George Rickey, " Two Rectangles, Vertical Gyratory Up, Variation III " , 1970 . Photo: Augustina Zeya “Motion, which we are all sensitive to, which we are all capable of observing without having to be taught, is a sensation that appeals to the senses just as color does. It has an equivalent of the spectrum, different kinds of types of motion. I think that one can, to a very considerable extent, isolate motion as a visual component and design with that.” George Rickey Describe

Brunnen mit Wiediker «Öpfel», by Emil Schäfer, installed 1943. Foto: Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich In the quiet residential area where Döltschiweg meets Höfliweg in Zurich’s Stadtkreis 3 stands a fountain that quietly encapsulates a layered local history. Brunnen mit Wiediker «Öpfel»  (literally the Fountain with the Wiedikon Apple ) was created by Swiss architect and artist Emil Schäfer (1878–1958). Installed in 1943, Brunnen mit Wiediker «Öpfel»  appeared during the

"Enjoy the Silence" by Ana Roldán, 2015. Foto: Cedric Mussano When I arrived to Switzerland several years ago, I was amazed how cemeteries here often function as more than places of burial, and often as living cultural landscapes where art, memory, and everyday life intersect. Across Zurich, historic graveyards such as Sihlfeld and Enzenbühl reveal funerary monuments and architectural forms that have been appreciated as open‑air museums, where people encounter sculpture, memo

"Zardoz" by Monster Chetwynd, 2025. Photo: Augustina Zeya Behind the new building of the Kunsthaus Zürich stands an unusual presence: a colossal, open-mouthed head emerging from the ground. The sculpture, titled Zardoz , was created by Monster Chetwynd and installed in 2025 in the museum’s outdoor Garden of Art. At first glance its grotesque surrealism appears almost absurd. At the second glance – too. Zardoz is a monstrous face scaled to architectural proportions. More tha

Fourth Plinth, Mil Veces un Instante by Teresa Margolles. London, October 2024. Photo: Johannes Mar Trafalgar Square is the beating heart of London’s civic and cultural life, long serving as a gathering place for rallies, celebrations, and the annual unveiling of Norway’s gifted spruce. Once an unused pedestal, the Fourth Plinth has become one of the city’s most compelling platforms for public art, a locus where public memory and contemporary concerns converge. Unveiled in S

Iván Argote’s Dinosaur, New York, 2025. Photo: Augustina Zeya If you find yourself driving up 10th Avenue toward 30th Street in New York City, you may get the strange feeling you’re being watched — by a giant pigeon. Taking a stroll on the High Line, a public park made from a two kilometre stretch of the city’s decommissioned railway, you can stand beside this colossal bird: an aluminum, hyperrealistic sculpture by artist and filmmaker Iván Argote (b. 1983, Bogotá). With dust

Joëlle Flumet, "Anthropocene", 2024. Photo courtesy of the artist. Several torches, anchored in a circle, illuminate Joëlle Flumet’s cast bronze chimpanzee group, Anthropozän , first presented on the night of 24 November 2024 at Schulanlage Freilager in Zürich. The cool night air condenses into small clouds with each breath. The lifelike eyes of the chimpanzees, painted and sealed with automotive lacquer ¹ animate the sculptures, inviting viewers into a contemplative encoun

Bacchantenzug” (procession of Bacchantes) by Adolf Meyer, 1900. Photo: Augustina Zeya One radiant summer afternoon, I found myself strolling along the lakeside promenade of Seefeldquai in Zürich, when the light caught a long, elegant relief. The inscription simply bore the name “A. Meyer”, and nestled beside it, the date “1900”. There was no further plaque or explanatory panel, just the artist’s name and year. I paused, spellbound. I was standing before a work that was 125 ye

Zwei Licht-Prismen by Heinz Mack, 2002. Vaduz, Lichtenstein. Photo : Augustina Zeya “They are the dreams that one dreams when light sleeps with matter.” Heinz Mack I remember the moment clearly: a hot August afternoon in Vaduz, the Alpine air shimmering, when I first came upon Heinz Mack’s Zwei Licht-Prismen ... two tall, triangular stelae that caught the sun and seemed to split it into coloured atmospheres. Standing before them I felt a peculiar mixture of astonishment and

Kugelbrunnen by Christian Tobin. Photo: Augustina Zeya. It seems as if people in Zurich enjoy standing in line almost as much as the English, who are world-famous for their queues. Be it for a trendy gelato spot, a flat-white-to-go from a hipstery espresso joint, pistachio chocolate gone viral, or for visiting a ludicrously expensive apartment that just happens to be a tad less ludicrously expensive than all the other ones. But waiting in line just to be able to touch a work

