Bündner Kunstmuseum

The Bündner Kunstmuseum, known in English as the Graubünden Art Museum, is an art museum located in Chur, Switzerland. Established in 1919, the institution focuses primarily on art connected to the canton of Graubünden and broader Swiss artistic production. Its collection spans from the 18th century to the present, comprising approximately 8,000 works across various visual media. The museum is housed in a combined historic and modern complex, integrating the neoclassical Villa Planta with a contemporary extension completed in 2016, which together doubled the institution's exhibition space.

The origins of the museum trace back to 1900, when the Bündner Kunstverein began assembling a collection specifically addressing the cultural situation of Graubünden, including themes of mountain landscapes and the interplay of migration and tourism. In 1919, the Bündner Kunstverein officially established the museum in the Villa Planta, a mansion the Rhaetian Railway had owned since 1898 and rented to the canton for cultural purposes. Initially, the building also housed natural history collections, but these were relocated to the newly built Natur- und Nationalpark-Museum next door around 1927. The canton of Graubünden purchased the Villa Planta property in 1957. Between 1987 and 1989, the historic villa underwent a major restoration and expansion by architects Peter Zumthor, Peter Calonder, and Hans-Jörg Ruch. Stephan Kunz has directed the museum since 2011, and since 2017, he has shared leadership with Nicole Seeberger as equal co-directors.

The collection is owned by the Stiftung Bündner Kunstsammlung, while the Bündner Kunstverein organizes the temporary exhibitions. Holdings encompass 18th-century to contemporary art, with a distinct emphasis on local Graubünden creation and its cultural contexts. Key strengths include neoclassicism, expressionism, and postwar Swiss art. The museum also maintains a strong focus on contemporary art, particularly pieces engaging with alpine landscapes and tourism, alongside a dedicated interest in photographic art. Additionally, the institution operates a dedicated laboratory space that functions as a small kunsthalle, regularly inviting artists to develop new works specifically for that environment.

The collection features several comprehensive groups of works by artists tied to Graubünden. It holds multiple pieces by Chur-born neoclassical painter Angelica Kauffmann. The Bergell-based Giacometti family is broadly represented, including works by Giovanni Giacometti, his sons Alberto and Diego, and the related artist Augusto Giacometti. Expressionism forms another core area, with significant works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Hermann Scherer, Albert Müller, and Paul Camenisch. Other 20th-century and contemporary figures in the collection include Alois Carigiet, Matias Spescha, HR Giger, Not Vital, and Zilla Leutenegger. Contemporary and photographic art is represented by Richard Long, Markus Raetz, Roman Signer, Hans Danuser, Gaudenz Signorell, Katharina Vonow, Jules Spinatsch, and Ester Vonplon.

The museum complex consists of the historic Villa Planta and a modern extension. Jacques Ambrosius von Planta commissioned the Villa Planta as a private residence, built between 1874 and 1875 by architect Johannes Ludwig. The neoclassical, Palladian-style structure on Bahnhofstrasse features a representative facade with a column-supported portico. Its original decor reflects von Planta's history as a merchant in Egyptian Alexandria, including sphinxes on the stair walls, Pompeian paintings in the former salon, a gold dome painted in a Byzantine manner, and a crescent originally topping the cupola. Between 2014 and 2016, the protected villa was restored by the firm Gredig-Walser to meet modern museum standards. In 2012, an international architecture competition selected the Barcelona-based firm Estudio Barozzi/Veiga to design a new building, which replaced the former natural history museum. Completed and opened in 2016, the extension is connected underground to the Villa Planta.

The Bündner Kunstmuseum is located at Bahnhofstrasse in Chur, Switzerland. The institution serves as the primary art museum for the canton of Graubünden. Alongside its permanent collection displays, it hosts temporary historical and contemporary exhibitions, as well as thematic group shows. Recent notable exhibitions include a 2011 display of previously unpublished photographs and sketches of Alberto Giacometti from the collection of his wife Annette, a 2021 exhibition reuniting three large panoramic paintings by Giovanni Giacometti for the first time, and a 2025 jubilee exhibition marking the 125th anniversary of the Bündner Kunstverein. In 2025, the museum also hosted the first comprehensive solo museum exhibition dedicated to Swiss sculptor and designer Diego Giacometti.