BSI Art Collection: Banking on Contemporary Art Across Lugano, Geneva, Paris

Launched in 2000 by Alfredo Gysi, CEO of BSI (Banca della Svizzera Italiana, established 1873), the BSI Art Collection features over 300 contemporary pieces. This collection, curated by Silvia Panerai and independent curator Luca Cerizza, serves both aesthetic and investment functions across BSI's offices in Switzerland, France, and East Asia. It showcases a mix of established artists like Mario Merz and Tony Cragg alongside emerging talents such as Liam Gillick and Franz Ackermann. Recently, it highlighted Chinese artists in the "Free Zone China" exhibition at Palazzo Riva in Lugano. The collection is thematically organized, with abstract art in Paris, travel-themed works in Geneva, and site-specific installations at the new Palazzo BSI, which includes contributions from Daniel Buren and others. BSI also supports the Projet Martha Argerich classical music festival in Lugano and possesses the 1737 Giameri del Gesu violin, which is lent to promising musicians.