Fondation Beyeler at 20: Switzerland's Most Visited Art Museum
Established on October 18, 1997, by Ernst and Hildy Beyeler, the Fondation Beyeler, located in Riehen/Basel, stands as Switzerland's most frequented art museum, drawing 6.5 million visitors, with more than half coming from overseas. Director Samuel Keller attributes its popularity to the architectural design by Renzo Piano. The museum's primary collection has grown from approximately 200 to 300 pieces, featuring artists such as Monet, van Gogh, and Picasso. Significant exhibitions have showcased works by Lichtenstein, Warhol, and Basquiat. In 2016, the museum welcomed 330,000 attendees for exhibitions on Dubuffet and Kandinsky. For its 20th anniversary in 2017, entry is complimentary for those under 25. Current exhibitions highlight installations by Wolfgang Tillmans and Tino Sehgal.
Key facts
- Fondation Beyeler opened October 18, 1997, founded by Ernst and Hildy Beyeler.
- It is Switzerland's most visited art museum, with 6.5 million visitors total.
- Renzo Piano designed the museum building.
- Core collection grew from 200 to 300 works, spanning Post-Impressionism to Pop Art.
- Long-term loans include Daros Collection, Anthax Collection Marx, and Collection Renard.
- 2016 saw 330,000 visitors; Kandinsky show had over 200,000.
- Free entry for under-25s in 2017 for the 20th anniversary.
- Peter Zumthor will transform a new adjacent building into exhibition space.
Entities
Artists
- Ernst Beyeler
- Hildy Beyeler
- Samuel Keller
- Renzo Piano
- Claude Monet
- Vincent van Gogh
- Pablo Picasso
- Piet Mondrian
- Alberto Giacometti
- Mark Rothko
- Francis Bacon
- Anselm Kiefer
- Lucio Fontana
- Gerhard Richter
- Richard Serra
- Marlene Dumas
- Wolfgang Tillmans
- Philippe Parreno
- Jean Dubuffet
- Roy Lichtenstein
- Andy Warhol
- René Magritte
- Wolfgang Laib
- Henri Matisse
- Edvard Munch
- Fernand Léger
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Giovanni Segantini
- Pierre Bonnard
- Jeff Koons
- Edgar Degas
- Ferdinand Hodler
- Max Ernst
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Odilon Redon
- Gustave Courbet
- Peter Doig
- Paul Gauguin
- Kasimir Malevich
- Alexander Calder
- Peter Fischli
- David Weiss
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Franz Marc
- Roni Horn
- Louise Bourgeois
- Christo
- Jeanne-Claude
- Felix Gonzalez-Torres
- Jenny Holzer
- Thomas Schütte
- Santiago Sierra
- Ernesto Neto
- Tobias Rehberger
- Tino Sehgal
- Peter Zumthor
- Âme
- Seth Troxler
- Dixon
- Marco Enrico Giacomelli
- Paul Cézanne
- Paul Klee
- Rudolf Stingel
- Raphaël Bouvier
- Udo Kittelmann
- Valentina Silvestrini
Institutions
- Fondation Beyeler
- Daros Collection
- Anthax Collection Marx
- Collection Renard
- Swatch
- Vitra
- UBS
- Artribune
- Galerie Buchholz
- Maureen Paley
- David Zwirner
- Renzo Piano Building Workshop
- Nationalgalerie Berlin
- Berower Park
- Iselin-Weber park
Locations
- Riehen
- Basel
- Switzerland
- Berna
- Geneva
- Zurich
- Germany
- Patagonia
- Africa
- Alaska
- Oceania
- Rhine
- Mittlere Brücke
- Baselstrasse
- Merano