Fo­to­stif­tung Schweiz Foundation

Founded in 1971, the Fotostiftung Schweiz is a private, non-profit foundation dedicated to preserving, researching, and conveying photographic works. It primarily collects photographic works related to Switzerland (Helvetica), from the beginnings of photography to the present day. In doing so, it incorporates artistic forms of expression, as well as documentary, applied, and private forms of photography.

With four to six exhibitions each year, Fotostiftung Schweiz presents important positions in current and historical photography. In addition to the exhibitions on its premises in Winterthur, it regularly shows works from its collection in Swiss and international museums.

The Fotostiftung Schweiz is actively involved in imparting knowledge. Through mediation formats for schools and private individuals, it enhances visual literacy and competence, fostering a responsible and critical approach to photographic images. It releases monographic or themed publications to make the photographers it represents known to a broader public. Moreover, for its publications on the history of photography or for contributions to specialist journals, it conducts research into the history of Swiss and international photography. It operates an online database, in which it makes its digitised holdings accessible for research and available for use. Together with Fotomuseum Winterthur, the Fotostiftung Schweiz operates a specialised public library featuring over 30,000 publications on the subject of photography.

The Centre for Photography is Fotostiftung Schweiz’s and Fotomuseum Winterthur’s joint platform. The two organisations are independent, but in their interplay, which encompasses a wealth of contrasts, they create a lively venue for presenting extremely diverse forms of photography. Operational synergies, for instance, regarding the bistro or the library, are offset by the autonomy of the respective programmes. Fotostiftung Schweiz, for instance, defines itself as a memory institution at the interface between archive and exhibition, while Fotomuseum Winterthur offers perspectives on international trends and addresses the medium’s transformation in the digital world. The full potential of photography is explored across approximately 1000 m² of exhibition space – from technical innovations to evocative visual documents, and through to artworks that question the credibility of the medium. Moreover, thanks to their partnership, Fotostiftung Schweiz and Fotomuseum Winterthur achieve a stronger presence: As the Centre for Photography, they belong to Art Museums of Switzerland(AMoS) – an association comprising twelve world-class museums that represent art appreciation at the highest level.