Kunsthaus Zofingen

About the museum

Kunsthaus Zofingen is housed in the former "Alten Schützenhaus" (Old Shooting House), which served as a shooting range in the first half of the 19th century. The festival hall on the second floor was the meeting place of the Schützenzunft (shooting guild); later the building was used for more than 100 years, mainly as an assembly, practice and storage building.

The impetus for the Kunsthaus came in 1979, when the art collection of Alice and Richard Haller was donated to the city of Zofingen on the condition that a permanent, publicly accessible location be created for it. In 1982 the building was restored and converted into the Kunsthaus; the same year, the present association was founded under the name "Kunst im Alten Schützenhaus Zofingen". The city provides the building to the association as an exhibition venue.

Today the Kunsthaus presents four exhibitions of contemporary art a year, with a focus on artists from Switzerland, spanning painting, drawing and photography, sculpture and installation, through to new media and performance. It also preserves and honors Aargau art through retrospectives, survey exhibitions and publications. The city's art collection includes the Haller donation as well as further acquisitions and gifts; the association is building its own collection of contemporary art that reflects the exhibition program. An archive for the 1974 cultural festival "zofiscope" came to the house as a gift.

Highlights

• Four exhibitions a year on contemporary art, with a focus on Switzerland
• Free admission, donations welcome
• Listed Old Shooting House, barrier-free exhibition rooms with elevator
• Children's art corner for children aged three and up
• Playground and lawn next to the house

Founded

1982

Operated by

Verein Kunsthaus Zofingen (Gebäude: Stadt Zofingen)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free; the house welcomes a donation in the collection box. Workshops with external specialists are priced per tender.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Access is via a mobile ramp that is set up when the bell is rung. The exhibition rooms are barrier-free, wheelchair-accessible and reachable by elevator; the toilets are accessible. Animals are not permitted in the exhibition rooms.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Playground / play area

The house sees itself as child- and family-friendly. In the unsupervised children's art corner, children aged three and up occupy themselves independently; accompanying adults are responsible for supervision. Lawn in front of the house and a playground behind it; occasionally family formats such as MiniKunst.

Getting there & parking

The website does not give directions or parking information.

Amenities & dining

• Lockers

Free lockers in the basement cloakroom. Small bags up to A4 size are allowed in the exhibitions; larger bags, backpacks, umbrellas and bulky items are not.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit