Museo d'arte della Svizzera italiana, Art museum in Lugano, Switzerland
The Museo d'arte della Svizzera italiana is an art museum displaying works from medieval times to contemporary creators, spread across two separate locations. One location offers three exhibition floors with rotating and permanent collections dedicated to the region's artistic heritage.
The museum came into being through the merger of two earlier art collections, strengthening its role as a major art center in Italian-speaking Switzerland. This union allowed the institution to display more extensive holdings and better represent the artistic history of the region.
The collections reflect the artistic dialogue between Swiss and Italian traditions that shaped this border region over time. Visitors encounter artworks that reveal how local creators drew from both sides of the cultural boundary.
The museum spans two locations within the city that are reachable on foot, each offering different focal points in the collection. Plan to spend two to three hours to visit both sites and fully explore the varied holdings across all floors.
A remarkable collection of contemporary works came to the museum through a major donation by a private collector and includes installations by renowned international artists. These pieces demonstrate how Swiss creators engage with broader currents in the global art world.
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