Matthew Wong – Vincent Van Gogh

We present an exploration of the artistic and biographical parallels between Chinese-Canadian painter Matthew Wong and Vincent van Gogh. This unique exhibition, a first in Switzerland, features 40 of Wong's imaginary landscapes and interiors, alongside a curated selection of van Gogh masterpieces.

Admission

Tickets: CHF 31.–/22.–* including access to the entire collection.
*concessions and groups

Free admission for members and Children under the age of 14.
PLAN YOUR VISIT

Note for groups

We look forward to welcoming you to the Kunsthaus. For organizational reasons, prior registration is required.

info@kunsthaus.ch, +41 44 253 84 84

Explosion of Colour

Dynamic and vividly colourful, Matthew Wong’s paintings primarily focus on landscapes of expressive lyricism. Like van Gogh, he was a self-taught artist who began drawing at 27. In the subsequent eight years, he created a diverse and extensive body of work. Wong absorbed a vast amount of art history, drawing inspiration from both Euro-American and Chinese art. His influences included Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Shitao, Gustav Klimt, Yayoi Kusama, and Alex Katz. Wong’s imaginary landscapes and interiors are filled with stylistic references to these artists but remain distinctly personal and original.

Wong_Coming-of-Age-Landscape — Matthew Wong, Coming of Age Landscape, 2018, Private collection, Courtesy of HomeArt © 2024, ProLitteris, Zurich

Gogh_Vincent van__Maison-du-Pere-Pilon — Vincent van Gogh, La Maison du Père Pilon, 1890, Private collection

Wong__The-Space-Between-Trees — Matthew Wong, The Space between Trees, 2019, Collection of Judith and Danny Tobey, © 2024, ProLitteris, Zurich

Gogh_van_Vincent_Cypres — Vincent van Gogh, Le Cyprès et l‘Arbre en fleurs, 1889, Private collection

Wong__Somewhere — Matthew Wong, Somewhere, 2018, Private collection, Courtesy of Karma © 2024, ProLitteris, Zurich

Wong_The-West — Matthew Wong, The West, 2017, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Art Fair Foundation Acquisition Fund © 2024, ProLitteris, Zurich

Gogh_van_Vincent_Champ-de-ble — Vincent van Gogh, Champ de blé aux bleuets, 1890, Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, Beyeler Collection

Wong__The-Kingdom — Matthew Wong, The Kingdom, 2017, Liz Lange and Davis Shapiro © 2024, ProLitteris, Zurich

Kindred Spirits

Where is the exhibition located?

At the Chipperfield-Building 2nd floor, see our interactive visitor guide!

To the visitor guide

Van Gogh’s influence is evident in Wong’s expressive use of colour and painting style. Both artists expressed their emotional states directly through their works. Wong struggled with depression, Tourette’s syndrome, and autism, and took his life in 2019 at 35. Van Gogh, suffering from psychotic seizures, anxiety, and hallucinations, committed suicide in 1890 at 37. Their shared emotional and dynamic vision of painting, especially landscape painting, is a central theme of the exhibition.

« I see myself in him. The impossibility of belonging in this world » — Matthew Wong

Wong__The-Realm-of-Appearances — Matthew Wong, The Realm of Appearances, 2018, Private collection © 2024, ProLitteris, Zurich

Inviting Comparisons

The Kunsthaus exhibition presents Wong and van Gogh by giving each artist their own space while linking their works selectively. Large openings in the partitions allow visitors to visually compare van Gogh’s smaller works with Wong’s larger paintings. These visual connections highlight their shared vision without compromising the autonomy of their works. The exhibition emphasizes their dynamic and emotionally charged approach to painting, bringing together around 35 works by Wong and a dozen by van Gogh, showcasing key pieces from the last years of both artists' lives.

Gogh_Vincent_van__Deux-paysannes — Vincent van Gogh, Deux Paysannes, 1890, Emil Bührle Collection, on long term loan at Kunsthaus Zürich

The exhibition is a collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and is based on an idea and concept by Joost van der Hoeven, who curated the exhibition in Amsterdam. In Zurich, it is curated by Jonas Beyer and Philippe Büttner. The cooperation with the Van Gogh Museum brings the Kunsthaus together with a strong partner, providing exquisite van Gogh paintings on loan. A further partner is the Albertina in Vienna, where the exhibition will also be shown.

Supported by the Hans Imholz-Stiftung, the Max Kohler Stiftung and the Elisabeth Weber Stiftung.