Richard Anuszkiewicz (b. 1930, Erie, Pennsylvania)
Anuszkiewicz was an American artist best known for his dazzling Op Art paintings, which explored the optical effects of color and geometric precision. His work focused on the interaction of contrasting hues, creating vibrant compositions that appeared to pulse and shift before the viewer’s eyes. Influenced by Josef Albers and rooted in color theory, he meticulously layered tones to heighten perceptual experiences. Though associated with Op Art, his work also engaged with Minimalism and geometric abstraction. His paintings and prints are held in major collections such as MoMA (New York), the Whitney Museum (New York), and the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.).
John Armleder (b. 1948, Geneva, Switzerland)
Armleder is a Swiss artist best known for his diverse practice spanning painting, sculpture, installation, and performance. His work merges abstraction with conceptual art, often incorporating found objects and references to design, modernism, and pop culture. A founding member of the Geneva-based Groupe Ecart, he played a key role in the Fluxus movement, embracing chance, irony, and collaboration in his creative process. His use of mirrors is a recurring element in his art and can be placed within the context of Op Art, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art. The boundary between artwork and environment becomes blurred, playing with the viewer’s perception. His pieces are held in major collections such as MoMA (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris), and the Kunstmuseum Basel.
Miquel Barceló (b. 1957, Felanitx, Spain)
Barceló is a Spanish artist best known for his richly textured paintings and experimental approach to materials. His work draws inspiration from nature, art history, and his travels, incorporating elements of decay, transformation, and light. While primarily a painter, he also explores sculpture, ceramics, and large-scale installations, such as his dramatic ceiling fresco for the United Nations in Geneva. Influenced by Abstract Expressionism, Art Informel, and traditional Spanish painting, he fuses gestural abstraction with figurative elements. Though often associated with Neo-Expressionism, his work defies strict categorization. His pieces are held in major collections such as the Museo Reina Sofía (Madrid), Centre Pompidou (Paris), and MoMA (New York).
Joseph Beuys (b. 1921, Krefeld, Germany)
Beuys was a German artist best known for his radical approach to sculpture, performance, and social activism. His work incorporated unconventional materials such as felt, fat, and other raw material, often infused with personal mythology and political symbolism. A key figure in Fluxus, he pioneered "social sculpture," viewing art as a vehicle for societal transformation. His works point towards the emphasis on the notion of art as a "transmitter" of information, or as a metaphorical conduit for change. He deliberately chose materials that would change over time, in order to present "sculpture as an evolutionary process. Processes continue in most of them: chemical reactions, fermentations, color changes, decay, drying up. Everything is in a state of change." His works are held in major collections such as MoMA (New York), Tate (London), and the Centre Pompidou (Paris).
Mike Bidlo (b. 1953, Chicago, Illinois)
Bidlo is an American artist best known for his meticulously recreated versions of iconic artworks by masters such as Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol. His practice challenges notions of originality, authorship, and artistic value, positioning his work within the framework of Appropriation Art. Through painting, sculpture, and performance, he questions the role of the artist in contemporary culture, often reimagining historical pieces with precise technical execution. Though closely linked to the Pictures Generation, his work also engages with Conceptual and Pop Art traditions. His pieces are featured in major collections such as MoMA (New York), the Whitney Museum (New York), and the Broad (Los Angeles).
Valentin Carron (b. 1977, Martigny, Switzerland)
Carron is a Swiss artist known for his sculptural works that challenge traditional notions of authenticity and materiality. Drawing inspiration from vernacular Swiss culture, modernist design, and art historical references, he creates sculptures that often mimic everyday objects but subvert expectations through unexpected materials and techniques. His work engages with themes of nostalgia, mass production, and cultural identity, blending irony with craftsmanship. Though primarily a sculptor, Carron also explores painting and installation art. His works have been exhibited in major institutions, including the Kunsthalle Bern, Palais de Tokyo (Paris), and the Swiss Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
George Condo (b. 1957, Concord, New Hampshire)
George Condo, an American artist known for blending classical painting techniques with contemporary and surrealist imagery, explores the cultural impact of television in his Televised Silkscreens series. Meditations on Andy pays homage to both Andy Griffith and Andy Warhol, referencing Warhol’s pioneering silkscreen methods while reinterpreting these influences through Condo’s distinctive style. His other work, often linked to Neo-Expressionism and Postmodernism, merges Old Master portraiture with Cubist distortions and cartoon-like figures, creating what he calls “Artificial Realism – a reflection on psychology, identity, and the absurd. His paintings and sculptures are held in major collections such as MoMA (New York), the Whitney Museum (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris), and the Tate (London).
Peter Fischli/David Weiss (collaborating 1979-2012, Switzerland)
Fischli/Weiss were a Swiss artist duo best known for their playful and philosophical explorations of everyday life through sculpture, photography, film, and installation. Their work blended humor with deep conceptual inquiry, often transforming banal objects into art that questioned perception and meaning. They gained international recognition with The Way Things Go, a mesmerizing chain-reaction film of everyday materials in motion. Influenced by Dada, Surrealism, and Conceptual Art, they embraced chance, irony, and the absurd. Though their work defied strict categorization, it resonated across multiple movements. Their pieces are held in major collections such as MoMA (New York), Tate (London), and Centre Pompidou (Paris).
Isa Genzken (b. 1948, Bad Oldesloe, Germany)
Genzken is a German artist best known for her bold and eclectic sculptures, installations, and collages that merge high art with pop culture and urban aesthetics. Her work incorporates industrial materials, found objects, and architectural forms – such as the wind bracing X as a diagonal structural member stabilizing a building’s frame – often reflecting on modernity, consumerism, and the fragility of human experience. Influenced by Minimalism, Constructivism, and postwar German art, she continuously reinvents her style, moving from sleek early sculptures to chaotic, assemblage-based works. Her pieces are held in major collections such as MoMA (New York), Tate (London), and Centre Pompidou (Paris).
Mario Giacomelli (b. 1925, Senigallia, Italy)
Giacomelli was an Italian photographer best known for his stark black-and-white images that blend documentary and poetic abstraction. His work often depicted rural life, religious communities, and the passage of time, characterized by high-contrast compositions and expressive textures. Drawing inspiration from Neorealism and Abstract Expressionism, he used photography as a means of storytelling, transforming ordinary scenes into deeply emotive and surreal landscapes. Though often associated with Humanist and experimental photography, his style defied strict categorization. His works are featured in major collections such as MoMA (New York), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), and the Centre Pompidou (Paris).
Douglas Gordon (b. 1966, Glasgow, United Kingdom)
Gordon is a Scottish artist renowned for his conceptual and video art, exploring themes of time, memory, and identity. His works often involve the manipulation of video, sound, and installations, creating immersive environments that challenge perception. In the diptych ‘Study for Holiday Painting 2’ and ‘Holiday Painting #2’, the artist's working method and his transformational approach can be recognised very clearly: The left panel, a C-print, features an old Agfa advertisement with vintage typography and film perforations. The right panel, a minimalist white painting, contrasts sharply, disrupting nostalgic associations. His works have been exhibited internationally, with notable displays at the Guggenheim (New York), the Tate Modern (London), and the Centre Pompidou (Paris).
Olivier Mosset (b. 1944, Bern, Switzerland)
Mosset is a Swiss artist best known for his minimalist paintings, particularly his large-scale works featuring geometric shapes and bold, monochromatic color fields. His approach focuses on the concept of repetition and the removal of personal expression, often employing simple forms like circles, squares, and straight lines. As a key figure in the European avant-garde, Mosset was associated with the BMPT group, which challenged traditional notions of painting and embraced abstraction. His works have been exhibited globally, with notable collections at the Centre Pompidou (Paris), MoMA (New York), and the Kunsthalle Zürich.
Pablo Picasso (b. 1881, Malaga, Spain)
Picasso was a Spanish artist best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and revolutionizing the landscape of modern art. His diverse body of work spanned painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, and more, marked by his ability to constantly evolve and innovate. His drawings from the 1970s reflect his late style, characterized by bold lines, fluid forms, and a sense of spontaneity. Often depicting portraits, nudes, and mythological figures, these works demonstrate his continued exploration of expression and movement. Despite their apparent simplicity, they showcase his mastery of form and composition, blending influences from his earlier periods with a fresh, almost calligraphic approach. Known for his prolific output and experimentation with various styles, he also explored Surrealism, neoclassicism, and even ceramics. His works are housed in major collections such as the Museo Picasso (Barcelona), MoMA (New York), and the Musée Picasso (Paris).
