HomeMuseumResearch

Science and research

The Kunsthaus is a place of knowledge production, where important topics are put up for discussion and presented alongside new scientific findings. The publicly accessible collection and the knowledge of its historical background are essential for our cultural self-image. The development of the collection reflects the history of the institution and the changes in society. Its cataloguing includes research and communication to the general public in equal measure.

SliderBig_Fischli_Weiss_1.jpg

Conservation

Find out more
Provenienz_Vitrine-cut

Provenance Research

Find out more
Archiv_Bild_4-5

Archive

Find out more

Kunsthaus Zürich staff are internationally connected, both within their respective disciplines and across disciplinary boundaries. We collaborate with other organisations on both professional matters and issues of broader societal relevance. We share our expertise and pool resources, particularly in areas where research and academic work are supported by public funding or third-party contributions.

Collaborations

Partnership between the Kunsthaus Zürich and the Institute of Art History at the University of Zurich

Kunsthaus Zürich and the Department of Art History at the University of Zurich have collaborated on individual projects for many years and share a wide range of research interests. This fruitful partnership is set to be systematically expanded in the future. To this end, a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding was signed in September 2026. It marks the first formal declaration of intent between the two institutions, which have been neighbours for more than 100 years.

Partnerschaft des Kunsthaus Zürich
From left to right: Ann Demeester, Bärbel Küster and Katharina Michaelowa © Photo: Franca Candrian, Kunsthaus Zürich

The Memorandum of Understanding covers basic research in the fields of provenance research, museum history and theory, as well as archival research in a museum context. The first collaborative project focuses on the history of Kunsthaus Zürich and its collectors and will include two doctoral dissertations. Joint workshops, conferences and lecture series are also planned. Further joint research proposals will be developed and submitted in the future.

Collaboration will also be strengthened in the area of teaching. Joint seminars and practical courses at the Department of Art History, involving staff from Kunsthaus Zürich, will be established on a more permanent basis and expanded. At the same time, internship opportunities at Kunsthaus Zürich will enable students from the Department of Art History to gain valuable hands-on museum experience during their studies. The aim is to strengthen the exchange of knowledge between the university and the museum.

Coordination of the partnership: Mattes Lammert, Lecturer in Research at the Institute of Art History, and Joachim Sieber, Head of Provenance Research at the Kunsthaus Zürich, in consultation with Maja Wismer, Head of Collections and Research at the Kunsthaus Zürich.

Research Areas at the Museum

We actively engage in provenance research. The aim of provenance research is to investigate the ownership details of artworks since the time of their creation. The focus is on works which changed hands during the Nazi period and the persecution and murder of Jews as well as other minorities.

While we trace the histories of artworks through provenance research, restoration and conservation ensure that these works are preserved for future generations. Our Conservation Department is committed to preserve the inimitable quality of some 110,000 items held by the Kunsthaus in a vast array of genres and forms, from paintings, sculptures and installations to works on paper, photographs, historic documents and time-based art, and allow visitors to experience them as the artists intended.

To not only preserve art but also make knowledge about it accessible, our publicly accessible library plays a central role. It offers extensive resources on art history, including books, journals, and supports research and education.

The library’s offering is complemented by our archive, which provides valuable insights into the history and development of our institution. Here, we preserve a unique collection of historical documents that trace the institution’s development and that of its predecessor organizations up to the 1970s.

Selected parts of the library and archive collections are continuously digitized and published online.

We recommend

digital-spezialsammlung-koller-teaserbild-freisteller.png

Discover digital reproductions of rare and fragile objects and works online

Digital Library
Screenshot 2026-06-09 at 10.32.37

Facts and figures about the library – the annual report of the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft

To the annual report (German)
Contentbild_970x727_Ueber_uns_Arbeitgeber.jpg

From restoration to research: our open job positions

KUNSTHAUS JOB POSITIONS