Stadtlounge – Roter Platz, Pipilotti Rist (artist) and Carlos Martinez (architect). Photo: Johannes Mar In the heart of the Bleicheli-Quartier of St. Gallen lies the striking and unconventional public art project known as the Stadtlounge, or Red Square. Conceived by the multimedia and video artist Pipilotti Rist together with architect Carlos Martinez, the work was commissioned by Raiffeisen Schweiz as part of the final development stage of the Bleicheli quarter and was compl

Binary Clock (Patterns) by Norbert Möslang. Photo: Johannes Mar In 2018, St. Gallen’s Hauptbahnhof unveiled a striking public artwork on its south-facing glass cubus: a binary clock designed by Swiss media artist Norbert Möslang. Created as part of a “Kunst-am-Bau” competition for the station renovation, Möslang’s design was selected from eight submissions and implemented with a budget of approximately CHF 324,000 (I know, it’s unusual to see such exact figures in open source

BILLBOARD , 91 Zollstrasse, 8005 Zürich. Photo by Katharina Lütscher I first noticed the installation in February on my commute home from Basel. Still wallowing in my latest identity crisis, I was momentarily caught off guard by a familiar phrase leaping out at me – the striking font, New Edge 666, was created by Charlotte Rohde in 2021. Stark white against a darkening sky, the words 'Que la honte change de camp' (Shame must change sides) seemed to beckon to train passengers

La Boule d’or centenaire by Dieter Meier. Zurich HB. Photo by Augustina Zeya. When traversing the polished stone concourse of Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof, a casual glance downward may reveal something unexpected: a golden sphere, embedded in the ground, shimmering quietly beneath reinforced glass. This is La Boule d’or centenaire , the Golden Century Ball, by Swiss conceptual artist and musician Dieter Meier. More than just an artwork, the Golden Century Ball is a distillation of M

Carsten Höller, Denkmal für Hans Künzi, 2017, Hauptbahnhof Zürich (Exit Eurpaaallee). Photo by Christian Beutler. Courtesy of Zürich Tourismus At first glance, it might be easy to overlook. Suspended quietly above the entrance to Europaplatz at Zürich’s main train station, a choreography of light plays out in the background of daily life. These glowing circles are not just an elegant design. They form the Denkmal für Hans Künzi , a public artwork by renowned artist Carsten H

Tastende Lichter  by Pipilotti Rist.  Photo: Markus Gut Having lived in Zurich for three years, I find myself walking the same familiar streets , treading the same pavements, always looking down... carefully, rhythmically, like a clockwork mechanism. I know the texture of the cobblestones, the shade of the tram lines, the pace of a city that is entirely focused on the "here" and the "now." And almost never do I lift my eyes to the sky. But one day something changed. Maybe it

Pavillon Sculpture  by Max Bill in Zürich/Switzerland, 2007. Photo: Matt Mechtley  At the corner of Bahnhofstrasse and Pelikanstrasse, not far from Paradeplatz, there’s an unexpected place of calm. The Pavilion Sculpture stands amid Zurich’s bustling banking district and noisy luxury shopping mile—a loudly quiet public artwork by Swiss artist, architect, and graphic designer Max Bill. Created in 1983, it remains one of the most iconic public sculptures in Zurich—loved and fre

L’Ange Protecteur by Niki de Saint Phalle. Photo: Augustina Zeya For many first-time visitors to Zürich, arriving by train, one of the most unforgettable sights is the striking angel that seems to hover above the main concourse of the Hauptbahnhof. With her golden wings and vibrant, colorful form, Niki de Saint Phalle’s L’Ange Protecteur  has become a beloved symbol of the city, welcoming travelers in an unexpected burst of whimsy and joy. Installed on 14 November 1997, the a

Pétales et jardin de la nymphe Ancolie by Max Ernst, 2024. Photo courtesy: Soeder One sunny afternoon a couple of years ago, not long after the grand reopening of the new Kunsthaus Zürich building and its bar, I wandered in out of casual curiosity. The space felt fresh and open, humming with a quiet kind of elegance. As I settled in, my eyes were instantly drawn to the vast mural stretching across one wall, a swirl of improbable forms, fantastical figures, and mysterious peta

Sihl-Ghüür Ivika by Peter Meister. Photo: Augustina Zeya. On an ordinary day in Zurich, as I pass by the Quellenstrasse tram stop near Limmatplatz, I always notice a large, friendly figure basking in the sun. This curious creature with a long tail brings a smile to my face each time I see it. Today, I decided to delve into its story and discover more about its origins. This charming figure is called Sihl-Ghüür Ivika , and her creation dates back to June 11, 1986. Crafted by t