Discover French-speaking Switzerland’s thriving contemporary art scene, nestled amidst picturesque lakes and verdant vineyards. While Geneva holds the region’s artistic epicenter, the cultural landscape of “La Suisse Romande or short Romandie– as the area is known in Switzerland – has witnessed remarkable growth and professionalization over the past three decades.
A significant symbol of this transformation is the inauguration of Lausanne’s Plateforme 10 in 2022, a museum hub near the city’s central train station. This groundbreaking development thrusts visual arts into the spotlight of Switzerland’s fourth-largest city, traditionally renowned for its theater and dance. The region’s cultural cache has expanded thanks to a tight-knit network of artists, independent spaces, and small institutions that have propelled its visibility on both local and global stages.
Plateforme 10 houses the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne (MCBA), which opened its doors in 2021, freeing its collection from the confines of its former cramped quarters. MCBA’s new, monumental brick building, designed by Catalan architects Barozzi Veiga, presents its permanent collection alongside international contemporary projects. The museum has hosted retrospectives of artists like Francis Alÿs and Lubaina Himid, as well as solo exhibitions by local talents such as Sarah Margnetti, winner of the 2022 Prix Culturel Manor. Two other esteemed institutions, Photo Elysée and the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts, have also joined MCBA at Plateforme 10, further solidifying Lausanne’s ambition to establish itself as a leading arts destination in Switzerland.
Unlike Geneva, Lausanne does not possess a dedicated center for contemporary art like a kunsthalle. However, smaller towns in the region, such as Fribourg and Neuchâtel, have embraced alternative models. Friart, situated in a former cardboard factory in Fribourg, has hosted nearly 200 exhibitions by international and Swiss artists over the past 30 years. The Center d’art Neuchâtel (CAN), known for its non-hierarchical approach, operates under collective management, eschewing a single director. These kunsthalles, along with those in Yverdon-les-Bains and La Chaux-de-Fonds, continue the Swiss tradition of communal art centers that began with the establishment of Kunsthalle Basel in 1869.
In Lausanne, independent art spaces play a crucial role in promoting regional contemporary art and fostering national and international dialogue. The city boasts over 15 art spaces, mostly run by artist volunteers. CIRCUIT, founded in 1998, stands as the oldest operational independent art space, housed in an industrial building near the railroad tracks. Managed by a collective, which has welcomed new members over the years, CIRCUIT defies the transient nature of experimental organizations, offering a platform for artistic exploration.
French-speaking Switzerland’s contemporary art scene thrives through its diverse range of institutions, alternative spaces, and artist-driven initiatives, contributing to the rich cultural fabric of the region.
Pascal Grenacher, Editor in chief