This museum is a delight for art lovers. The art is displayed on several levels and in multiple rooms. The museum is great to spend an afternoon on a rainy day and it is one of the most important art museums in Eastern Switzerland.
The neoclassical building was designed by architect Johann Christoph Kunkler in 1877. The building itself is wonderful. The museum with an area of 2400 m² features more than 3000 art objects including paintings, prints, sculptures, drawings, paintings of historical significance and works by local artists. The Museum contains international contemporary sculptures as well as paintings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection focuses on Dutch, German and French art.
Basement – coffee shop
The museum created together with the artist Caro Niederer «Good Life Ceramics» a place of encounter and lingering – a coffee shop in the basement. They have indoor seating and sell a range of teas, drinks, coffees and some desserts. It’s a nice place to read a book and relax. It is open when the museum is open. There are two things here, which are special: First: There are these really big red sofas from Pipilotti Rist where you feel so small and the second: There you can read some special and unique books! Some of them are only available here because the artists left it here. By the way: The beautiful glas lights near the bar were made by Carmen Humbel.And you can see the work of Keith Sonnier from 6 april until 20 octobre!
Ground floor – entrance
Here is the permanent exhibition. Around one hundred pictures and a few sculptures are collected in the permanent exhibition. The most impressive works for me are the originals of «Andy Warhol – Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup» (1962) or «Max Bill – Nr. 43» (1965) as well of course all the amazing works of Claude Monet. The collection also reveals a substantial inventory of «Appenzeller Bauernmalerei» with works by Lämmler or Haim. There is only one museum in Switzerland which shows a work of Federico Baroccis and it’s here! The work «Saint Sebastian» is an absolute rarity, it was made between 1590-1595 and it’s one from six similar paintings which are still preserved.
First floor
On this floor, the exhibition changes from time to time. And there is this beautiful light-flooded room with ceiling light. I could spend hours in it! Currently you can see the work of Judy Millar from 2 march until 19 may 2019 on this floor!
Information
It is open six days a week from Tuesday until Sunday. If you want to know more about the current exhibitions – please visit the website!
Where to find?
Museumstrasse 32 | kunstmuseumsg.ch | Facebook | Instagram
