Synopsis
Describing the cultural expansion in my adopted hometown, this piece details the Zurich art boom of mid-noughties. 'Before the 1990s, the contemporary art scene in Zurich was not really present, despite the many galleries and institutions,' noted Kunsthalle Zurich director Beatrix Ruf. 'So artists frequently left to establish their presence internationally, often deciding to live in metropoles like Paris or New York. But then came the success of artists such as John Armleder and Fischli and Weiss - and the following generation like Sylvie Fleurie, Pipilotti Rist and Ugo Rondinone.' Epilogue: the city is too expensive for most artists, but Zurich remains a city that punches way above its weight in the artworld.
