Venues
ZHdK Research Tours
For Zurich Art Weekend 2026, an innovative research-driven tour format has been developed in collaboration with the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), under the direction of Prof. Dr. Anselm Franke and with the support of Kim Anni Bassen. These tours will lead audiences to unique and behind-the-scenes locations across Zurich, guided by emerging curators Anja Roosens, Sonia Mesarova, Parita Rajeevbhai, Juliette Cornaz, Maria Sorensen from ZHdK.
This initiative builds on a long-standing collaboration between Zurich Art Weekend and ZHdK’s MA Art Education, Curatorial Studies program (now MA Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies), which began in 2018 and continues to foster art mediation practices and public education through guided tours.
Events
The exhibition ‘Botanical Memories’ by We are AIA at Botanical Garden provoke us to question the triumph of modern scientific knowledge over other forms. We start the walk navigating the history of division between the human and the non-human beings. Through the artworks, we reflect on historical ruptures and trace the persistence of marginalised forms of knowledge. Acknowledging the colonial reminiscence of botanical gardens - that of its role in historical trade networks and the extraction of plants from their existing ecosystem, the walk continues through the Old Town of Zurich - a major trade and economic hub since the medieval times.
Culminating the walk at the ETH Bildarchiv (Image Archive), we extend this inquiry to consider divisions not only between species, but also amongst humans, examining how the West has constructed perceptions of the “other.” Through images and prints, we attempt to form an understanding of how the scientific marker of progress reduces both plants and humans to objects of study, labour, and commodity. We also discuss its replication in art through the question/absence of representation.
Parita Rajeevbhai is an architect, researcher, and curator whose work engages with archival research and colonial historiography. Working at the intersection of architecture and curatorial practice, her experience spans architectural exhibitions, interpretive planning, and teaching. Her research focuses on processes of meaning-making in the production of culture, inquiring how histories are constructed, mediated, and represented.
Culminating the walk at the ETH Bildarchiv (Image Archive), we extend this inquiry to consider divisions not only between species, but also amongst humans, examining how the West has constructed perceptions of the “other.” Through images and prints, we attempt to form an understanding of how the scientific marker of progress reduces both plants and humans to objects of study, labour, and commodity. We also discuss its replication in art through the question/absence of representation.
Parita Rajeevbhai is an architect, researcher, and curator whose work engages with archival research and colonial historiography. Working at the intersection of architecture and curatorial practice, her experience spans architectural exhibitions, interpretive planning, and teaching. Her research focuses on processes of meaning-making in the production of culture, inquiring how histories are constructed, mediated, and represented.
Fri, June 12, 16:00 – 17:30 | EN
What stories do everyday environments reveal or conceal? This tour is a participatory invitation to look closer. A street name in Kreis 6 becomes an entry point into colonial entanglements embedded in the city and invites you to question the familiar. By tracing photography as an archival medium, we will explore ways in which collective memory is formed, and the role ‘naming’ plays in the process. The route continues by looking at a group of insects at the ETH Entomological Collection, where we connect the discussion to the history of the institution. At the upper end of the street, the tour concludes at Galerie Oskar Weiss, connecting to Laura Langer’s contemporary works reflecting on space and the everyday. By moving between past and present, observing and drawing connections, the urban landscape can be seen as more than just a backdrop as we ask what is needed for its (re-)construction. As a vessel of memory, desire, and imagination, it holds traces of what was, what remains, and what has been erased.
Anja Roosens (*2001) is a mediator and emerging curator, with an interest in photography and early modern history, currently pursuing a master’s degree in Curatorial Studies at Zurich University of the Arts. Sourcing from her background in Art History at the University of Bern and her time at the Precollege in Art and Design at HSLU DFK, she explores questions of archiving, museum history, and critical mediation, with particular attention to the mundane and its potential to evoke connections to stories yet to be told.
Anja Roosens (*2001) is a mediator and emerging curator, with an interest in photography and early modern history, currently pursuing a master’s degree in Curatorial Studies at Zurich University of the Arts. Sourcing from her background in Art History at the University of Bern and her time at the Precollege in Art and Design at HSLU DFK, she explores questions of archiving, museum history, and critical mediation, with particular attention to the mundane and its potential to evoke connections to stories yet to be told.
