MUSEUM

We understand contemporary art as an important tool in generating discussion of the urgent issues of our time. Engagement with the present has been an integral part of how the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst has seen itself since its founding in 1996. We encourage critical perspectives, stimulate new ways of thinking and build bridges – making no claim to final answers, however, rather focusing on open dialogue. We thus actively seek discourse with visitors, artists and partners in the field of art and beyond – in the museum’s immediate neighbourhood, our urban context, and regional and international settings.

The museum is a multifaceted venue where art and the public converge. Here, art can be experienced with no prior knowledge, in a way true to the visitor’s own needs. No matter whether actively taking part in participatory formats or immersing yourself in exhibition themes: the variety of approaches creates a sense of openness, allowing for individual experiences and promoting productive discussion. And free admission to the museum ensures access for all.

We are a museum that produces art – that is, we commission and collaborate closely with artists to create new works. The promotion of contemporary art is therefore a further – and key – element in how we see ourselves as a museum. This close collaboration with artists shapes our exhibitions; it flows into our programmes and educational endeavours, hence finding its way directly to the public.

In this way, our collection is tightly interwoven with our exhibition work, while demonstrating our close ties with artists, too. Since the inception of the museum, we have continuously acquired artistic works that set new standards, ones that we are convinced will remain relevant in the long term. The works are regularly displayed in various exhibitions, allowing visitors to experience them in new thematic contexts. The collection can thus be re-discovered in ever-new ways.

So variety and collaborative creation determine our programme, as do our structures: since 2023, the museum has been run by a collective leadership team of five. This new leadership model demands a working approach that is both transdisciplinary and collaborative, one that questions established power structures and opens up new horizons for cultural institutions.

The Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst is an institution belonging to the Migros Culture Percentage.