Jean-Michel Basquiat

Engadin

14 December 2024 – 29 March 2025

St. Moritz

Exploring various artistic motifs that combine the natural and cultural landscape of the Engadin with the metropolis of New York, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s first solo exhibition dedicated to the paintings he created in and inspired by his visits to Switzerland opens on 14 December at our St. Moritz gallery.

‘Jean-Michel Basquiat. Engadin’ traces the renowned artist’s connections to the country, which began in 1982 with his first show at Galerie Bruno Bischofberger in Zurich, returning over a dozen times to St. Moritz, Zurich, Appenzell and Basel. The Engadin region in particular continued to fascinate Basquiat long after his return to New York, resulting in a body of work that captures his impressions of the Swiss Alpine landscape and culture through the lens of his highly distinctive and personal artistic language.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalog from Hauser & Wirth Publishers to give visitors a unique insight into this specific chapter of one of the most important artists of the 20th Century. The exhibition is supported by Dr. Dr. Dieter Buchhart, who has written an essay for the catalog, and Dr. Anna Karina Hofbauer, internationally renowned curators and Basquiat experts.

See (Lake), 1983

Courtesy Private Collection © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

Big Snow, 1984

Courtesy Private Collection © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

To Repel Ghosts, 1986

Courtesy Nicola Erni Collection © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

The Dutch Settlers, 1982

Courtesy Nicola Erni Collection © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

Skifahrer (Skier), 1983

Courtesy Collection Carmignac © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

X-mas Painting for Bruno, 1984

Courtesy Bischofberger Collection, Männedorf-Zurich © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York

From Hauser & Wirth Publishers

Jean-Michel Basquiat: Engadin

With forewords by Bruno Bischofberger and Iwan Wirth and an essay by curator Dr. Dr. Dieter Buchhart, this new publication documents a unique body of work that captures Jean-Michel Basquiat’s impressions of the Swiss Alpine landscape and culture through the lens of his iconic visual language.

Current Exhibitions