Fri, June 12, 17:30 – 19:30 | EN
Embedded within the concrete infrastructure of the city, this tour will highlight places where art, folk knowledge and nature collide in Zurich’s urban context. Stumbling upon plants hidden between pavement cracks and encountering art in unsuspecting places, how can folk knowledge guide and inspire us in the city in our every day? Reflecting on the relevance of medicinal botanical knowledge, we will first explore the exhibition ‘Botanical memories’ brought together by We Are AIA and the University of Zurich in the New Botanical Garden. Followed by a visit to Beletage Art Space - hidden near the lake, up the stairs and on the fourth floor in a working chiropractic practice. Looking at the work of Dimitrina Semanova we elaborate on the relationship between arts, crafts and science. Collecting stories, knowledge and plants along the way, the tour concludes with an optional Monoprinting workshop at Lake Zurich, encouraging community and conversation.
Sonia Mesarova is a curator and illustrator based in Zurich, currently enrolled in the
MA Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies programme at ZHdK. In her curatorial
practice she works across disciplines, having been a member of Tate Collective
Producers at Tate St Ives and engages in collaborative and community projects,
organising music events in Somerset, UK. Since completing her undergraduate
studies in Illustration at Falmouth University, she has an interest in mediation and
focuses on printmaking in her artistic practice.
Sonia Mesarova is a curator and illustrator based in Zurich, currently enrolled in the
MA Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies programme at ZHdK. In her curatorial
practice she works across disciplines, having been a member of Tate Collective
Producers at Tate St Ives and engages in collaborative and community projects,
organising music events in Somerset, UK. Since completing her undergraduate
studies in Illustration at Falmouth University, she has an interest in mediation and
focuses on printmaking in her artistic practice.
Sat, June 13, 11:00 – 13:00 | EN
Focusing on the themes of art publishing and multiples, the walk will centre on Edition VFO (Verein für Originalgraphik), located in the Löwenbräu Areal. The tour will guide participants through the complexities of issues surrounding seriality and uniqueness, accessibility and democratisation of art. What makes an original? What processes of creation and dissemination do artists, publishers, printers, collectors and institutions engage in through print art?
The historical position of Edition VFO within Zurich’s art scene, as well as the unique nature of its archives, will provide a central point for a reflection on contemporary print art. This journey will lead participants to question the challenges of today’s art production and the status of artworks.
Juliette Cornaz (*2000) works and lives between Zurich and Lausanne. She combines her practice as an interior architect with a Master in Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies at ZHdK, Zurich University of Arts. Focusing on her interest in scenography, she works with various materials and media, combining practical and theoretical approaches. Guided by curiosity and attention to details, her work addresses questions related to art production and status of objects and places.
The historical position of Edition VFO within Zurich’s art scene, as well as the unique nature of its archives, will provide a central point for a reflection on contemporary print art. This journey will lead participants to question the challenges of today’s art production and the status of artworks.
Juliette Cornaz (*2000) works and lives between Zurich and Lausanne. She combines her practice as an interior architect with a Master in Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies at ZHdK, Zurich University of Arts. Focusing on her interest in scenography, she works with various materials and media, combining practical and theoretical approaches. Guided by curiosity and attention to details, her work addresses questions related to art production and status of objects and places.
Sat, June 13, 11:30 – 12:30 | EN
For centuries, glaciers were imagined as distant and enigmatic realms—mysterious, untamed and hounded by ghosts. In literature and popular imagination alike, they appeared as eerie, uncharted zones deep within the Alps. This multifaceted theme is explored across three exhibitions, each approaching the subject from a distinct perspective: artistic, scientific, and literary.
