Kunsthaus Zürich Hosts Talks, Debates on Bührle Collection's Troubled Past
Kunsthaus Zürich announced a series of artist talks, debates, and a book launch in April and May 2024, following the November 2023 inauguration of its new exhibition 'A Future for the Past. The Bührle Collection: Art, Context, War and Conflict.' The events, moderated by journalist Antje Stahl and opened by director Ann Demeester, aim to encourage broader participation in the debate surrounding the collection assembled by arms dealer Emil Bührle. Highlights include a film screening and panel with former forced labourer Irma Frei and author Yves Demuth on April 4; an artist talk with Miriam Cahn on April 25; a panel with artist Thomas Hirschhorn and others on May 2; and a discussion on museums' responsibility with art historian Dr Nikola Doll on May 16. All events are free and held at the Chipperfield building in Zurich.
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The programming represents the second phase of the museum's ongoing effort to critically contextualize the Bührle Collection, one of Switzerland's most contested holdings due to its origins in Nazi-era acquisitions. By inviting artists, forced labour survivors, and provenance researchers into direct dialogue, the Kunsthaus is testing a participatory model for institutional reckoning that goes beyond wall texts. The series also previews a third phase, which will respond to historian Raphael Gross's final report on provenance research, expected at the end of June 2024. For collectors and curators, this signals a shift toward process-driven, transparent engagement with difficult collections, potentially setting a precedent for how European museums address colonial and wartime legacies.
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- Artists: Miriam Cahn, Thomas Hirschhorn
- People: Ann Demeester, Antje Stahl, Irma Frei, Yves Demuth, Miriam Cahn, Thomas Hirschhorn, Dr Anita Haldemann, Prof. Angeli Sachs, Dr Nikola Doll, Dr Stefanie Mahrer, Dr Marcel Brülhart, Prof. Raphael Gross, Prof. Felix Uhlmann, Emil Bührle
- Museums: Kunsthaus Zürich, Kunstmuseum Basel, Kunstmuseum Bern, Deutsches Historisches Museum
- Locations: Zurich
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