BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors

Kunst(Zeug)Haus

An extensive private collection of Swiss contemporary art of the last fifty years

Kunst(Zeug)Haus, "The Alphabet of the Collection", photo: Andri Stadler
Kunst(Zeug)Haus, "The Alphabet of the Collection", photo: Andri Stadler

The now-late, Zurich-based lawyer Peter Bosshard (1942 - 2018) and his wife, Elisabeth, started collecting art in the 1970s. At that time they had just returned to Switzerland after living in New York City for two years. Then came a decades-long engagement with the Swiss contemporary art scene. The collector couple has always supported artists and art projects, and have since amassed roughly 6 500 works of art.

Kunst(Zeug)Haus, Maya Bringolf, "Air Transfer", 2015 (installation view); photo: Bernhard Strauss
Kunst(Zeug)Haus, Maya Bringolf, "Air Transfer", 2015 (installation view); photo: Bernhard Strauss
Kunst(Zeug)Haus, roof construction with view of the Rapperswil castle.
Kunst(Zeug)Haus, roof construction with view of the Rapperswil castle.

In May 2008, the Bosshards opened an art center in a former armory building in the city of Rapperswil-Jona. Zurich architects Isa Stürm and Urs Wolf meticulously transformed the long and bulky structure into a voluminous 1 500-square-meter space, providing enough room for an annually changing exhibit of the collection and eight to twelve dedicated solo shows each year. Alongside established Swiss art stars like Silvia Bächli, Fischli/Weiss, or Roman Signer, the focus is also on younger positions such as Mario Sala or Yves Netzhammer.

Kunst(Zeug)Haus, "Grosse Regionale", 2019. Photo: Andri Stadler.
Kunst(Zeug)Haus, "Grosse Regionale", 2019. Photo: Andri Stadler.
Kunst(Zeug)Haus Rapperswil-Jona. Photo: Martina Basista.
Kunst(Zeug)Haus Rapperswil-Jona. Photo: Martina Basista.
Kunst(Zeug)Haus, "Rachel Lumsden. Return of the Huntress", photo: Andri Stadler.
Kunst(Zeug)Haus, "Rachel Lumsden. Return of the Huntress", photo: Andri Stadler.
Kunst(Zeug)Haus, "Rhythm, Row, Repetition", collection exhibition on the ground floor.
Kunst(Zeug)Haus, "Rhythm, Row, Repetition", collection exhibition on the ground floor.

More Information on Kunst(Zeug)Haus

Rapperswil-Jona (1)