Kunsthaus Zürich is showing a cabinet exhibition devoted to the graphic editions of Marcel Broodthaers. It focuses on the artist’s critical questioning of the museum as institution.

What is the role of a museum

Admission

CHF 23.–/18.– (concessions and groups) inclusive Collection.
Free admission for members, children and young people under the age of 17.

Note for groups

We look forward to welcoming you to the Kunsthaus. For organizational reasons, prior registration is required. info@kunsthaus.ch+41 44 253 84 84

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Assembled by guest curator Simone Gehr from works held at the Kunsthaus, the cabinet exhibition asks how exactly Broodthaers envisaged the ideal museum. What did he criticise about the museums of his time? And how, on the basis of his works, can we reflect on the museum landscape of today? His concerns are ones that are shared by the public: why are some works ‘worth’ more than others, and what role does the museum play in those monetary valuations? Is a work only ‘genuine’ if it is signed? And where do descriptions of works lead us astray?

At the heart of the exhibition are Broodthaers’s graphic editions: a group of 25 works from throughout his artistic career, all of which are held in the Collection of Prints and Drawings at the Kunsthaus. In the context of Broodthaers, the term ‘graphic editions’ is used quite broadly, covering not only prints but also film, photography and installations. The editions are complemented by a few related groups of works on loan, such as open letters and films by the artist.

Broodthaers_Marcel__La_Soupe_de_Daguerre
Marcel Broodthaers, La Soupe de Daguerre, 1975, Kunsthaus Zürich, donated by Migros- Genossenschaftsbund, 1982 © Succession Marcel Broodthaers / 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich
Broodthaers_Marcel__Musee_Museum
Marcel Broodthaers, Musée – Museum, 1972 2 sheets (diptych), Kunsthaus Zürich, donated by Migros- Genossenschaftsbund, 1982 © Succession Marcel Broodthaers / 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich
Broodthaers_Marcel__Les_Animaux_de_la_ferme
Marcel Broodthaers, Les Animaux de la ferme, 1974 2 sheets (diptych), Kunsthaus Zürich, donated by Migros- Genossenschaftsbund, 1982 © Succession Marcel Broodthaers / 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich
Broodthaers_Marcel__La_Signature_Serie
Marcel Broodthaers, La Signature Série 1. Tirage illimité, 1969, Kunsthaus Zürich, donated by Migros- Genossenschaftsbund, 1982 © Succession Marcel Broodthaers / 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich
Broodthaers_Marcel__Museum_Museum
Marcel Broodthaers, Museum – Museum, 1972 2 sheets (diptych), Kunsthaus Zürich, donated by Migros- Genossenschaftsbund, 1982 © Succession Marcel Broodthaers / 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich
Broodthaers_Marcel__Ein_Eisenbahnueberfall
Marcel Broodthaers, Ein Eisenbahnüberfall, 1972, Kunsthaus Zürich, donated by Migros- Genossenschaftsbund, 1982 © Succession Marcel Broodthaers / 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich
Broodthaers_Marcel__Citron
Marcel Broodthaers, Citron – Citroen. Réclame pour la Mer du Nord, 1974, Kunsthaus Zürich, donated by Migros- Genossenschaftsbund, 1982 © Succession Marcel Broodthaers / 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich

Where is the exhibition located?

In the Cabinet on the ground floor of the Moser Building. See our online visitor guide!

Who was Marcel Broodthaers?

Born in Brussels, Belgium, Marcel Broodthaers started out as a poet before becoming a self-taught visual artist at the age of 40. When he died on his 52nd birthday in 1976, he left behind an extraordinarily diverse body of work despite an artistic career spanning just 12 years. The museum was probably Broodthaers’s main preoccupation, his interest piqued by the events of May 1968 and the associated protests in Brussels. He subsequently set up his own fictional museum, which was never intended to exist as a real institution, but was designed to prompt questions about the contemporary cultural sector. His fictional ‘Musée d’Art Moderne’ appeared in a wide range of forms between 1968 and 1972. A number of his graphic editions were donated to the Kunsthaus in 1982 and were exhibited at the time. The most recent solo exhibition devoted to Broodthaers in Switzerland was at MASI in Lugano, which concentrated mainly on his ‘plaques’ (large-format plastic signs).

Guided tours

Public

Public guided tour

  • German: Saturday, 8.7. at 11 am, Friday, 25.8. at 3 pm, Thursday, 14.9. at 6 pm
  • Costs: Exhibition Ticket + CHF 6.– / CHF 4.– (concessions and members)

REGISTRATION VIA AGENDA

Private

Private guided tour

We will be happy to organize a tour tailored to the needs of your group.

  • Max. 20 people
  • German, English, French, Italian
  • CHF 190.– (German) / CHF 220.– (other languages) + Admission Ticket (group tarif)
  • Duration: 1 hour

BOOKING REQUEST

Ill: Marcel Broodthaers, Le Corbeau et le Renard, 1967, Kunsthaus Zürich, Collection of Prints and Drawings, Donated by Migros-Genossenschaftsbund, 1982, Exhibition view © Succession Marcel Broodthaers / 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich