The employees of the Kunsthaus are internationally networked within their disciplines and across disciplines. We work together with other organisations on both profession-specific and socially relevant issues. We share our expertise and pool resources, particularly where research and science are supported with public funds or by third parties.

The handling of cultural heritage in museums has become the focus of heated public discussions in recent years. At the centre of the debate is a critical examination of collection histories and object biographies, as well as a critical review of traditional institutional and museum practices This entanglement of issues takes centre stage at the international conference held in Zurich, jointly organised by the Kunsthaus Zürich with its focus on fine art from the Middle Ages to modern and contemporary, the Swiss National Museum which specialises in cultural history and the Museum Rietberg with its collections of arts from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. The three museums have been examining their engagement with objects, testimonies and stories that are considered “sensitive, problematic or contested” in their exhibitions and collection research.   

The three-day international conference is primarily aimed at experts and practitioners. The focus is on the exchange of experiences from practice in dealing with objects, testimonies and stories that are considered “sensitive, problematic or contested”. The conference will take place in-person and will be livestreamed online. It will comprise presentations of case studies from over 20 international museum practitioners and experts drawn from a call for papers, panel discussions, two lecture performances, exhibition tours, as well as a world café. The aim is a lively, open exchange on methodological, strategic and programmatic considerations by exploring topics such as “exhibiting”, “collecting”, “displaying”, “provenances”, and “research” from a wide range of perspectives.

Programme and organisation

Kunsthaus Zürich: Ann Demeester, director / Joachim Sieber, head of provenance research / Ioana Jimborean, research associate / Kim Stengl, project and research assistant.

Swiss National Museum, Zurich: Denise Tonella, director / Heidi Amrein, chief curator.

Museum Rietberg, Zurich: Annette Bhagwati, director / Esther Tisa Francini, head of provenance research and archive.