ZURICH.-The competition for the Kunsthaus extension at the Heimplatz has started to move. In the beginning of March the jury selected a number of offices from several hundred entries that can pass on to the next stage. The jury was formed by Swiss and international architects, artists and museum experts, representatives of the city of Zurich as well as builders and project initiators from the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, that is the Museum Association, and the Museum Foundation. The architects have time until autumn to work out their projects in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Museum Association and the jury. At that point the jury will reconvene to select the keenly awaited winning project.
The museum’s treasure includes a precious bundle of photographs donated by Marc Rich in the 80s. Because many of the older photographs are extremely light-sensitive, these collections can only be shown rarely as a whole and often only for limited periods of time.

With the exhibition project “Shifting Identities” the museum is pursuing new challenges from several points of view. Firstly, the concept of Swiss art, which it has already explored with the exhibition “Freie Sicht aufs Mittelmeer“ (Free view to the Mediterranean), is being reexamined in its values and facets – the mobility of Swiss artists who work in Switzerland or are inspired here being the core point. Secondly, the exhibition leaves the conventional museum terrain and conquers new sites that reflect our globalized way of life – such as the airport. You will be able to get a glimpse of the projects and artists already before the opening in June, on the ground floor of the Cabinet.

During the Kunsthaus Night the museum will show you what it takes to move art or to maintain it where it is. The museum will introduce you to who handles it, insures it and deals with it, and discuss the different museum professions – in other words, it will address those questions that have been on the minds of those interested in art and culture in a broader sense. The Kunsthaus Nights are gaining ever more in popularity and those who have already experienced their calm yet exciting atmosphere are sure to come back with pleasure.