charles Bänninger, Max Hunziker * 1948 — Fritz Pauli, Franz Fischer, René Auberjonois, Albert Schnyder * 1950 —

Alfred Heinrich Pellegrini Alfred Heinrich Pellegrini (10 January 1881 – 5 August 1958) was a Swiss painter, illustrator and printmaker. Along with Heinrich Altherr, Paul Bodmer and Walter Clénin, he was one of the most prolific Swiss muralists of the first half of th ...

, Ernst Suter * 1952 — Hans Fischer,

Max Gubler Max Gubler (born Zürich, May 26, 1898, died Zürich July 29, 1973) was a Swiss artist. Early life and education Max Gubler was born in Zürich-Aussersihl to Heinrich Eduard Gubler, a stage painter and restorer of wall paintings and Berta Gu ...

, Johann Jakob Probst * 1954 —

, Carl Burckhardt, Paul Speck, Marcel Poncet * 1956 — Hans Aeschbacher, Walter Bodmer, Johannes Burla, Eugen Häfelfinger, Walter Linck,

Bernhard Luginbühl Bernhard Luginbühl (16 February 1929 – 19 February 2011) was a Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other use ...

, Robert Müller, Erwin Rehmann,

Sophie Taeuber-Arp Sophie Henriette Gertrud Taeuber-Arp (; 19 January 1889 – 13 January 1943) was a Swiss artist, painter, sculptor, textile designer, furniture and interior designer, architect, and dancer. Born in 1889 in Davos, and raised in Trogen, Switzerlan ...

, Louis Weber, André Gigon, Hansjörg Gisiger, René Monney, Antoine Poncet, Léon Prébandier, André Ramseyer,

Serge Brignoni Serge Brignoni (12 October 1903 – 6 January 2002) was a Swiss avant-garde painter and sculptor. His collection of ethnic art is now housed in the Museo delle Culture in Lugano. Early life and education Brignoni was born in October 1903 in the v ...

* 1958 —

Max Bill Max Bill (22 December 1908 – 9 December 1994) was a Swiss architect, artist, painter, typeface designer, industrial designer and graphic designer. Early life and education Bill was born in Winterthur. After an apprenticeship as a silversmit ...

Richard Paul Lohse Richard Paul Lohse (September 13, 1902 – September 16, 1988) was a Swiss painter and graphic artist and one of the main representatives of the concrete and constructive art movements. Lohse was born in Zürich in 1902. His wish to study in Pa ...

Camille Graeser Camille Graeser (1892–1980) was a Switzerland, Swiss Painting, painter and member of the circle of Zurich Concrete artists. He was born in Switzerland but grew up in Stuttgart, Germany where he became a furniture designer. He took part in major ...

, Theodor Bally, Wolf Barth, Walter Bodmer,

Theo Eble Theo Eble (1899–1974) was a Swiss painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but ...

Fritz Glarner Fritz Glarner (July 20, 1899 in Zurich – September 18, 1972 in Locarno) was a Swiss-American painter. Glarner was a leading proponent of so-called Concrete Art, an artists' movement whose roots lead back to the painters of De Stijl and t ...

, Leo Leuppi, Louis René Moilliet, Wilfrid Moser, Max Rudolf von Mühlenen * 1960 —

Otto Tschumi Otto Tschumi (4 August 1904 – 18 February 1985 in Bern) was a Swiss painter, considered one of the most important Swiss surrealists. Biography Born to a cabman and a seamstress, Tschumi grew up in modest circumstances in Bern and attended s ...

Varlin Willy Leopold Guggenheim, known as Varlin (16 March 1900 – 30 October 1977), was a Swiss painter. His figurative work emphasized the fragility of everyday life. Varlin was friends with Hugo Loetscher and Friedrich Dürrenmatt, and painted them ...

, Robert Müller * 1962 — Albert Schilling, Paul Speck, Louis René Moilliet * 1964 —

Zoltán Kemény Zoltán Kemény (21 March 1907 – 14 June 1965) was a sculptor. Kemény was born in Bănița, Austro-Hungarian Empire (present-day Romania). He was the only Hungarian to win a prize at the Venice Biennale. He died in Zurich, Switzerland, aged ...

* 1966 —

Johannes Itten Johannes Itten (11 November 1888 – 25 March 1967) was a Swiss expressionist painter, designer, teacher, writer and theorist associated with the Bauhaus (''Staatliches Bauhaus'') school. Together with German-American painter Lyonel Feininge ...

, Walter Linck * 1968 —

, Hans Aeschbacher * 1970 — Peter Stämpfli, Walter Vögeli, Jean-Edouard Augsburger * 1972 —

, Willy Weber * 1976 — Max Altorfer, Claude Loewer * 1978 — Raffael Benazzi, Roland Hotz, Jean Lecoultre * 1980 — Peter Steiner, Wilfrid Moser, Oscar Wiggli * 1982 —

Dieter Roth Dieter Roth (April 21, 1930 – June 5, 1998) was a Swiss artist best known for his artist's books, editioned prints, sculptures, and works made of found materials, including rotting food stuffs. He was also known as Dieter Rot and Diter Rot. ...

* 1984 —

Miriam Cahn Miriam Cahn (born July 21, 1949, in Basel) is a Swiss painter. Biography Cahn studied at Schule für Gestaltung Basel in Basle from 1968 to 1975. Work Cahn's paintings and drawings incorporate feminism themes and female rituals; featuring " ...

* 1986 —

John Armleder John Armleder (born 1948, in Geneva) is a Swiss performance artist, painter, sculptor, critic, and curator. His work is based on his involvement with Fluxus in the 1960s and 1970s, when he created performance art pieces, installations and collectiv ...

