The Kunsthaus Zürich presents a new exhibition from the Emil Bührle Collection entitled “A future for the past. Bührle Collection: art, context, war and conflict”. This unique exhibition emphasizes a series of, sometimes contradictory, perspectives linked to the historical context in which the arms manufacturer and patron Emil G. Bührle assembled his art collection. The exhibition aims to highlight how to appropriately approach history from a contemporary perspective, adopting a differentiated approach. Furthermore, video statements and biographies of the works' previous owners play a crucial role in this multifaceted exhibition.
Since autumn 2021, the Bührle Collection has been housed on permanent loan at the Kunsthaus Zürich. This collection is made up of works of inestimable historical-artistic value and has been at the center of a heated debate due to its origins linked to the sale of weapons during the National Socialist period. Some works in this collection had been confiscated from their Jewish owners by the Nazis and subsequently returned after World War II as part of the Nazi looting. Other works were sold by Jewish owners between 1933 and 1945 in territories not subjected to the National Socialist regime, such as the United States, Switzerland and unoccupied areas of France, to finance their escape and livelihood. These works remain the subject of discussion and debate.
The Kunsthaus Zürich asks questions and takes a clear position regarding this controversial collection. Ann Demeester, director of the Kunsthaus Zürich, said: “We want to shed light on the complex and conflictual context of the Bührle Collection. This is a high-level, but controversial, collection of art. The paintings themselves are not guilty of the egregious injustices perpetrated during the National Socialist period, but they bear witness to those events and offer an opportunity to commemorate the victims of Nazi terror, remember their stories and reflect on Switzerland's role in the Second World War.”
Il Art house, which has received donations from Emil Bührle and his Foundation, is committed to tangibly considering the social dimension of its role as a museum. Ann Demeester underlines: “We believe it is essential to develop a new approach to the Bührle Collection together with the community. A critical analysis must form the basis for connecting the presentation of unique masterpieces and their history to current events.”
In the new exhibition, art, history and context are constantly interconnected. This was possible thanks to the fact that the EG Bührle Collection Foundation, as owner of the collection, entrusted the curatorship of the permanent loan to the Kunsthaus with a new agreement stipulated in 2022. The director, newly appointed at the time, decided to rethink the form of the presentation, involving not only your team but also external critical voices.
An interdisciplinary team developed the exhibition across the board, with support from an external advisory board of experts from November 2022 to October 2023. However, in mid-October, the advisory board resigned following disagreements regarding the weight to be attribute in the new presentation to the individual destinies of the original owners, victims of the abuses of the Nazi regime. The Kunsthaus Zürich expressed regret at this decision, underlining the important contribution made by the members of the advisory board. Dissent is an essential part of this exhibition, which was deliberately conceived in a polyphonic way. The Kunsthaus is convinced that this exhibition will continue to stimulate meaningful discussions, as has already occurred in the preparatory phase between the Kunsthaus curators and the advisory committee.