Our journey begins at the Collegium Helveticum, where through film and photography glaciers are presented as living archives, silently preserving traces of both human and planetary histories. We then move to the ETH Graphische Sammlung—one of Switzerland’s most important art collections of prints and drawings—where we encounter the remarkable works of Caspar Wolf (1735–1783). Renowned for his dramatic Alpine scenes, Wolf ventured into glaciated landscapes that were, at the time, largely unexplored. Today, his paintings not only captivate viewers but also serve as valuable references for researchers studying historical glacier extents.
The exhibition as a whole offers something for everyone: admirers of Switzerland’s majestic landscapes and those drawn to the refined artistry of drawing around 1800 alike will find much to appreciate. At extract at ETH, the focus shifts to the present, addressing the pressing challenges faced by melting glaciers in an era of climate change.
The tour concludes at the Helmhaus, where, in harmony with our overarching theme, we visit The Most Beautiful Swiss Books exhibition—an annual celebration of excellence in book design and production.
Maria Sorensen is an art curator, writer and a cultural analyst. Her practice unfolds at the intersection of art, politics, history, and cultural observation. Her writing has been published by Kunstmuseum Bern, London-based Index on Censorship, Berlin-based On Curating and ZHdK Curatorial Studies publication 4.T39. In August-September she is curating an exhibition of Swiss printmaking artist Maya Griesser inspired by Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita.
Our journey begins at the Collegium Helveticum, where through film and photography glaciers are presented as living archives, silently preserving traces of both human and planetary histories. We then move to the ETH Graphische Sammlung—one of Switzerland’s most important art collections of prints and drawings—where we encounter the remarkable works of Caspar Wolf (1735–1783). Renowned for his dramatic Alpine scenes, Wolf ventured into glaciated landscapes that were, at the time, largely unexplored. Today, his paintings not only captivate viewers but also serve as valuable references for researchers studying historical glacier extents.
The exhibition as a whole offers something for everyone: admirers of Switzerland’s majestic landscapes and those drawn to the refined artistry of drawing around 1800 alike will find much to appreciate. At extract at ETH, the focus shifts to the present, addressing the pressing challenges faced by melting glaciers in an era of climate change.
The tour concludes at the Helmhaus, where, in harmony with our overarching theme, we visit The Most Beautiful Swiss Books exhibition—an annual celebration of excellence in book design and production.
Maria Sorensen is an art curator, writer and a cultural analyst. Her practice unfolds at the intersection of art, politics, history, and cultural observation. Her writing has been published by Kunstmuseum Bern, London-based Index on Censorship, Berlin-based On Curating and ZHdK Curatorial Studies publication 4.T39. In August-September she is curating an exhibition of Swiss printmaking artist Maya Griesser inspired by Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita.
Sat, June 13, 13:00 – 15:00 | EN
What stories do everyday environments reveal or conceal? This tour is a participatory invitation to look closer. A street name in Kreis 6 becomes an entry point into colonial entanglements embedded in the city and invites you to question the familiar. By tracing photography as an archival medium, we will explore ways in which collective memory is formed, and the role ‘naming’ plays in the process. The route continues by looking at a group of insects at the ETH Entomological Collection, where we connect the discussion to the history of the institution. At the upper end of the street, the tour concludes at Galerie Oskar Weiss, connecting to Laura Langer’s contemporary works reflecting on space and the everyday. By moving between past and present, observing and drawing connections, the urban landscape can be seen as more than just a backdrop as we ask what is needed for its (re-)construction. As a vessel of memory, desire, and imagination, it holds traces of what was, what remains, and what has been erased.
Anja Roosens (*2001) is a mediator and emerging curator, with an interest in photography and early modern history, currently pursuing a master’s degree in Curatorial Studies at Zurich University of the Arts. Sourcing from her background in Art History at the University of Bern and her time at the Precollege in Art and Design at HSLU DFK, she explores questions of archiving, museum history, and critical mediation, with particular attention to the mundane and its potential to evoke connections to stories yet to be told.
Anja Roosens (*2001) is a mediator and emerging curator, with an interest in photography and early modern history, currently pursuing a master’s degree in Curatorial Studies at Zurich University of the Arts. Sourcing from her background in Art History at the University of Bern and her time at the Precollege in Art and Design at HSLU DFK, she explores questions of archiving, museum history, and critical mediation, with particular attention to the mundane and its potential to evoke connections to stories yet to be told.
