The Collecting Process

In contrast with the semi-public Centre Pasquart Foundation, the Kunsthaus Collection Foundation arose from a private initiative of members of the Kunstverein (Art Society). Like other cultural foundations, it is also under the cantonal foundation supervision. At the heart of the collecting process are acquisitions from exhibitions at the Kunsthaus, thus forming a visual archive of the exhibitions programme.

In addition, acquisitions are made of contemporary works of art of national significance. In parallel, the City of Biel collects works by artists with a particular connection to Biel and the region. The Foundation can also commission works of art and, in addition, supports specific exhibitions at the Kunsthaus through its exhibition fund. The collection is held at and maintained by the Kunsthaus Pasquart; it is made available for exhibitions and external loans.

Members of the Kunsthaus Collection Advisory Board

• Jean-Pierre Bechtel
• Ueli Schärrer, Vice-President
• Heidi Schwab, President
• Robert Spycher, Finances
• Emanuela Tonasso
• Ruedi Vogt
• Michael Weissberg
• Director Kunsthaus Pasquart

Current Acquisitions Committee

Aktuelle Ankaufskommission

Under the chairmanship of the director, the committee makes decisions on acquisitions and the acceptance of donations.

• Heidi Schwab
• Francisco Sierra
• Ueli Schärrer

Patron membership

• You support the collection of the Kunsthaus Foundation with an annual contribution of at least CHF 1,000.
• You will be invited to vernissages and all other events at the Kunsthaus.
• You will receive two annual admission tickets to the Kunsthaus.
• You celebrate together with the artist the purchase made possible by you.
• We organise panel discussions with renowned speakers for you in our beautiful rooms of the Kunsthaus.
• Once a year we organise a dinner for you at the Kunsthaus.

Contact

Heidi Schwab

President

Stiftung Kunsthaus-Sammlung Pasquart
Seevorstadt 71
CH-2502 Biel/Bienne

History of the Kunsthaus Collection Foundation

Already on the foundation of the Pasquart and the Kunsthaus it was decided that the formation of a collection for the latter should be considered for several reasons:

• To be an equal partner in loan negotiations with museums, galleries and other lenders.
• To honour artists’ work and to document the Kunsthaus programme via acquisitions from exhibitions presented there.
• To create a reception point for donations, gifts and artists’ legacies.

For these reasons the Collection Pasquart Foundation was founded in 1991.

At the heart of the collecting activity are acquisitions from exhibitions at the Kunsthaus, also, however, the acquisition of contemporary works of art of national significance. The Foundation can also commission works and it supports selected exhibitions at the Kunsthaus with its exhibition fund. The collection is stored and conserved at the Pasquart and is available to the Kunsthaus for exhibitions and loans to other institutions.

The collection contains more than 1800 works, including a comprehensive collection of works by the painter and draughtsman Bruno Meier (CH, 1905-1967). The artists Heinz-Peter Kohler (Biel) and Martin Ziegelmüller (Vinelz, BE) have donated a large number of their graphic works to the collection.

In addition are works left in wills and gifts from artists, private individuals and public institutions.

Parallel to the groups of works mentioned, the collection contains works by among others: 1

Ben Vautier (CH), Heinz Brand (CH), Marie José Burki (CH), Miriam Cahn (CH), herman de vries (NL), Dexter Dalwood (GB), Fischli/Weiss (CH), Clare Goodwin (GB), Hervé Graumann (CH), Mariann Grunder (CH), Rebecca Horn (D), Rannva Kunoy (FO), Werner Otto Leuenberger (CH), Urs Lüthi (CH), M.S. Bastian (CH), Erica Pedretti (CH), Gian Pedretti (CH), Barbara Probst (DE), Markus Raetz (CH), RELAX (chiarenza & hauser&co,CH), Michael Sailstorfer (DE), Claude Sandoz (CH), Leopold Schropp (D), Martin Schwarz (CH), Julia Steiner (CH), Uwe Wittwer (CH), René Zäch (CH)

1 For the complete list up to 2010 see also:: Künstler/-innen der Kunsthaus Sammlung in: 1990–2000–2010 CentrePasquArt, pp. 135 – 137

The Collection

The collection currently contains more than 1’800 works from over 130 artists. These include:

Internationally known names such as Joseph Beuys, Martin Disler, Rebecca Horn, Fischli/Weiss and Markus Raetz.

Important national representations such as Heinz Brand, Marie José Burki, Miriam Cahn, Mariann Grunder, Gian Pedretti, Claude Sandoz and Uwe Wittwer, as well as a large number of regional artists.

There are several large groups of works by the painter and draughtsman Bruno Meier (CH, 1905-1967) and the graphic works of the artist Heinz-Peter Kohler (Biel) and Martin Ziegelmüller (Vinelz, BE)

A selection from the Kunsthaus Collection can be accessed here:

(LINK)