with Marcus Coates, Elmgreen & Dragset, Susanne Hofer, Daniel Robert Hunziker, Clare Kenny, Alicja Kwade, Swantje La Moutte, Esther Meier-Ringger, Edit Oderbolz, Adrian Rast & Valentin Beck, Gitte Schäfer, Loredana Sperini, Michiro Tokushige, John Wood & Paul Harrison, Erwin Wurm, Kohei Yoshiyuki, Eva Zwimpfer and objects from a private collection in Lucerne

The architecture of the Kunstmuseum invites to exhibit and think in large, extensive, and exorbitant scales. Paradoxically, however, in this year’s summer exhibition the exact opposite is about to happen: the international group exhibition is bringing together small, tiny, minutely detailed objects. Rather than huge installations and overwhelming formats the public discovers little gems and jewels. Sometimes the gaze is almost swamped, doesn’t know where to look and keeps encountering new things. On the other hand the treasure somehow is barely recognisable, because a diamond in its rough state is unimpressive and only reveals its value on closer inspection.

Spectacular gestures only seem to dominate the contemporary art, because a visit to the artists’ studios shows the opposite: small objects, valuable collections of tiny things, delicately precious items and detailed research everywhere! In this way the exhibition does not just bring together what is gold and gleams, but also small treasures, curiosities and miniatures as well as simple ideas, modest gestures, swift ideas and minimal interventions.