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Art Exhibitions In The Interlaken And Thun Region (Switzerland)
Explore the vibrant art scene of Interlaken and Thun, where every gallery tells a story and Swiss creativity flourishes ...
Jul 21, 2015
David Jackson
Switzerland is renowned for its rich cultural landscape, boasting more museums and art galleries per capita than any other country. Among its treasures are two exceptional institutions located in Bern, easily accessible by rail from Interlaken and Thun. The Kunstmuseum, situated in the city center, and the ultra-modern Paul Klee Centre are must-visit spots. Additionally, a two-hour rail journey opens up access to the great galleries of Basle, Lucerne, Lausanne, Martigny, and Zurich. The Swiss Pass, which allows free travel by train, bus, or boat, also serves as a Swiss Museum Pass, granting free entry to most museums and art galleries. However, there are three gems much closer to home:
The Kunstmuseum Thun, the largest of the three, hosts 5-6 temporary exhibitions featuring important artists throughout the year.
The Kunsthaus Interlaken, a smaller exhibition space that caters to various art forms.
Sammlung Suter in Steffisburg, showcasing works owned by collectors Hans and Marlis Suter, with two delightful exhibitions held during the summer months.
In addition to these, Schloss Spiez occasionally hosts temporary art exhibitions in its castle museum. Many exhibitions feature Swiss artists or those with connections to the region, which might suggest a limited scope. However, the stunning drama and beauty of the Bernese Oberland have historically attracted both Swiss and international artists, such as Hodler and August Macke.
The Kunstmuseum Thun
The majestic Kunstmuseum, formerly the Grand Hotel Thunerhof, stands proudly between the Thun to Interlaken road and the fast-flowing Aare.
Very close to the city center, it can be reached by an attractive short walk along the riverbank, across an old, flower-bedecked wooden bridge, and just a few meters along the opposite bank. Each year, the museum holds 5-6 temporary exhibitions, often drawing from its large collection of Swiss art, which spans genres including classical modern, Pop Art, and contemporary.
The museum's main aim is to introduce visitors to ‘contemporary positions’ that relate to its collection. I have visited the museum each summer for over 10 years and have never been disappointed. The exhibitions have been bold, imaginative, thought-provoking, and sometimes confrontational.
Christian Marclay’s 2004 exhibition, representing the cutting edge of contemporary art.
The 2008 exhibition ‘In Silent Conversation with Ingmar Bergman’, where film played a predominant role.
‘Sea of Tranquility’, the centerpiece of Hans Op de Beeck’s 2011 exhibition, which remains deeply etched in my memory.
The blockbuster 2013 exhibition ‘It is almost too beautiful here’ focused on Lake Thun, August Macke, and Switzerland.
The tragic young German expressionist lived in Oberhofen from October 1913 to June 1914, shortly before his untimely death in World War I.
The leading figure in the summer’s (2014) exhibition was Canadian artist Marcel Dzama, supported by smaller retrospectives featuring young Swiss artists Augustin Rebetez and the U5 collective. Their works included paintings, drawings, models, film, collage, dioramas, photographs, and sculpture. Dzama’s large and detailed images demanded close inspection, which could sometimes shock.
Pro Tip: The museum offers free, well-presented, multilingual leaflets with clear explanations and guidance, useful for both non-specialist and specialist visitors.
Visitor Information
Entry: CHF 12- /10- (Children under 16 are free)
Swiss Museum Pass is accepted
Opening Hours
Tuesday – Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm
Wednesday: Open until 7 pm
Mondays: Closed
Between exhibitions, the gallery is closed, but the shop remains open during normal hours.
There is a restaurant with an attractive terrace overlooking the Aare. For up-to-date information, check their website.
Thun Panorama
This glorious, enormous (38.3m x 7.5m) 360-degree panorama of Thun and its inhabitants was painted by Marquard Wocher (1760 – 1830) and is the world’s oldest surviving example of the genre.
In 1809, perched on a roof in Thun's old town, Wocher produced the sketches he used over the next few years to complete his masterpiece. Until 1887, the panorama was housed in a 19.5m high round building in Basel. It was then gifted to Thun, where it almost sank without trace until a new round building was constructed for it in Schadau Park, opening to the public in 1961.
Recently, to boost its attraction, the panorama was renovated, and an impressive, sympathetic extension to the building was added. In the rotunda, there is a central viewing platform with circular walkways at various levels.
Go to the top, and you are immediately transported back to that morning over 200 years ago when Wocher began to sketch. The distant alpine landscape remains unchanged, the characteristic rooftops seem vaguely familiar, and two cats perched on a nearby roof are about to squabble. You can peer into living rooms and classrooms, while below you, the streets and alleyways teem with people going about their daily business.
Move down to the lower walkways, and the slight change in perspective draws you closer to the action. With over 300 characters depicted, there is much to see and enjoy.
Important Note: Schadau Park is about 800m from the Thun railway/bus station. The walk along the road between the railway track and the boat landing stage is not very inspiring. Alternatively, you can take bus service no. 1 in the direction of Spiez and disembark at the first stop, near a small historic church close to the entrance to Schadau Park.
Opening Hours
Easter and May-October: Tuesday-Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
Open on public holidays.
Entry Price
CHF 8
Reduction: CHF 7 (students/seniors)
Children up to 16: Free
Combi ticket with Kunstmuseum: CHF 15
Reduction: CHF 12
Swiss Museum Pass valid
Sammlung Suter – Steffisburg, near Thun
Each summer, the historic Höchhus in Steffisburg hosts exhibitions of 50-100 works of art, mostly paintings, carefully selected from the impressive collection of Hans and Marlis Suter.
It has been 50 years since Hans, a consultant dermatologist and university teacher, and his wife Marlis, a schoolteacher, began their collection, which now amounts to over 2000 works. Their focus has been on 20th-century classical modern Swiss artworks by high-quality artists, mainly from the Thun region and the Canton of Bern.
The works in their collection reflect the exquisite taste, sensitivity, and warm humanity of Hans and Marlis. Their collection includes pieces by:
Cuno Amiet
Arnold Brügger
Etienne Clare
Werner Engel
Marguerite Frey-Surbek
Bendicht Friedli
Nell Graber
Regula Hadorn
Adrien Holy
Robert Indermaur
Knud Jacobsen
Eugéne Martin
Chantal Michel
Otto Morach
Ernst Morgenthaler
Meret Oppenheim
Helene Pflugshaupt
Henry Roulet
Albert Schnyder
Fred Stauffer
Victor Surbek
Hugo Wetli
Many of these artists have been or still are friends of Hans and Marlis.
For their 2015 exhibitions, they have selected works by:
Hugo Wetli and Adrien Holy (16 August - 20 September 2015)
Fred Stauffer and Albert Schnyder (30 September - 1 November 2015)
From 2004 to 2011, the exhibitions were held in Oberhofen, in the prominent Wichteheer museum building on the main road between Thun and Interlaken.
Steffisburg is slightly removed from the main tourist area, and consequently, the number of tourist visitors has dwindled. This is a pity, as Steffisburg is very easily reached by public transport, with buses running regularly from the terminus outside Thun train station. You disembark at Steffisburg Platz, where you will see a sign pointing towards the nearby Höchhus. Entry is at the rear, and the exhibition is on an upper floor.
We have attended most of the exhibitions staged since 2004, and a visit to Sammlung Suter has become a highlight of our holidays in the Jungfrau region. Thank you, Hans and Marlis, for sharing your wonderful collection with us.
Visitor Information
Opening Times: Wednesday to Sunday from 2 pm to 5 pm
Admission: CHF 10
Children free and discounted entry for students and groups of 8
Swiss Museum Pass accepted
For details of current exhibitions, visit: www.sammlung-suter.ch. Hans Suter’s professional expertise and artistic insight combine in his highly acclaimed book ‘Paul Klee and His Illness’, which is available in English translation and was for sale at the recent Paul Klee exhibition at the Tate Modern Gallery, London.
Kunsthaus Interlaken
Located in Jungfraustrasse, close to Central Platz, the Kunsthaus opened its doors on 12 June 2009.
Along with hosting art exhibitions, it serves as a space for events in film, literature, music, theatre, and dance. Although the exhibition space is relatively small and intimate, its design allows for peaceful contemplation of the exhibits.
I have visited five of its summer exhibitions and have been impressed by the quality and variety. Exhibitions have included classical modern, modern and contemporary paintings, sculpture, photographs, videos, and installations.
The opening exhibition in 2009 featured work by:
Arnold Brügger
Pierre Haubensak
Marianne Flotron
The following summer brought ‘Lake Brienz and its environs’ – loaned works by important 18th-20th century Swiss artists. George Steinmann was one of the contributing artists in 2011, prompting us to take the midday post bus to the mountain village of Saxeten to view his outdoor installations.
In 2012, the 100th anniversary of the death of Clara von Rappard was marked by displaying some of her works in the summer exhibition, which also featured, among others, Meret Oppenheim.
This summer (2014), to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Japanese-Swiss diplomatic relations, the exhibition was dedicated to ‘Japan Art Today’. It featured pieces by six Japanese artists working mainly in Europe. The gathering at the opening ceremony was addressed by Crown Prince Naruhito – a considerable coup for the Kunsthaus and an amazing surprise for delighted Japanese holidaymakers.
Visitor Information
Entry: CHF 8
Students: CHF 5
Children under 16: Free
Opening Hours
Wednesday to Saturday: 3 pm – 6 pm
Sunday: 11 am to 5 pm
Monday and Tuesday: Closed
For up-to-date information, check their website.
Schloss Spiez
Prominently located above the boat landing stage, the romantic Schloss Spiez casts a watchful eye over Lake Thun.
The castle museum houses a permanent exhibition relating to the history of the three families who have owned the castle, along with a temporary exhibition that is art-based in some years.
The last three art exhibitions were:
2011: Adolf Hölzel - an artist and teacher who influenced Swiss modernism.
2009: Rembrandt - 40 etchings from the collection of Bern art dealer Eberhardt W. Kornfeld.
2007: Louis Moillet - an important Swiss painter who in 1914 accompanied Paul Klee and August Macke on their famous visit to Tunisia.
I have been advised that a Picasso exhibition is planned for 2015. Outside, there is a bonus for art lovers. In a small gallery to the left of the main building, ten or so paintings by Marguerite Frey-Surbek (1886-1981) and her husband Victor Surbek (1885-1975) are displayed.
Although they resided in Bern, they spent their summers in the village of Iseltwald on the shore of Lake Brienz. It is interesting to compare Victor’s mostly strong images with the subtle interplay of light and color that characterize Marguerite’s post-impressionist paintings.
Getting There
From the boat landing stage, it is a short uphill walk to the castle. The train station and the adjacent bus station are in the town, and it is a 10 to 15-minute downhill walk to the castle.
If the weather is bad or you don’t fancy the uphill walk back, you can catch the bus that runs from the boat landing stage to the town.
Visitor Information
Schloss Spiez is open from Good Friday to mid-October.
Opening Hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm (6 pm in July and August)
Monday: 2 pm – 5 pm
Admission to Castle Museum and temporary exhibition (you cannot separate them):
Adults: CHF 10
Children: CHF 2
Swiss Museum Pass is valid
For up-to-date information, check their website.
I wish to thank Hans Suter, Marlis Suter, and Helen Hirsch, the director of Kunstmuseum Thun, for their cooperation in the preparation of this article.
Switzerland
About the Author
David Jackson
David lectured in Science at a college in the English Midlands for many years. He now writes about places he visits regularly, with the aim of providing practical and useful information for visitors. He has travelled widely in Switzerland, Italy, and France, and in recent years has focused much of his writing on Edinburgh.
