Works by Toulouse-Lautrec, a necklace by Bernhard Schobinger, a self-portrait by Oskar Schlemmer, an oil painting by Gustav Klimt, clothes by Christa de Carouge regardless of how different these works might be, they have one common denominator: Japan.

This fascination for Japan is a phenomenon that is not limited by time or place. Western artists have been increasingly interested in Japan since the middle of the 19th century, both as part of their search for new visual and formal languages, and in their endeavours to explore new philosophies of life. Western art and culture as we know them would be almost inconceivable without these Japanese influences.

The exhibition Everything and Nothing aims to trace these manifold references. Selected works from the collection will be exhibited alongside historical Japanese works from the Historisches und Völkerkundemuseum St. Gallen to demonstrate the exciting spectrum of influences that go far beyond mere Japonism.

Curated by Matthias Haldemann and Nina Schweizer

This exhibition is under the patronage of the Embassy of Japan in Switzerland