Contemporary art also occupies a prominent position in Switzerland’s cultural landscape, with art lovers from around the world converging on the city of Basel every year for its eponymous international art festival. In 2013 4,000 artists from 39 countries exhibited at Art Basel. Over the last few decades Swiss design, which is widely hailed for its clean, elegant lines, has enjoyed growing international recognition. The advent of new materials has seen the emergence of innovative and unique products, such as the iconic FREITAG bags made from recycled lorry tarpaulins. To keep this creative momentum going, Switzerland has several art schools which nurture up-and-coming talent. The works produced in some of these schools already enjoy international acclaim.
If you would like to find out more about arts and culture in Switzerland, browse through the “Culture” section on swissworld.org.