La Prairie & Fondation Beyeler partnership


Joining forces in a critical conservation cause

Photo ©: Mark Niedermann

Fondation Beyeler, founded in 1997 by art collectors and gallery owners Ernst and Hildy Beyeler, is the most-visited art museum in Switzerland, drawing between 300,000 and 400,000 visitors a year.

The collection includes over 400 post-Impressionist, Classical Modern, and contemporary works. The museum building, located in the idyllic Berower Park in Riehen, Basel was designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano.

It shows three to four temporary exhibitions a year, each devoted to pioneering artists or art movements.

These include Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Ferdinand Hodler, Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Alexander Calder, and the Surrealists. Other great names include Louise Bourgeois, Gerhard Richter, Jeff Koons, Marlene Dumas, Richard Serra, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Wolfgang Tillmans.

The Fondation Beyeler also offers an extensive programme of art education and events, with guided tours, workshops, concerts, readings and multilingual art historical publications.

As artworks are subject to the effects of time, central to the vision and ongoing mission of Fondation Beyeler is their department of art conservation, which undertakes the vital role of ensuring ongoing cultural patrimony.

“The conservators of Fondation Beyeler are not merely protecting art in order to prolong its longevity. They are ensuring the very continuity of culture and art appreciation.”

Fondation Beyeler’s conservators sit at the frontier of preserving artworks for posterity, with their holistic approach going beyond the realm of art restoration. The aim of the art conservator is a multi-faceted one. It involves closely studying the unique attributes and properties of individual artworks, and documenting, analysing, and anticipating what the impact of time may be upon it.

Equipped with this depth of knowledge, the conservators take the necessary steps to conserve the artwork, and thus protect, preserve, and display the original intention of the artist for future audiences.

By carrying out their multi-disciplined approach, the conservators of Fondation Beyeler are not merely protecting art in order to prolong its longevity. They are ensuring the very continuity of culture and art appreciation.

The conservators protect, preserve, and display the original intention of the artist for future audiences

Photo ©: Mark Niedermann

“Art is an important part of our lives. It testifies to how people see and understand the world in which we live. It is therefore essential to preserve artefacts so we can remember, learn about and honour those who were involved,” says Markus Gross, Head Conservator at Fondation Beyeler.

“We are delighted that La Prairie supports this project and contributes to raising awareness of the importance of art conservation,” he adds.

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Spotlight Series • September 2020

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