Time. From Dürer to Bonvicini

21, 22... Time marches on, inexorably, even as you read this text. Join us on an inspiring journey through time, exploring the ideas that have surrounded it throughout history and the countless ways in which it is measured and perceived. From the Renaissance to the present day, this fascinating exhibition presents an immense diversity of artworks that, uniquely, are shown in dialogue with watches: timepieces in which perspectives from the natural sciences, sociology and economics are integral, just as they are in the works by over 100 artists on display.

Time will tell?

Admission

Exhibition ticket CHF 23.–/18.–* or Combined ticket CHF29.–/23.–* includes the Collection and all Exhibitions (Combined). *concessions and groups
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

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This journey through the history of time brings together paintings, videos, films, installations, performances and examples of the watchmaker’s art. The works attest to the ephemeral nature of life; they tell of the changing seasons, the possibilities to reflect and global financial markets that are now synchronized down to the last picosecond. A multilayered carpet that sheds light on historical, palaeontological and physical views of time is laid out over more than 1,200 metres of exhibition space, dividing the presentation into six chapters which consider ‘deep time’, political dimensions and biological aspects of time, and more. Participatory formats invite visitors to share their views on innovative models of the future. The opportunity is as appealing as it is urgent, given the unending debate within society about how we can still safeguard the survival of our planet and those who live on it – and how much time we have left to do so.

Curated by Cathérine Hug, the exhibition is a collaboration with the Musée international d'horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in liaison with CERN in Meyrin and experts in the field.

Supported by Swiss Re - Partner for Contemporary Art and Credit Suisse - Partner Kunsthaus Zürich

Zeit_PatekPhilippe_Lorgnette — Patek Philippe & Cie (Geneva, since 1839) Lorgnette with integrated watch, 1856, Musée international d’horlogerie (MIH), La Chaux-de-Fonds

Zeit_Stevens_Alfred__Le-bain — Alfred Stevens, Le Bain, 1874, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay) / Tony Querrec

Zeit_Gontscharowa_Natalija__Die-Uhr — Natalia Goncharova, The Clock, 1910, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie, photo: bpk / Nationalgalerie, SMB / Jörg P. Anders © 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich

Zeit_Lutter_Vera__Folding-four-in-one — Vera Lutter, Folding Four in One, 2009, Installation view Art Basel, courtesy the artist and Art Basel, © 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich

Zeit_Kwade_Alicja__57-Seconds — Alicja Kwade, 57 Seconds, 2016, UBS Art Collection, Courtesy the artist and KÖNIG GALERIE, Berlin / London / Seoul / Vienna, © Alicja Kwade

Zeit_Vautier_Ben__Das-Schicksalsjahr — Ben Vautier, Das Schicksalsjahr 1947, 1973, Private collection, Zurich, © Ben Vautier / 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich

Zeit_De_Heem_Cornelis__Stillleben — Cornelis de Heem, Breakfast Still Life, 1660–1669, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie

Zeit_Duerer_Albrecht__Melancolia_I — Albrecht Dürer, Melencolia I, 1514, Kunsthaus Zürich, Landammann Dietrich Schindler Collection, 2000

Zeit_Burki_Marie-Jose__0137 — Marie José Burki, 0137, 2010, Swiss National Bank, photo: SIK-ISEA (Philipp Hitz), © 2023, ProLitteris, Zurich

Where is the exhibition located?

At the big exhibition hall at the Moser building. See our online visitor guide!

