ZURICH.- 2026 marks an anniversary year for Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966), commemorating the 125th anniversary of his birth and the 60th anniversary of his death. To mark the occasion, Swiss Post will issue a new postage stamp in honour of Giacometti on 5 March 2026.

The official launch will take place on Wednesday, 4 March 2026 at 12.30 pm at Kunsthaus Zürich, in the presence of curator Carolin A. Geist, Philippe Büttner, Director of the Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung and Senior Curator Collection at the Kunsthaus Zürich, Stefan Bühler, Head of Stamps & Philately at Swiss Post, Diana Pavlicek, Head of Art Department at Swiss Post, Isabelle Bühler, Stamps & Philately Product Manager at Swiss Post and others.

The stamp is being issued in the anniversary year 2026, marking the 125th anniversary of Giacometti’s birth and the 60th anniversary of his death. It features the iconic work ‘L’Homme qui marche I’ (1960) – one of the most celebrated sculptures of the 20th century.

AN ICON OF MODERNISM

Alberto Giacometti is regarded as one of the most important sculptors of modernism and as one of the most internationally renowned Swiss artists. Born on 10 October 1901 in Borgonovo in the Bregaglia Valley, he developed in Paris a distinctive artistic language which, with its fragile, elongated figures, shaped the image of humanity in the 20th century.

His works are now held in leading museums and private collections worldwide. The most significant museum collection of works by Alberto Giacometti is housed at Kunsthaus Zürich. The combined holdings of the Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung, Kunsthaus Zürich and the Zürcher Kunstfreunde encompass works from all phases of his career and document the extraordinary breadth of his œuvre.

A STAMP AS A HOMAGE

The project was developed in collaboration with the Engadine-based curator Carolin A. Geist. Her aim is not only to make art and culture accessible to specialist audiences, but also to anchor them visibly in the public sphere. Just as the 100-franc note of the eighth Swiss banknote series (1995), which brought Giacometti to a wide audience, the postage stamp is likewise intended to make the artist present in everyday life and to embed him in the collective memory.

As a formal reference to Giacometti’s characteristic elongated figures, the stamp has been designed in a special vertical format (20 × 44 mm). The unusual format underscores the sculptural presence of ‘L’Homme qui marche I’ and at the same time makes the issue a distinctive object for collectors.

KUNSTHAUS ZÜRICH AS A GIACOMETTI CENTRE

In the anniversary year 2026, Kunsthaus Zürich plays a central role: as a permanent loan from the Alberto Giacometti Foundation, it houses the most significant museum collection of the artist worldwide.

Since 6 February 2026, Giacometti’s works have been presented in a newly conceived display in the Chipperfield building. The exhibition will be expanded in early 2027 and will then encompass the artist’s entire œuvre across several rooms – from the surrealist works to the world-famous post-war figures. Giacometti’s work will thus be given even greater prominence in the new museum building, reflecting his exceptional significance for Kunsthaus Zürich and for Switzerland.

The launch of the postage stamp at Kunsthaus Zürich thus brings together two dimensions: the tribute to a century-defining artist in the public sphere and his current museum presentation at the place that represents his work in Switzerland like no other.