, Aldo Walker * 1988 —

Markus Raetz Markus Raetz (6 June 1941 – 14 April 2020) was a Swiss painter, sculptor, and illustrator. Life and work Born in Bern and raised in Büren an der Aare near Bern, Raetz obtained a teacher's education and taught primary school until 1963, when ...

* 1990 —

Olivier Mosset Olivier Mosset (born 1944 in Bern, Switzerland) is a Swiss visual artist.

* 1993 — Christoph Rütimann * 1995 —

Peter Fischli & David Weiss Peter Fischli (born 8 June 1952) and David Weiss (21 June 1946 – 27 April 2012), often shortened to Fischli/Weiss, were a Switzerland, Swiss artist duo that collaborated beginning in 1979. Their best-known work is the film ''Der Lauf der D ...

* 1997 — Urs Frei,

Helmut Federle Helmut Federle (born 31 October 1944) is a Swiss painter. Life Federle spent his childhood and youth in St. Margrethen close to St. Gallen in Switzerland. In 1959, he created his first small paintings with his initials HF as a motif. From 1 ...

* 1999 —

Roman Signer Roman Signer (born 1938 in Appenzell, Switzerland) is principally a visual artist who works in sculpture, art installations photography, and video. Early life and career Born in Appenzell, Switzerland, Signer started his career as an artist later ...

* 2001 — Urs Luthi, Norbert Möslang, Andy Guhl * 2003 — Emmanuelle Antille, Gerda Steiner, Jörg Lenzlinger * 2005 —

Pipilotti Rist Pipilotti Elisabeth Rist (born 21 June 1962) is a Swiss visual artist best known for creating experimental video art and installation art. Her work is often described as surreal, intimate, abstract art, having a preoccupation with the female ...

, Ingrid Wildi, Gianni Motti, Shahryar Nashat, Marco Poloni (curator:

Stefan Banz Stefan Banz (11 September 1961 – 16 May 2021) was an artist and curator. Banz was born in Sursee, Switzerland, and grew up in Menznau. In 1989, he co-founded the Kunsthalle Luzern and served as its artistic director until 1993. From 1994 to 19 ...

) * 2007 —

Yves Netzhammer Yves Netzhammer (born 1970) is a Swiss artist who lives and works in Zurich. Born in Schaffhausen, he studied architecture there and later obtained a diploma at the Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Zürich, department of visual design. He has ...

Ugo Rondinone Ugo Rondinone (born November 30, 1964) is a Swiss-born artist widely recognized for his mastery of several different media—most prominently sculpture, drawing and painting, but also photography, architecture, video and sound installation— ...

Urs Fischer Urs Fischer (born 2 May 1973) is a Swiss-born contemporary visual artist living in New York City. Fischer’s practice includes sculpture, installation and photography. Education and early career Born to two doctors as the second of two children ...

Christine Streuli Christine Streuli (born 23 July 1975) is a Swiss-born contemporary artist who lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Biography Streuli grew up in Switzerland in Zurich and in Langenthal and in the USA in Chicago. From 1997 to 2001 she studied at t ...

(curators: Urs Staub, Andreas Münch) * 2009 —

Silvia Bächli Silvia Bächli (born 1956) is a Swiss visual artist, photographer, and educator. She works primarily in painting and drawing. She has taught art at the Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe () since 1993. Biography Silvia Bächli was born on 16 Marc ...

, Fabrice Gygi (Commissioner: Andreas Münch, Curator: Urs Staub) * 2011 —

Thomas Hirschhorn Thomas Hirschhorn (born 16 May 1957) is a Swiss artist. He lives and works in Paris.Randy Kennedy (June 27, 2013)Bringing Art and Change to Bronx''New York Times''. Life and works In the 1980s, Thomas Hirschhorn came to Paris with the will to ...

/"Chewing the Scenery" (Curator: Andrea Thal) * 2013 — Valentin Carron (Curator: Giovanni Carmine) * 2015 —

Pamela Rosenkranz Pamela Rosenkranz (born 1979 in Altdorf, Uri, Switzerland) is a Swiss multimedia artist who uses light and liquid to demonstrate her concepts along with performance, sculpture, painting, and installation art. Her work explores ideas and concepts ...

(Curator: Susanne Pfeffer) * 2017 —

Carol Bove Carol Bove (born 1971) is an American artist based in New York City. She lives and works in Brooklyn. Early life and education Born in 1971 in Geneva, Switzerland to American parents, Bove (pronounced bo-VAY) was raised in Berkeley, California, ...

, Teresa Hubbard / Alexander Birchler (Curator: Philipp Kaiser) * 2019 —

Pauline Boudry / Renate Lorenz Pauline Boudry / Renate Lorenz (born 1972 in Lausanne and 1963 in Berlin) are a Berlin-based artist duo who have worked together since 2006. They produce film installations that revisit recent and past material (a score, a piece of music, a film, a ...

(Curator: Charlotte Laubard) * 2022 —

Latifa Echakhch Latifa Echakhch ( ar, لطيفة الشخش; born 1974 in El-Khnansa, Morocco) is a Moroccan- French visual artist working in Switzerland who creates installations. She participated in the Venice Biennale in 2011 and won the Marcel Duchamp Prize ...

, Alexandre Babel (Curator: Francesco Stocchi) * 2024 — Guerreiro do Divino Amor (Curator: Andrea Bellini)Alex Greenberger (12 January 2023)
Guerreiro do Divino Amor Picked to Represent Switzerland at 2024 Venice Biennale
''

ARTnews ''ARTnews'' is an American visual-arts magazine, based in New York City. It covers art from ancient to contemporary times. ARTnews is the oldest and most widely distributed art magazine in the world. It has a readership of 180,000 in 124 countr ...

''.

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

*
Swiss Institute for Art Research reference overview of Swiss participation
{{Portal bar, Visual arts National pavilions Swiss art