Kunsthaus Zürich Taps Raphael Gross to Evaluate Bührle Collection Provenance
The Facts
The City and Canton of Zurich, together with the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, have appointed historian Prof. Raphael Gross to conduct a review of existing provenance research into the Bührle Collection at the Kunsthaus Zürich. The appointment follows recommendations from an independent Round Table convened to prepare the evaluation. Gross will lead a team of experts to scrutinize and appraise all available provenance research, with selective in-depth review of five to ten works. His final report is expected by the end of June 2024. The cost ceiling for the mandate is CHF 730,000, borne by the City of Zurich. The works from the Bührle Collection have been on long-term loan at the Kunsthaus since October 2021.
The Signal
The review marks a significant step in addressing the fraught provenance of the Bührle Collection, which has faced scrutiny over possible Nazi-confiscated cultural property. Gross, who serves as president of the Deutsches Historisches Museum Foundation and sits on the German Advisory Commission on the return of Nazi-looted cultural property, brings deep expertise in restitution proceedings. For the Kunsthaus and its stakeholders, this independent evaluation signals a commitment to transparency and adherence to the Washington Principles, setting a model for how museums can handle contested collection histories with rigor and accountability.
- People: Raphael Gross, Felix Uhlmann
- Museums: Kunsthaus Zürich
- Locations: Zurich
- Prices: CHF 730,000
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