In the exhibition "We Are Here!", Haus Konstruktiv is celebrating its move to Löwenbräukunst-Areal, after almost 25 years in the ewz Unterwerk Selnau building.
The centrepiece of We Are Here! is the rear exhibition hall, which is dedicated to the Zurich Concretists Max Bill, Leo Leuppi, Richard Paul Lohse, Verena Loewensberg, Camille Graeser and those associated with them. Their artwork, which still resonates far beyond Zurich today, gave rise to the establishment of the museum’s supporting foundation in 1986, which is now called the Foundation for Constructivist, Concrete and Conceptual Art.
The exhibitions features a string painting by Leo Leuppi (1893, Zurich – 1972, Zurich), who co-founded the artists’ group Allianz with Lohse in 1937 and, as its long-standing president, played an important mediating role for avant-garde art in Switzerland. The exhibitions organised by Allianz brought together such diverse movements as constructivism, concrete art and surrealism. This openness is also reflected in Leuppi’s own work, in which both constructivist and surrealist elements can be found.
Museum Haus Konstruktiv’s collection comprises around 1000 works, providing a high-quality overview of the development of concrete, constructivist and conceptual art from the 1920s to the present day. The collection has been growing – largely due to donations from artists, galleries and private collectors. In addition, the club Fonds Konkret and (since 2014) a bequest from Elisabeth Launer have enabled targeted acquisitions of contemporary art, thus aiding the ongoing expansion of the collection and interlinking of artistic positions.
Curated by Sabine Schaschl and Evelyne Bucher
HFA Artists