Art and culture
Playing a part in shaping the future through art and culture is a commitment worth making
Our company collects art, hosts exhibitions, promotes young artists and invites art practitioners to participate in various projects. We foster cultural activity and interaction throughout Switzerland.
Wherever possible we involve cultural practitioners with their specific expertise in various work processes and projects at Swiss Mobiliar. Their contributions open up new perspectives and approaches, and help us remain "fit for the future" in a sustainable and responsible way. The innovative force of art is an important factor in any process geared towards the future.
Launch year:
1939
Number of artworks:
2000
Status of collection:
International
Artistic domain:
Swiss Mobiliar's art collection – national and international
Art and culture provide valuable stimulus. At the end of the 1930s, Swiss Mobiliar laid the foundation of what has since grown into a comprehensive art collection.
This company-owned collection became the cornerstone of Swiss Mobiliar's involvement in cultural developments. Our collection now counts over 2000 works, a selection of which are permanently on display at the offices in Berne, Nyon and Zurich. Three publications relating to our art collection have been issued to date.
Art collection and outreach
Swiss Mobiliar fosters encounters with art and culture to encourage creative thinking and acting. We believe that exposure to art is a way of reflecting new points of view. Encounters with works from our collection are therefore organised to spark fresh insights among our staff. With regular guided tours through our exhibitions, talks with artists, artist workshops and lectures we address relevant social issues, which find their expression in art as a sensory experience. The aim is to raise awareness among our staff, customers and visitors for relevant social topics and to stimulate creative thinking and acting.
Swiss Mobiliar's art collection online
Using various filters and links, our online art collection also offers simple and swift access to information on the artists represented and their work. We have made a start by introducing those artists whose works have been acquired by Swiss Mobiliar since 2013. Further insights into our collection will follow in due course. With our "What if..." questions we would like to motivate people in a playful manner to contribute to a responsible and sustainable shaping of the future. Embark on a journey of discovery and let yourself be inspired by the answers from the artists. https://art.mobiliere.ch
Exhibitions and guided tours
In our current series of exhibitions entitled "Art & Sustainability" we raise awareness among our staff, customers and visitors for relevant social issues and create an environment from which creative new approaches can emerge.
Swiss Mobiliar has hosted art exhibitions since the 1990s. They have become a tradition we are determined to continue and to expand. In the generously spaced and publicly accessible ground floor of our head office in Berne, we have been staging high-profile exhibitions twice a year since autumn 2013, exploring the relationship between art and sustainability as well as between art and society. These exhibitions are combined with a wide-ranging offer of educational tools and activities.
Commission program / Site-specific order(s) :
L/B – Lang/Baumann (*1972/1967 in Bern)
- “Beautiful Curtains #2”, 2014
- “Beautiful Steps #13”, 2015
Kerim Seiler (*1974 in Bern)
- “Llloblyekk && Bboolyekk I/II”, 2015
- “Puls” and “Paravent”, 2015-2019
- “Was, Wenn (Situationist Space Program)”, 2016
- “Zukunftslock” (Future Locomotive), 2016-2017
Ingo Giezendanner (*1975 in Basel)
- “Wall Painting”, 2017
Ruth Erdt (*1968 in Zurich)
- “Chronik für Freienwil”, 2016-2018
Erika Hock (*1981 in Kirgistan)
- “String Courtains”, 2019
Prix Mobilière
Prix Mobilière is the oldest promotion award for young art to be endowed by an insurance company in Switzerland. Launched in 1996, it is conferred to a promising young artist each year. Since 2020 the award comes with CHF 30,000 in prize money and the company's might acquire a work by the artist for its collection.
Selection procedure
Every year, the company invites seven or eight renowned art specialists and educators to each nominate a young artist representing a certain artistic approach. A specially designated jury then chooses the Prix Mobilière award winner from these nominees. Prix Mobilière
Launch year:
1826
International presence:
Switzerland
Annual revenue:
4.3bn
Number of employees:
5'800
Profile of the company:
Swiss Mobiliar, founded in 1826, is the oldest private-sector property insurer in Switzerland. It has a premium income of CHF 4.3bn, 80 tied agencies serving 2.2m clients and approximately 5,800 employees, located in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.