Sat, June 13, 15:00 – 16:30 | EN
A conversation in the framework of Zurich Art Weekend and a part of ZHdK research tour hosted by Maria Sorensen, MA Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies and Tania Oldenhage, pastor at Johanneskirche, PhD Religious Studies
Zurich has long been home to major church–art collaborations, from Wasserkirche featuring Augusto Giacometti to Fraumünster with its iconic windows by Marc Chagall and the contemporary works of Sigmar Polke at Grossmünster. Since 2020, Johanneskirche has continued this dialogue, recently presenting Portal by Sarah Burger on view during Zurich Art Weekend. Meanwhile, at the current Venice Biennale, artists censored in their home countries are increasingly exhibiting in church spaces—highlighting a renewed connection between art and the church. In a second part in conversation with Tania Oldenhage we look at some of the biblical narratives and ask a question - what if the stories we inherited aren’t the only ones? Who was Mary Magdalene, really—sinner, protector or one of Christianity’s most powerful women? Together, we trace her shifting image across art history and popular culture.
Maria Sorensen is an art curator, writer and a cultural analyst. Her practice unfolds at the intersection of art, politics, history, and cultural observation. Her writing has been published by Kunstmuseum Bern, London-based Index on Censorship, Berlin-based On Curating and ZHdK Curatorial Studies publication 4.T39. In August-September she is curating an exhibition of Swiss printmaking artist Maya Griesser inspired by Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita.
Zurich has long been home to major church–art collaborations, from Wasserkirche featuring Augusto Giacometti to Fraumünster with its iconic windows by Marc Chagall and the contemporary works of Sigmar Polke at Grossmünster. Since 2020, Johanneskirche has continued this dialogue, recently presenting Portal by Sarah Burger on view during Zurich Art Weekend. Meanwhile, at the current Venice Biennale, artists censored in their home countries are increasingly exhibiting in church spaces—highlighting a renewed connection between art and the church. In a second part in conversation with Tania Oldenhage we look at some of the biblical narratives and ask a question - what if the stories we inherited aren’t the only ones? Who was Mary Magdalene, really—sinner, protector or one of Christianity’s most powerful women? Together, we trace her shifting image across art history and popular culture.
Maria Sorensen is an art curator, writer and a cultural analyst. Her practice unfolds at the intersection of art, politics, history, and cultural observation. Her writing has been published by Kunstmuseum Bern, London-based Index on Censorship, Berlin-based On Curating and ZHdK Curatorial Studies publication 4.T39. In August-September she is curating an exhibition of Swiss printmaking artist Maya Griesser inspired by Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita.
Sun, June 14, 11:00 – 12:30 | EN
Embedded within the concrete infrastructure of the city, this tour will highlight places where art, folk knowledge and nature collide in Zurich’s urban context. Stumbling upon plants hidden between pavement cracks and encountering art in unsuspecting places, how can folk knowledge guide and inspire us in the city in our every day? Reflecting on the relevance of medicinal botanical knowledge, we will first explore the exhibition ‘Botanical memories’ brought together by We Are AIA and the University of Zurich in the New Botanical Garden. Followed by a visit to Beletage Art Space - hidden near the lake, up the stairs and on the fourth floor in a working chiropractic practice. Looking at the work of Dimitrina Semanova we elaborate on the relationship between arts, crafts and science. Collecting stories, knowledge and plants along the way, the tour concludes with an optional Monoprinting workshop at Lake Zurich, encouraging community and conversation.
Sonia Mesarova is a curator and illustrator based in Zurich, currently enrolled in the
MA Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies programme at ZHdK. In her curatorial
practice she works across disciplines, having been a member of Tate Collective
Producers at Tate St Ives and engages in collaborative and community projects,
organising music events in Somerset, UK. Since completing her undergraduate
studies in Illustration at Falmouth University, she has an interest in mediation and
focuses on printmaking in her artistic practice.
