The progeny of another world, witnesses to dreamscapes and fantastical beings. To begin its anniversary year of 2020, the Kunsthaus Zug shows what was a focus of the collection right from the start: Swiss surrealist and fantastic art.

It might have seemed a surreal step in itself when the Zuger Kunstgesellschaft began contemplating setting up its own collection towards the end of the 1970s. How could they differentiate themselves from the established art institutions? The maverick, idiosyncratic aspects of the surreal and fantastic trends in art are what remain attractive about this collection focus, down to the present day.

The exhibition Fantastic Surreal addresses different varieties of Surrealism – which was more an attitude of mind than a style. With Meret Oppenheim and Kurt Seligmann, those Swiss artists who participated actively in the Surrealist scene in Paris are also represented. This exhibition will open up new perspectives on a collection that continues to grow: some works have never before been put on display, while unexpected connections will emerge between objects that we thought we already knew.

Curated by Marco Obrist