Walter A. Bechtler Foundation
The Walter A. Bechtler Foundation was founded in 1955 by the Zurich entrepreneur Walter A. Bechtler . It serves the purpose of contemporary art - v. a. Sculptures and sculptures - to be bought and made accessible to the population on public land.
Foundation purpose
The foundation was established with the following purpose: "Purchase of works of contemporary sculpture, which are made available to the City of Zurich or other Zurich municipalities for installation on public property or in places that are generally accessible to the public."
The long-standing debate about the "Cube" by Sol LeWitt made it necessary to change the purpose of the foundation in 2009: since the foundation was established in 1955, it was only the city of Zurich and other Zurich communities that were eligible for the donations, but the foundation expanded 1995 extended the area to other Swiss cities and municipalities.
Since 2009 the purpose of the foundation has been: “The purpose of the foundation is: to support cultural endeavors with a focus on the fine arts; Purchase of works of contemporary sculpture as well as related works of art, in particular installations, films and video works, which the city of Zurich or other Swiss (city) municipalities for display on public land or in places that are generally accessible to the public, especially museums Will be provided. Maintenance and exhibition of the work of Walter De Maria 'The 2000 Sculpture' in order to permanently preserve this important work, created by the artist in 1992 for the exhibition at the Kunsthaus Zürich , and to make it accessible to the public in a dignified manner. The foundation pursues neither gainful nor self-help purposes. "
history
Before the Second World War, Walter A. Bechtler and his brother Hans C. Bechtler set up Luwa AG in Zurich, a company specializing in ventilation and air conditioning. In addition to their successful work as entrepreneurs, the two brothers were also active as art collectors and shaped Zurich's cultural policy.
Walter Bechtler was a member of the board of the Vereinigung Zürcher Kunstfreunde from 1957 to 1972. He was also a member of the exhibition commission of the Zurich Art Society. His brother Hans C. Bechtler was President of the Collection Commission and Vice President of the Art Society. In 1956 a selection of sculptures, graphics and paintings from the property of the siblings Hans and Walter Bechtler was shown in the Kunstmuseum Winterthur. In 1982 an insight into the collection activities of the Bechtler brothers was shown at the Kunsthaus Zürich.
Walter Bechtler wanted to make international art - especially sculptures - accessible to the public and to display it in public spaces in Zurich. However, because public art funding mainly supported local artists, the opportunity to display international art in urban space was reduced. For Walter A. Bechtler, a way out of the municipal preference for local art was one of the reasons for establishing the foundation.
After Walter Bechtler's death, Ruedi Bechtler , one of his sons, became president of the foundation in 1995 . Thomas W. Bechtler became President of the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft in 1987 and a new member of the City of Zurich's Art Commission in the same year.
Activities of the foundation
The foundation was established in 1955. By the early 1980s, six of the Foundation's works of art found a place in public space, namely in Zollikon and Zurich (including Jean Tinguely , Heureka ).
The iron sculpture "Heureka" by Jean Tinguely in 1965 sparked a long debate about a suitable location in Zurich. About a dozen locations were examined for the gigantic machine sculpture, but each time the work of art met resistance. After locations such as the Landiwiese or the Hallenstadion, an agreement was reached on the supposedly provisional location on the Zürichhorn, where the sculpture still stands today.
The search for a location for Sol LeWitt's "Cube" sparked an even bigger debate than Tinguely's "Heureka". In 1986 the city of Zurich was to be given a work of art to be displayed in public space: "Cube", a white stone cube with an edge length of five meters by the American artist Sol LeWitt. However, before the city council finally decided whether to accept the gift, an unexpectedly heated debate began. Artists, art educators and readers took a stand in the media, and the city administration repeatedly debated a possible location over the next six years. Dozens of locations have been checked and repeatedly discarded. Other locations such as St. Gallen, Zug or the Engadin were also discussed, but failed for various reasons. "Cube" by Sol LeWitt can be admired in Zellweger Park in Uster since June 2011, another commitment of the foundation in public space: In this part of Uster, a new city quarter is being created that not only offers apartments and workplaces, but also on behalf of Foundation also makes striking works of international and Swiss contemporary art accessible to the public.
A dispute over the Alberto Giacometti Foundation represents an important chapter in the cultural and political commitment of the Bechtler brothers: The American collector G. David Thompson sold a collection of 60 sculptures, 10 oil paintings and 20 drawings by Alberto Giacometti in 1960 . Thanks to the initiative, persistent commitment and the founding of a support committee by Hans C. and Walter A. Bechtler, it was possible to leave the collection to the Kunsthaus Zürich with private funds.
Current focus
In addition to the geographic expansion of the foundation's purpose, the foundation has also adapted its art funding to current art events over the years. In addition to sculptures and sculptures, installations and video art were added. These works are now made available to renowned art institutions as permanent loans. The maintenance and exhibition of the work “The 2000 Sculpture” by Walter De Maria is also part of the Foundation's remit. When the company was founded, the focus was on the purchase of individual works for the outside area, but today, in addition to individual purchases, they are also involved in longer-term projects such as the "Public Plaiv" in the Upper Engadine.
The expansion of the foundation's purpose is due to the commitment of Thomas Bechtler and his brother Ruedi Bechtler, foundation president and majority shareholder of the Hotel Castell in Zuoz . Over the course of a few years, a concept developed at the Hotel Castell that combines art and tourism in a unique way. The rock pool by Tadashi Kawamata or the rotunda “Skyspace Piz Uter” by James Turrell enable art enjoyment and new sensory perceptions in the direct vicinity of the hotel. In addition, in cooperation with the business organization La Plaiv (which aims, among other things, to promote educational tourism in the Engadine) and the Zurich University of Art and Design - today the Zurich University of the Arts (in the special Institute for Contemporary Art) - the relevance of art in the landscape La Plaiv investigates and realizes important art projects. For example, Ken Lum's museum with a fictional migration story can be visited in La Punt-Chamues-ch . The famous “Untitled Room” by Fischli / Weiss can also be admired through a garage window in S-chanf .
literature
- Before the Sun Rises. Edited by Bice Curiger . jrp Verlag, Zurich 2005. Publication on the 50th anniversary of the foundation.
- Schenker, Christoph (Ed.): Public Plaiv. Art contemporauna illa Plaiv. Contemporary art in the La Plaiv landscape and settlement area, Upper Engadin. Zurich 2002.
- The Bechtler siblings collection. Exhibition catalog, Kunstmuseum Winterthur, August 19 - September 30, 1956. Ed. Kunstverein Winterthur. Winterthur 1956.
- Hans and Walter Bechtler collections. Exhibition catalog, Kunsthaus Zurich, August 20 - October 3, 1982. Zurich 1982.
- Du-Magazin , March 2011, Bechtler or Die Kunst-Pacemaker
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ limited preview in the Google book search
- ↑ limited preview in the Google book search
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original dated August 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
