History
"Swiss Institute is an independent arts institution that has been based in New York City for over thirty years. It was started by a group of Swiss patrons living in the city who were interested in the arts, although it has never been a national cultural organization, but something more hybrid and flexible.
Beginning in 1986 on the Upper West Side in the Swiss Home, the project initially showcased the Swiss arts in a broad sense, including dance, literature, cinema, art, craft, and elements of the national culture. After a short time, Swiss Institute began to focus on contemporary art projects, and included the work of artists outside Switzerland, often pairing practitioners from New York and Switzerland. Under the guidance of eight directors, it has developed, nurtured, and maintained an unorthodox position in New York.
Swiss Institute has always been independent, and though it has maintained its mission to promote the national culture of a country less than twice the size of the state of New Jersey, it has simultaneously become an international institution for which cross-cultural dialogue is paramount."
- Excerpted from Laura McLean-Ferris, "Voices of Swiss Institute" in SInce 1986 (Swiss Institute, New York, and Koenig Books, London, 2019.)
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