musée Barbier-Mueller

Om museet

The museum goes back to the collection of Josef Mueller (1887–1977) from Solothurn, who began acquiring art in 1907: first modern painting by Hodler, Cézanne, Matisse or Picasso, later, in close contact with the artists of his time, also sculptures and masks from Africa. His son-in-law Jean Paul Barbier-Mueller expanded the collection together with his wife Monique, Mueller’s daughter, focusing his interest especially on Oceania and Insular Southeast Asia.

In May 1977, three months after Josef Mueller’s death, the couple opened a museum in Geneva to display the collection permanently and to make the art of non-European cultures better known. The museum’s circle of friends now has almost a thousand members. Later, branches were established in Barcelona (pre-Columbian art, until 2013) and in Cape Town (African gold jewellery, open for ten years).

The museum is in the old town, only a few steps from St. Peter’s Cathedral, on the ground floor and basement of a historic 16th-century building, with an inner courtyard for fine days. The collection is considered the most important privately owned collection of art from Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas in the world and comprises several thousand pieces. Each year the museum presents two thematic exhibitions in which pieces from the collection enter into dialogue with works by invited artists; in four rooms in the basement, pieces of the same geographical or cultural origin are on display for longer periods.

Højdepunkter

• Important private collection of non-European and ancient art
• Masks and sculptures from Africa and Oceania, including a Kwele mask from Gabon once owned by Tristan Tzara
• Two thematic exhibitions a year in dialogue with contemporary artists
• Historic 16th-century house with inner courtyard
• Open 365 days a year

Grundlagt

1977

Ledelse

Séverine Fromaigeat

Entrépriser & rabatter

Free admission with, among others, the Swiss Museum Pass, Swiss Travel Pass, Geneva Pass, ICOM/AMS card, Raiffeisen card (depending on its terms), AIAP/IAA card and for members of the circle of friends (with up to 8 guests). Partner offers: with the “Autre Assiette Genevoise” card one admission free when purchasing one admission, with “La Clé” two admissions free when purchasing two.

Tilgængelighed

• Delvis kørestolsvenlig
• Elevator: ingen oplysninger
• Handicaptoilet: ingen oplysninger
• Handicapparkering: ingen oplysninger
• Servicehunde tilladt: ingen oplysninger
• Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
• Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger

The ground floor is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility; details are available on the “Culture accessible” platform.

Børn og familie

Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette.

Transport & parkering

Service & spisesteder

• Museumsbutik

Museum boutique with publications; inner courtyard to relax in during the warm season.

Arrangementer & udlejning

• Lokaler til leje

The exhibition rooms and the covered inner courtyard can be hired for events (musee@barbier-mueller.ch, +41 22 312 02 70).

Planlæg dit besøg