To the visitor guide

Participating Artists

Sinzo Aanza, Vito Acconci, Cuno Amiet, Albert Carl Angst, Albert Anker, Jean Arlaud, Knud Andreassen Baade, Maja Bajevic, Giacomo Balla, Jean Barberet, Black Quantum Futurism, Monica Bonvicini, Édouard Bovet, Abraham-Louis Breguet, Heidi Bucher, Marie José Burki, John Cage, Ernst Caramelle, Giorgio De Chirico, Pieter Claesz, Johannes Collaert II, Emmanuel Cottier, Cornelis Cruys, Salvador Dalí, Honoré Daumier, Manon De Boer & George Van Dam, Jean Dubuffet, Marcel Duchamp, François Ducommun, Albrecht Dürer, Aaron Fabian, Thomas Flechtner, Sylvie Fleury, Sarah Friend, Theodor Galle, Giovanni Giacometti, Christian Giessenbeck, Glaser/Kunz, Natalja Gontscharowa, Douglas Gordon, Francisco De Goya, Max Gubler, Andreas Gursky, John & James Harrison, Cornelis De Heem, Achille Hirsch, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Ferdinand Hodler, William Hogarth, Nancy Holt, Roni Horn, Thomas Hutton, Alfredo Jaar, Monica Ursina Jäger, Henri-Louis & Pierre Jaquet-Droz, Anna Jermolaewa, Léo Juvet, Tobias Kaspar, Antoneta Kastrati & Casey Cooper Johnson, On Kawara, San Keller, Martin Kippenberger, Paul Klee, Herlinde Koelbl, Joseph Kosuth, Alicja Kwade, David Lamelas, Daphné Le Sergent, Simon Lehner, Jürg Lehni, Pierre Lemaire, Los Carpinteros, Markus Lüpertz, Johann Lurf, Vera Lutter, Jorge Macchi, Henri Manguin, Manon, Maya Minder, Sagar Jones Mitchell & James Kenyon, Jonathan Monk, Rudolf Mumprecht, Eadweard Muybridge, Jos Näpflin, Bruce Nauman, Natasza Niedziółka, Sophie Nys, Ohan Breiding, Shoghig Halajian, Claes Oldenburg, Roman Opałka, Nam June Paik, Katie Paterson, Richard Prince, Man Ray, Max Reichmann, Hans Richter, Didier Rittener, Dieter Roth, Thomas Ruff, Vittorio Santoro, Christian Schad, Cyril Schäublin, Hubert Scheibl, Berthe Schmidt-Allard, Shirana Shahbazi, Fatma Shanan, Daniel Spoerri, Alfred Stevens, Elisa Storelli, Pierre Subleyras, Una Szeemann, Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs, Yves Tanguy, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Félix Vallotton, Ben Vautier, Willem Van De Velde (II), Jacques De La Villeglé, Andy Warhol, Samuel Watson, Ai Weiwei, Ian Wilson, Wols, Erwin Wurm, Tim Zulauf/KMU Produktionen.

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Accompanying programme

From idea to exhibition (Ge)

Wed 27 September, 6.30 p.m.

A conversation between Kunsthaus curator Cathérine Hug and Vice-Director Christoph Stuehn. In German.

CHF 10 / CHF 8 concessions
CHF 4 with a valid exhibition ticket and for members

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Are we contemporary?

Fri 29 September, 6.30 p.m.

Panel discussion in cooperation with Shared Campus, with participants Dr Burkhard Meltzer (ZHdK), Matheus Rocha Pitta (artist, Berlin), Dr Julie Ren (Senior Scientist, Department of Geography, UZH) and Fatma Shanan (artist, Julis, Tel Aviv and Zurich), moderated by Cathérine Hug. In English.

CHF 15 / CHF 10 concessions
CHF 5 with a valid exhibition ticket and for members

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Crip Time

Wed 18 October, 6.30 p.m.

Panel discussion in cooperation with Dr Charlotte Matter of the Rethinking Art History through Disability research group in the Institute of Art History at the University of Zurich, Kamran Behrouz (artist, University of Linz), Chris Heer (procurement lawyer for the City of Zurich and inclusion expert) and others, moderated by Cathérine Hug. In English.

CHF 15 / CHF 10 concessions
CHF 5 with a valid exhibition ticket and for members

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Future Food

Wed 25 October, 6 p.m.

Performance by Maya Minder with a tasting by Lisa Jankovics (head chef) and film screening with Ewen Chardronnet. In German.

CHF 15 / CHF 10 concessions
CHF 5 with a valid exhibition ticket and for members

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Chronological or transhistorical? (En/De)

Wed 22 November, 6 p.m.

Panel discussion on (experiences of) time and how they are presented in museum collections, with Ann Demeester (Director of the Kunsthaus Zürich), Rosa Barba (artist, ETH Zurich), Prof. Sabine Folie (Director of the Art Collections of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna) and Marc-Olivier Wahler (Director of the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva), moderated by Cathérine Hug. In English/German.

CHF 15 / CHF 10 concessions
CHF 5 with a valid exhibition ticket and for members

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GPHG Grand Prix d’horlogerie de Genève (Fr/En)

Fri 1 to Sun 3 December, whole day

The GPHG is the leading award in the world of watchmaking. Vernissage of the award-winning timepieces on 1 December at 7 p.m. with a welcome by Kunsthaus Director Ann Demeester, speeches (French/English) by Dr Régis Huguenin-Dumittan (Director of MIH) and Raymond Loretan (President of the Fondation du GPHG).

Admission free

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Time does not stand still (Ge)

Wed 13 December, 6.30 p.m.

discussion among experts with restorers Tobias Haupt and Eléonore Bernard about how they deal with time from a conservation perspective, moderated by chief restorer Kerstin Mürer. In German.

CHF 10 / CHF 8 concessions
CHF 4 with a valid exhibition ticket and for members

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Time is Money? (En/Ge)

Wed 10 January 2024, 5 p.m.

Dialogue guided tour and panel discussion (from 6.30 p.m.) in cooperation with the University of St. Gallen and professors Anna Elsner and Jamie Gloor along with guests Sinzo Aanza (artist, Kinshasa/Zurich), Prof. Caroline Dorn (physicist, ETH Zurich), Dr Florian Eitel (anarchism researcher and curator at NMB Neues Museum Biel) and Prof. Josef Teichmann (financial mathematician, ETHZ), moderated by Cathérine Hug. In English/German