Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein

The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (English: Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts) is a state art museum located in Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. It was designed by Swiss architects Meinrad Morger, Heinrich Degelo, and Christian Kerez, and the building was finished in November 2000. The museum holds a special collection of modern and contemporary art from around the world, and it serves as the national art collection for the Principality of Liechtenstein.

In 2015, a new exhibition space called the Hilti Art Foundation building was added to the Kunstmuseum, expanding its ability to show more art to visitors. The museum is an important place for people to learn about and enjoy beautiful works of art from many different countries and times.

History

In 1967, the country of Liechtenstein received ten paintings as a gift. This started the State Art Collection of Liechtenstein the next year. Dr Georg Malin, an artist and historian from Liechtenstein, was the first person to take care of the collection. He added more modern and contemporary art from around the world.

The building that is now the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein was built with help from private donors, the government of Liechtenstein, and the city of Vaduz. In August 2000, the building was given to Liechtenstein as a special gift for the new millennium. The museum officially opened on November 12, 2000. Dr. Friedemann Malsch led the museum from 1996 to 2021, and since July 1, 2021, Letizia Ragaglia has been the director.

Architecture

The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein was built by Swiss architects Meinrad Morger, Heinrich Degelo, and Christian Kerez. The building looks like a "black box" made of tinted concrete and black stone, with river pebbles embedded in its exterior.

There are six exhibition rooms arranged around two staircases. The design allows visitors to see through the whole building diagonally.

The Hilti Art Foundation works closely with the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. The new exhibition spaces were designed to look like a cube, matching the style and materials of the main museum. Visitors can enter the new spaces through a shared entrance with the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein.

Collection

The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein holds a big part of the state's art collection, which helps show what Liechtenstein is like to the world.

The museum has many modern and contemporary artworks from the 19th century to today. It mainly collects sculptures and installations from the 20th and 21st centuries. The museum looks for unique and independent art pieces.

In 2007, the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein joined with the Kunstmuseum St. Gallen and the Museum of Modern Art, Frankfurt to buy a collection from a gallery owner named Rolf Ricke. This collection includes works by artists like Richard Artschwager, Bill Bollinger, Donald Judd, Gary Kuehn, Fabian Marcaccio, Steven Parrino, David Reed, Richard Serra, Keith Sonnier, and Jessica Stockholder. Even though the artworks are shared among the three museums, each one can see all the pieces.

Exhibitions

The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein has shown many famous artists in past exhibitions. Some of these artists include Gary Kuehn, Otto Freundlich, Gottfried Honegger, Leiko Ikemura, Rita McBride, Paul Klee, Jochen Gerz, André Thomkins, František Kupka, Andy Warhol, and many more.

Since May 2015, the Hilti Art Foundation has been showing a changing selection of paintings, sculptures, and objects from its collection. These works cover art from classical modernism to today. Some artists featured include Gauguin, Picasso, Léger, Beckmann, Kirchner, Kandinsky, Dubuffet, Giacometti, and others. The exhibitions are organized by themes and time periods, matching the three levels of the building.

Extension – Hilti Art Foundation

Since May 2015, the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein has grown with a new building for exhibitions from the Hilti Art Foundation.