Swiss museum’s donation grows after hidden art revealed
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The Musée des beaux-arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland received a donation of 218 works from collector Philippe Bodenmann, exceeding the initial estimate of 150 pieces.
Museum director David Lemaire explained that the full extent of the collection wasn’t known when the donation was first announced in 2025, as not all of Bodenmann’s portfolios had been inventoried.
The donated collection features Anglo-American conceptual art, Zurich Concrete art, and the Swiss Neo-Geo scene, with works by artists including Joseph Kosuth, Lawrence Weiner, and Royden Rabinowitch. It notably strengthens the museum’s existing collection of Zurich Concrete art, a historically important movement for the institution, with paintings by Max Bill. Bodenmann’s collection also includes several British conceptual artists known for incorporating walking into their work, such as Hamish Fulton and Richard Long.
Lemaire identified Kosuth’s 1985 Intentio (project) and Andreas Christen’s 1998 monochrome relief as key additions to the museum’s holdings, noting that the museum previously owned no works by Kosuth and only one by Christen. Bodenmann made the gift with no restrictions, expressing his long-standing trust in the museum and requesting that the collection remain intact as a whole. The collection is currently on display in the exhibition Voyages en zigzag until January 3, 2027.