Richard Prince (b. 1949, Panama Canal Zone)
Prince is an American artist best known for his provocative and boundary-pushing works that explore themes of appropriation, identity, and consumer culture. Prince’s Joke Studies began in 1984 when he started redrawing cartoons with one-liner gags, highlighting humor as a reflection of cultural norms and social biases. Over time, he removed the imagery, distilling jokes to pure text to emphasize their deeper meanings. By experimenting with repetition, composition, and handwritten elements, Prince transformed jokes into a study of language, identity, and authorship, bridging mass media and fine art. His works, known for their subversive nature, are featured in major collections like the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), the Guggenheim (New York), and the Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles).
David Renggli (b. 1974, Zurich, Switzerland)
Renggli is a Swiss artist best known for his multidisciplinary approach, blending sculpture, installation, and painting to explore themes of culture, consumerism, and the passage of time. His work often incorporates found objects, everyday materials, and references to pop culture, creating a dialogue between the banal and the extraordinary. Renggli’s pieces invite reflection on the tension between the ephemeral and the permanent, challenging traditional notions of art and value. His works have been exhibited internationally, with notable displays in institutions like the Kunsthalle Zürich (Switzerland) and the Centre d'Art Contemporain (Geneva).
Albert Steiner (b. 1877, Frutigen, Switzerland)
Steiner was a Swiss artist best known for his striking black-and-white photography, capturing the stark beauty of the Swiss Alps and the Swiss countryside. His evocative images, often imbued with a sense of timelessness, highlight the intricate relationship between nature and humanity. Steiner’s work also extended to architectural and industrial subjects, where he explored light, form, and structure with precision. A pioneer in Swiss photography, his works are held in prestigious collections, including the Musée de l'Élysée (Lausanne) and the Swiss Foundation for Photography (Winterthur).
Jean Tinguely (b. 1925, Fribourg, Switzerland)
Tinguely was a Swiss artist best known for his inventive kinetic sculptures—mechanical works that move and often produce sound. His playful, often chaotic machines were designed to question the nature of art, technology, and modern life. Tinguely’s works incorporated a mix of scrap metal and industrial components, blurring the line between art and engineering. His approach was rooted in Dadaism and surrealism. His works are in major collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris), and the Tate Modern (London).
Ben Vautier (b. 1935, Naples, Italy)
Vautier is a French artist best known for his role in the development of conceptual art and his provocative works that challenge language, society, and the art world itself. His signature approach blends text, humor, and irony, often incorporating written messages on canvas, walls, and everyday objects. A key figure in the Fluxus movement, Vautier’s work critiques established norms while embracing spontaneity and anti-art sentiments. His works have been exhibited internationally, with notable collections at the Centre Pompidou (Paris), Museum of Modern Art (New York), and the Kunsthalle Zürich.
Andy Warhol (b. 1928, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Warhol was an American artist best known for his pioneering contributions to Pop Art, blending commercial imagery with fine art. His iconic works, such as Campbell's Soup Cans, elevated mass-produced products to the status of high art, challenging traditional boundaries. Wherby photography played a crucial part of his artistic practice, serving as both a documentary tool and a foundation for his iconic silkscreen prints. Using Polaroid cameras and 35mm film, he captured celebrities, everyday objects, and candid moments, often blurring the line between commercial and fine art. His works are featured in major collections such as the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Tate Modern (London), and the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York).
James Welling (b. 1951, Hartford, Connecticut)
Welling is an American artist best known for his experimental approach to photography. His paintings featuring round black circles explore abstraction, perception, and materiality. These works often focus on the interaction of light, form, and color, creating a dynamic visual experience. The black circles can evoke ideas of voids, shadows, or disruptions in space, aligning with Welling’s broader interest in the relationship between photography, painting, and memory. His works are featured in major collections such as the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Getty Museum (Los Angeles), and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Terry Winters (b. 1949, New York City, New York)
Winters is an American artist best known for his abstract paintings and works on paper that explore the intersection of science, nature, and the human experience. His intricate compositions often blend organic forms with mathematical and biological structures, creating layered visual environments. Winters’ use of vibrant color, line, and texture invites viewers to engage with complex, evolving patterns. His work spans painting, printmaking, and drawing, and he has exhibited widely in major institutions such as MoMA (New York), the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), and the Centre Pompidou (Paris).