Art is much deeper than just plain aesthetics. It is an important source of economic activity that can involve very large sums of money. Whether as an investment, part of a collection, or a museum piece - art has an intrinsic value beyond its pure material qualities.

Parallels and Differences

The exhibition is aimed at showing how the art markets function and what roles the main actors play in them. It also discusses the parallels with financial exchanges, with historical paper security certificates and stocks used for art on show, something that ultimately emphasizes the long history and development of the art market.

(Image: Swiss Museum of Finance)

Dark Side

The art market also has a dark side. It is largely unregulated, a sharp contrast to global financial markets, and often linked with tax evasion and money laundering. Those aspects are looked at critically in the exhibition to provide the attendees with as comprehensive a picture as possible.

Hitting a Nerve

The exhibition hits a nerve by looking at the links between art and finance, particularly as artworks are increasingly used as alternative investments. According to the UBS & Art Basel Market Report, 67 percent of those who purchased art did so to increase wealth.

View of the museum's permanent exhibition. (Image: Swiss Museum of Finance)

Art can be used as collateral for loans and it allows collectors to free capital without having to sell their works. These kinds of financial mechanisms can make art an important component of many contemporary investment strategies.

The Swiss Museum of Finance was founded on 31 October 2001 by SIX through the establishment of a trust for historical securities. The objective of the trust was to collect and buy internationally significant financial market securities to both create and build an expansive collection. Today, the collection comprises 16,000 objects from various eras from the 16th century onwards, with securities signed by Maria Theresia, Thomas A. Edison, and John D. Rockefeller on display.

In June 2017, the museum moved to the new head office of SIX  in Hard Turm Park (Zurich). The museum presents highlights from its collection showing the importance of the financial center and securities settlement. Since 2020, it has held regular special exhibitions on particular themes.

The exhibition «kunst.macht.geld» starts on 30 August 2024 and runs until summer 2026. The museum is open from Monday to Friday (10:00 AM to 7:00 PM). There are guided tours once a month (the current schedule is available at the following link).