Installation view Kunsthaus Zürich, 2016. Coustesy of Kunsthaus Zürich. Photo: FBM Studio, Zurich. © Succession Alberto Giacometti / 2026, Pictoright, Amsterdam.
Sculpting History: Two Institutions Behind Alberto Giacometti’s Legacy
How Kunsthaus Zürich and the Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung became central to preserving—and shaping—of one of modern sculpture’s most influential figures.
- By Grace Bianciardi
- Museum Stories
The Kunsthaus Zürich, founded in 1787 by artists, holds one of the country’s most important art collections, spanning from the 13th century to the present day. Currently under leadership of Belgian director Ann Demeester, the institution has long been at the center of preserving and presenting the legacy of renowned Swiss sculptor and artist Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966). For nearly six decades, the museum has had a close partnership with the Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung Zürich. These two institutions have been united by a mission to steward the work of Switzerland’s most iconic artist and sculptor. “Since the founding of the Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung, the Kunsthaus has been the primary home for its holdings, managing the world’s most important museum collection of Giacometti’s œuvre,” states Dr Philippe Büttner, senior curator Collection at Kunsthaus Zürich and Managing Director of the Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung. The Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung's collection—enriched with more than 190 works by the artist belonging to the Kunsthaus itself and the collection of the "Kunstfreunde Zürich" (the association of the friends of the Institution)—is one of the most significant monographic collections at the Kunsthaus Zürich.”
Alberto Giacometti, Portrait Ernst Scheidegger, c. 1959. Coustesy of Kunsthaus Zürich. © Succession Alberto Giacometti / 2026, Pictoright, Amsterdam.
“The partnership of these two institutions dates to 1965, when the Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung Zürich was founded by a group of Swiss entrepreneurs around Hans C. Bechtler,” Büttner continues. Central to the foundation’s formation “was the landmark acquisition of G. David Thompson’s collection that had been purchased and kept together by gallerist Ernst Beyeler, securing seminal works from Giacometti’s avant-garde and surrealist years (1925–1934) and his mature postwar period (1947–1950),” says Büttner. “Additionally, shortly before his death in 1966, Giacometti himself contributed drawings and late paintings, affirming not only the foundation’s mission but also its intimate proximity to the artist’s intentions.”
From its inception, the foundation’s collection has been managed by Kunsthaus Zürich, where most works remain on permanent display today. “Smaller but significant holdings of the foundation reside in the museums of Basel and Winterthur, forming a unique Swiss constellation of Giacometti’s pieces,” denotes Büttner. “Over time, the collection has expanded substantially and today comprises more than 500 works by the artist. Most notably through generous gifts from the artist’s brother, architect Bruno Giacometti—and his spouse, Odette—comprising a vast donation of 75 plasters and 2006 several bronzes from the artist’s estate in 2006,” adds Büttner. “While the Fondation Giacometti in Paris houses the largest overall collection, Zürich’s holdings are widely regarded as the most important in terms of sculpture, as the collection presents a distinguished concentration of lifetime bronze casts and rare surrealist works.”
Alberto Giacometti, Femme de Venise VIII, 1956. Coustesy of Kunsthaus Zürich and Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung. © Succession Alberto Giacometti / 2026, Pictoright, Amsterdam.
Rebecca Warren, Dark Passage, 2004. Coustesy of Kunsthaus Zürich. © Rebecca Warren.
This distinction is reinforced by Kunsthaus Zürich’s own collection, bearing artworks from Rembrandt, Picasso, and Van Gogh to Pipilotti Rist and Marina Abramović with highlight constellations around the Impressionists, Edvard Munch, Marc Chagall, Dada and Swiss masters such as Felix Valloton and Ferdinand Hodler, “which contextualize Giacometti’s oeuvre within the broader art historical holdings of the museum,” notes Büttner. “The historically vast collection allows works by Giacometti to be seen in the context of the works of sculptors that were relevant for him across his formative period—from Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) and Constantin Brâncusi (1876-1957) to various artists working within the Surrealist movement—as well as with those who later drew inspiration from him, such as Francis Bacon (1909–1992) and Rebecca Warren (b. 1965),” shares Büttner. These connections demonstrate the reverberations of Giacometti’s practice across generations. “Together, the museum’s acquisitions and the foundation’s holdings form an ensemble of diverse artworks, situating Giacometti as a fulcrum of modern art rather than an isolated master,” Büttner shares.
“Giacometti’s personal involvement in the foundation left an indelible imprint on the collection’s depth and coherence,” denotes Büttner. “His collaboration with Kunsthaus Zürich culminated in a major 1962 exhibition in which he actively participated in the selection and installation of works. Also his personal relationships with founding trustees such as Hans C. and Walter A. Bechtler, and earlier collaborations on exhibitions in Switzerland in the 1930s—sometimes aided by his brother Bruno Giacometti—further anchored the artist within Zurich and Switzerland’s cultural fabric.” Although Giacometti maintained a studied distance from official recognition in Switzerland and was mostly living and working in Paris from 1922 onwards, he kept his Swiss citizenship and maintained contact with his homeland. Above all, he came back regularly to his native Bregaglia valley in the southern Grison mountains to work and pay visits to his mother.”
“Today, the artist’s legacy enters a new phase,” states Dr Maja Wismer, head of Collection and Research at the Kunsthaus Zürich. “The presentation of Giacometti’s work will shift in February 2026 to elegant galleries in our new building designed by Sir David Chipperfield conceived to meet the specific demands of his fragile materials.” Wismer continues, “The new display marks a departure from a static, permanent installation in favor of a dynamic, evolving presentation in which his iconic sculptures anchor the narrative, while rotating displays of drawings, plasters, and delicate works will allow audiences to encounter lesser-known facets of his oeuvre.”
Alberto Giacometti, Buste aux grands yeux, 1957. Coustesy of Kunsthaus Zürich. © Succession Alberto Giacometti / 2026, Pictoright, Amsterdam.
Such ambition to steward the artist’s legacy requires careful governance: “While Kunsthaus Zürich manages and exhibits the collection at the highest museum standards, the foundation remains owner of its holdings, while the artist's rights are shared among the Fondation Giacometti in Paris, the Alberto Giacometti-Stiftung Zürich, and the artist’s heirs.” Decisions of consequence, “including the creation of new bronze casts, demand unanimous agreement—a structure that underscores the collective responsibility of safeguarding authenticity and intent,” states Büttner. “Within this framework, Kunsthaus Zürich’s role is clear: to preserve, research, publish, and present the works for the public, also drawing on decades of specialized restoration expertise,” adds Büttner.
Since 1965, the collaboration between the foundation and the Kunsthaus has shaped the conservation, research, and presentation of Giacometti’s work in Zürich and his home country, “proving legacy is not merely inherited but continuously shaped,” Büttner shares. The facilities of the Kunsthaus “also ensure the professional care of these complex, often fragile, works by specialized teams, which contributes to the reputation of the Kunsthaus as a Giacometti center of excellence. Especially in ambiguous times, such as today, Giacometti’s focus on essential human existence remains of great importance.”
