We travel to Zurich, the centre of calm and absolute precision, to Bahnhofstrasse. The Swiss master Franz Gertsch (1930–2022), one of the giants of photorealism in contemporary art, is being commemorated with a magnificent selection curated by Tobia Bezzola at Hauser & Wirth.
The exhibition, which will run until 16 May 2026, offers a profound look into Gertsch’s vast world woven with an almost spiritual patience.
Photograph or Painting? Beyond Reality
Since his international breakthrough at documenta 5 in Kassel in 1972, Franz Gertsch has been one of the most important artists playing with the concept of “reality”. However, Gertsch’s works go far beyond being exact copies of photographs. Using his own photographs as a basis, he questions the flow of time, the texture of surfaces, and the limits of perception.
One of the most striking pieces in the exhibition is a painting from the artist’s legendary Patti Smith series. Created in the 1970s, this series depicts the queen of punk rock on a monumental scale, merging pop culture with high art, and an instantaneous photographic moment with months of meticulous painting. Standing before the canvas, you feel that every single hair and skin pore is not merely paint, but a frozen “unit of time”.
Holes into the Heart of the Tree: Monumental Woodcuts
In the 1980s, Gertsch developed a woodcut technique unparalleled in art history. Instead of using lines in the traditional manner, he creates the image by punching millions of tiny holes into the wooden block with specially made tools — the criblé technique.
Technique: The artist produces monochrome (single-colour) and monumental prints using natural pigments (lapis lazuli, reds, and various earth tones).
Patience: Completing a single woodcut can sometimes take more than a year. This stands as one of the greatest artistic rebellions against the speed of the digital age.
Result: From a distance, these monumental prints appear like flawless photographs; up close, they transform into clusters of light points resembling a starry sky or a microscopic universe.
Nature and Portrait: The Monumentality of the Immediate Surroundings
Gertsch always chose his subjects from his immediate and familiar environment: his family, friends (such as Patti Smith), and the Swiss nature surrounding his home. A field of bushes or a friend’s face becomes an epic story in his hands. The Museum Franz Gertsch in Burgdorf is the greatest testament to this dedication.
If you want to see how Switzerland’s famous “clock precision” is translated into art, and feel how time stands still within a single brushstroke or the prick of a needle:
Dates: 19 March 2026 – 16 May 2026
Venue: Hauser & Wirth, Bahnhofstrasse
City: Zurich, Switzerland
Curator: Tobia Bezzola