Sonia Mesarova is a curator and illustrator based in Zurich, currently enrolled in the
MA Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies programme at ZHdK. In her curatorial
practice she works across disciplines, having been a member of Tate Collective
Producers at Tate St Ives and engages in collaborative and community projects,
organising music events in Somerset, UK. Since completing her undergraduate
studies in Illustration at Falmouth University, she has an interest in mediation and
focuses on printmaking in her artistic practice.
Sun, June 14, 11:00 – 13:00 | EN
Focusing on the themes of art publishing and multiples, the walk will centre on Edition VFO (Verein für Originalgraphik), located in the Löwenbräu Areal. The tour will guide participants through the complexities of issues surrounding seriality and uniqueness, accessibility and democratisation of art. What makes an original? What processes of creation and dissemination do artists, publishers, printers, collectors and institutions engage in through print art?
The historical position of Edition VFO within Zurich’s art scene, as well as the unique nature of its archives, will provide a central point for a reflection on contemporary print art. This journey will lead participants to question the challenges of today’s art production and the status of artworks.
Juliette Cornaz (*2000) works and lives between Zurich and Lausanne. She combines her practice as an interior architect with a Master in Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies at ZHdK, Zurich University of Arts. Focusing on her interest in scenography, she works with various materials and media, combining practical and theoretical approaches. Guided by curiosity and attention to details, her work addresses questions related to art production and status of objects and places.
The historical position of Edition VFO within Zurich’s art scene, as well as the unique nature of its archives, will provide a central point for a reflection on contemporary print art. This journey will lead participants to question the challenges of today’s art production and the status of artworks.
Juliette Cornaz (*2000) works and lives between Zurich and Lausanne. She combines her practice as an interior architect with a Master in Cultural Critique, Curatorial Studies at ZHdK, Zurich University of Arts. Focusing on her interest in scenography, she works with various materials and media, combining practical and theoretical approaches. Guided by curiosity and attention to details, her work addresses questions related to art production and status of objects and places.
Sun, June 14, 14:00 – 15:00 | EN
We start our walk at the ETH Bildarchiv (Image Archive), an inquiry to consider divisions between human and non-human species and amongst humans, examining how the West has constructed perceptions of the “other.” Through images and prints, we attempt to form an understanding of how the scientific marker of progress reduces both plants and humans to objects of study, labour, and commodity. We also discuss its replication in art through the question/absence of representation.
We continue our walk through the Old Town of Zurich, a major trade and economic hub since the medieval times while contemplating the role of trade in the story of othering, especially that of colonialism. Culminating at the Old Botanical Gardens, we explore the history of division between the human and non-human beings, especially plants. We discuss the provocation by We are AIA’s exhibition ‘Botanical Memories’ to question the triumph of modern scientific knowledge over other forms. Through the artworks, we reflect on historical ruptures and trace the persistence of marginalised forms of knowledge.
Parita Rajeevbhai is an architect, researcher, and curator whose work engages with archival research and colonial historiography. Working at the intersection of architecture and curatorial practice, her experience spans architectural exhibitions, interpretive planning, and teaching. Her research focuses on processes of meaning-making in the production of culture, inquiring how histories are constructed, mediated, and represented.
We continue our walk through the Old Town of Zurich, a major trade and economic hub since the medieval times while contemplating the role of trade in the story of othering, especially that of colonialism. Culminating at the Old Botanical Gardens, we explore the history of division between the human and non-human beings, especially plants. We discuss the provocation by We are AIA’s exhibition ‘Botanical Memories’ to question the triumph of modern scientific knowledge over other forms. Through the artworks, we reflect on historical ruptures and trace the persistence of marginalised forms of knowledge.
Parita Rajeevbhai is an architect, researcher, and curator whose work engages with archival research and colonial historiography. Working at the intersection of architecture and curatorial practice, her experience spans architectural exhibitions, interpretive planning, and teaching. Her research focuses on processes of meaning-making in the production of culture, inquiring how histories are constructed, mediated, and represented.
Sun, June 14, 15:00 – 17:00 | EN