Zurich Art Weekend 2024 takes place this weekend, June 7-9. An annual leadup to Art Basel Week, this year’s edition kicks off an extraordinary month of shows in Zurich with a myriad of compelling exhibitions across the city’s renowned galleries and museums. Here’s a detailed look at what you can expect at spaces like Cabaret Voltaire, Kunsthaus Zürich, Hauser & Wirth, Galerie Francesca Pia, and more.
Lee Scratch Perry
Cabaret Voltaire
Courtesy of Cabaret Voltaire.
April 12–September 29, 2024
Spiegelgasse 1, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Cabaret Voltaire, the birthplace of Dadaism, will host a unique exhibition featuring the work of Lee “Scratch” Perry, the legendary reggae producer and visual artist. This exhibition will showcase Perry’s diverse artistic contributions, including costumes, totemic sculptures, and assemblages created from everyday objects. The exhibition promises to offer an in-depth look at Perry’s influence beyond music, extending into the visual arts and pop culture.
What we loved: This year’s Zurich summer show at Cabaret Voltaire is Lee “Scratch” Perry’s first institutional show in Europe.
Kiki Kogelnik Retrospective
Kunsthaus Zürich
Kiki Kogelnik, “Marilyn,” 1962, 228 x 151.8 cm, oil and acrylic on canvas; © Kiki Kogelnik Foundation, courtesy of Kiki Kogelnik Foundation.
Until July 14, 2024
Heimplatz, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
Kunsthaus Zürich will feature the first Swiss retrospective of Kiki Kogelnik, a pivotal figure in European Pop Art. Kogelnik’s work, known for its vibrant colors and playful yet critical take on technology and consumerism, will be on display until mid-July. This exhibition will provide a comprehensive view of her contributions to the art world, highlighting her unique blend of abstract and figurative art.
What we loved: This is Switzerland’s first retrospective on Kogelnik, featuring around 150 of her works spanning throughout four decades of her creative career.
Shara Hughes: Tree Farm
Galerie Eva Presenhuber
Shara Hughes, “Branching Out,” 2024, oil acrylic and dye on canvas, 198 x 168 cm, (c) Shara Hughes and Galerie Eva Presenhuber.
June 7–July 20, 2024
Waldmannstrasse 6, CH-8001 Zurich, Switzerland
Shara Hughes’ fifth solo exhibit with Galerie Eva Presenhuber is entitled “Tree Farm,” a vision of vibrant imaginary nature. Hughe’s latest pieces transform the gallery into a lush forest of paintings, featuring vertical individual trees that each tell a story of their own. Hughe’s canvases are windows into stunning natural scenes and viewers are met with distinct color palettes and diverse foliage. The show additionally features ceramic replicas of Hughe’s trees, each with its own distinct branches. Alongside its homage to the natural world, the exhibition evokes imagery of fantasy, magic, and memory.
What we loved: Shara Hughes’ portfolio has branched out from depicting clean interior spaces to now generating exploratory natural scenes, which is especially seen at this Eva Presenhuber show.
Philip Guston: Singularities
Hauser & Wirth Zurich
Installation view of “Philip Guston: Singularities” at Hauser & Wirth in Zurich, courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
June 7–September 7, 2024
Limmatstrasse 270, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland
Hauser & Wirth will present “Singularities” by Philip Guston, an influential American painter. The exhibition will feature works from various phases of Guston’s career, highlighting his transition from abstract expressionism to a more figurative style. This retrospective will provide insight into Guston’s exploration of political and social themes through his distinctive, cartoon-like imagery.
What we loved: Guston’s paintings displayed this Zurich Art Weekend at Hauser & Wirth highlight the artist as a trailblazer in the twentieth-century art sphere.
Group Show: Dietrich
Galerie Francesca Pia
Courtesy of Galerie Francesca Pia.
June 8–August 23, 2024
Limmatstrasse 270, CH-8005 Zurich, Switzerland
Galerie Francesca Pia’s latest show is entitled “Dietrich,” or “Lockpick,” and combines three generations of female artists who forged their own paths in the art world–especially hiding to be even better seen. The exhibition explores this paradoxical theme within all of its presented artists, who forged their own notable paths with their notable creativity, innovation, and sometimes transgression of previously established barriers. The show is a testament to the generational talent of female artists, a thought-provoking show in the midst of Zurich’s Art Weekend.
What we loved: The exhibition also explores the trajectories of female figures including a writer, a parasitologist, and a designer, thus examining the intriguing stories of a broad range of women in the creative sphere.
Ebecho Muslimova: Whispers
Bernheim Gallery
Ebecho Muslimova, “FATEBE HARVEST DAY,” 2024, acrylic, High definition UV ink and oil paint on canvas, 182.88 x 182.88 cm, courtesy of Bernheim Zurich.
7 June–26 July, 2024
Rämistrasse 31, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland
“Whispers” is one half of Ebecho Muslimova’s two-part presentation split between Mendes Wood DM’s “Rumors” in Sao Paulo and Bernheim Gallery’s show in Zurich. An ocean apart, the two exhibits are in dialogue with one another as Muslimova’s paintings humorously depict her signature character, Fatebe, engaging in her classical mischievous antics. The show, with its comedic and innovative twist, also combines questions about femininity and corporeal exploration.
What we loved: Each painting in Zurich has a corresponding painting in Sao Paulo, thus generating a conversation between the two physically separated exhibits and transporting the visitor into a global conversation.
Nora Tulracho: the next big thing is YOU
Galerie Gregor Staiger
Courtesy of Nora Tulracho and Galerie Gregor Staiger.
June 8–July 20, 2024
Hottingerstrasse 6–8, CH–8032 Zurich, Switzerland
Amsterdam-based Nora Tulracho’s “the next big thing is YOU” exhibit is set to feature her newest large-format and framed oil pastels. Known for exploring linguistics, Tulracho’s latest body of works serves to critique the notion of authenticity as a commercialized attribute, particularly within advertising. Each oeuvre features enthusiastic shout-outs to the viewer, mirroring Tulracho’s observations of the world.
What we loved: While continuing alongside Tulracho’s theme of probing at the powers of language, she now presents oil pastels as a new medium within her portfolio for visitors at Zurich’s Galerie Gregor Staiger.
Poppy Jones: Frozen Sun
Mai 36 Galerie
Installation view of Poppy Jones at Mai 36 Galerie, courtesy of the artist and Mai 36 Galerie.
June 7–August 10, 2024
Rämistrasse 37, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Mai 36 Galerie will showcase “Frozen Sun” by UK-based artist Poppy Jones, now her second solo exhibition with the gallery. Jones hand-paints found textiles with images of familiar objects including jackets, flowers, curtains, and glasses with a blend of printmaking, photography, and painting. Her pieces greet the viewer with a melange of the familiar, creativity, and technical finesse.
What we loved: Inspired by literary and cinematic figures including Gertrude Stein and Alain Robbe-Grillet, Jones’ creations examine concepts of the relationship between objects and their materiality.
