Exhibition programme 2026

Kunsthaus Zürich is Switzerland’s largest transhistorical museum for fine arts, spanning over eight centuries of art history, from the Middle Ages to the present. Being both a picture palace as well as a centre of curiosity, the museum explores the alliances between the historical, the modern and the contemporary, tradition and innovation.

In 2026, the Kunsthaus Zürich presents an exhibition and collections programme that embraces contradictions whereby classic and historic masterpieces engage in dialogue with contemporary art, encouraging new and unexpected perspectives.

Kerry James Marshall: The Histories
February 27–August 16, 2026

The works of Kerry James Marshall (b. 1955 Birmingham, Alabama) are striking artistic commentaries on the histories and lives of Black communities in the US. His large-format paintings are imbued with colour, hope and pain—along with a powerful aesthetic presence. Organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in collaboration with the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris.

Félicien Rops: Laboratory of Lust
March 6–May 31, 2026

The Belgian artist Félicien Rops (1833 Namur–1898 Essonnes) created provocatively erotic visual worlds that defied the double standards and petty-minded hypocrisy of the 19th century bourgeoisie. His works highlight clichés and tensions, with a particular focus on gender roles. In collaboration with the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR).

Marisol
April 17–August 23, 2026

The first major show in Europe of Marisol (1930 Paris–2016 New York) presents the artist’s practice spanning Pop Art, Dada and folk art with an idiosyncratic and visually compelling formal language. Her acerbically witty oeuvre, which also includes many self-portraits, addresses the role of women, social inequality, consumer culture and the mechanisms of power. In cooperation with the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, and the Museum der Moderne, Salzburg, and in collaboration with the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.

Vilhelm Hammershøi
July 3–October 25, 2026

Painting has rarely been as simultaneously enigmatic and fascinating as in the work of Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864 Copenhagen–1916 Copenhagen). The paintings of the ‘Vermeer of the North’ depict empty interiors, silent cities and dim light, nurturing a hypnotic calm in peaceful resistance to the stridency of modernity. In collaboration with the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid.

Maria Lassnig & Edvard Munch
October 2, 2026–February 21, 2027

For the first time, Maria Lassnig (1919 Kappel am Krappfeld–2014 Vienna) and Edvard Munch (1863 Løten–1944 Ekely near Oslo) appear in dialogue in a major exhibition. Both artists saw colour as the expression of both physical and mental emotions and existential experiences. In cooperation with Hamburger Kunsthalle.

Ongoing
The ‘ReCollect!’ series—currently with a poetic intervention by Wu Tsang and a contemplative presentation by Wolfgang Laib. The participatory ‘Art for All’ programme focuses on site-specific commissions: Monster Chetwynd’s more than eight-metre-high head Zardoz, a place for experience and reflection, and Jeffrey Gibson’s installation—boshullichi / inlʋchi—in the main hall of the Chipperfield building.

For a full overview of all exhibitions, events and partners please consult our website www.kunsthaus.ch.