Swiss Institute

At the Swiss Institute, shows are cerebral and curated with laser focus. We come here to revel in thinking, listening, talking, and letting our minds run wild. Think Swiss neutrality, but with a strong point of view.

The space, a bank converted into exhibition space by German-born Swiss star-architect Annabel Selldorf, is just the right size. It’s not so big that your legs start buzzing, and not so small that you feel like you’ve covered it in three minutes flat.

Exhibitions feature a mix of international, interdisciplinary, and consistently adventurous artists who care about serious topics. Climate activism. The ecological crisis. Social injustice. Human interaction. It’s the kind of place where emerging artists get their first big show and set trends in their wake.

The messaging in each is always subtle and precise. It never screams at you. Instead, it spills into the cracks between what we say and what we mean. What we’re trying to hide and what we’re willing to expose.

It’s in this in-between space where ideas are brought into the open, ready to be observed and debated, so we can get to know and understand each other better and find ways to get along.

The Swiss Institute was founded in 1986 by Swiss expats, initially springing to action in the living rooms of an uptown NYC townhouse. Their mission? Integrate Swiss and international perspectives through art. Their mission evolved into the space beating at the heart of St. Mark’s Place. Nowadays, you can find it in the heart of St. Mark's Place. Their current director is German-born Stefanie Hessler, founder of the Stockholm-based progressive art space Andquestionmark. She and the team put on four fantastic shows a year, accompanied by celebrated public programming, so there’s always a reason to return.