The 6th Swiss Congress for Art History will be held in Geneva from 7 to 9 September 2026. Organized jointly by the Swiss Association of Art Historians (VKKS | ASHHA | ASSSA) and the Division of Art History at the University of Geneva, the congress is aimed at art historians, art researchers and experts from all fields (including both practice and theory), and all institutions. You are invited to submit proposals for 20-minute papers within one of the eleven sessions. Acceptance decisions will be made by the conveners of the individual sessions, supervised by the advisory board of the 6th Swiss Congress for Art History.
We welcome contributions in German, English, French, and Italian, in the hope of assembling multilingual sessions that reflect the topical and institutional diversity of the field and foster young academics.
Please send an abstract (1 page, max. 3ʹ000 characters) and a short curriculum vitae including institutional affiliation and contact details to the relevant session conveners by 12 September 2025. Please also CC the Congress Bureau of the 6th Swiss Congress for Art History in Geneva at vkks2026@unige.ch. All speakers will receive a contribution to their travel and accommodation costs and will be exempt from the congress registration fee.
Section “Art Trade in Switzerland, 1960 to Today“:
In 2024, Switzerland ranked fifth in terms of financial market share in the global art trade, behind the USA, China, the UK and France. Nevertheless, the more recent history of the Swiss art market has been comparatively little researched. This session therefore focuses on developments between around 1960 and the present day. This period was characterized by an upswing in the auction business, the emergence of numerous program galleries, the growing importance of art fairs, and the impact of databases and online trading.
The auction business experienced a notable growth from the 1960s onwards, reflected in the establishment of auction houses such as Koller in Zurich and Dobiaschofsky in Bern, as well as the arrival of major players like Christie’s and Sotheby’s in Geneva and Zurich during the 1960s and 1970s. During the same period, galleries emerged in the centers of Geneva, Bern, Basel and Zurich, as well as in smaller locations. These galleries were characterized by a specific program and became important mediators for contemporary art. Additionally, the Swiss Art and Antiques Fair, later relocated to Basel and then Zurich, premiered in Berne in 1959. In 1970, Art Basel was established as a fair for modern and contemporary art, and it now dominates this field internationally. Until the 1980s, so- called ethnographic art also formed a significant part of the art trade, often via individuals active in the modern art sector. Recent developments have been characterized by the introduction of price databases, various forms of online trading, and blockchain and NFT technology.
We invite researchers from various disciplines to present new findings, reflect on the future of the Swiss art market and provide insight into current projects in this field.
Roger Fayet, Schweizerisches Institut für Kunstwissenschaft (SIK-ISEA) Zürich/Lausanne – roger.fayet@sik-isea.ch
Bärbel Küster, Universität Zürich, Lehrstuhl Moderne und zeitgenössische Kunst – baerbel.kuester@uzh.ch
Tabea Schindler, SIK-ISEA, Zürich, Abteilung Kunstgeschichte – tabea.schindler@sik-isea.ch
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