Inside St. Moritz’s 2024 Art and Culture Boom

Referring to St. Moritz’s art and culture scene as “burgeoning” would feel trite—daft, even, as it would discount the decades of rich cultural history in which art contributed to the fabric of the place. While perhaps more widely known for its winter alpine tourism, the Swiss resort town has been a lively art hub since the 1960s, when writers, artists, and collectors descended on this small town in the Upper Engadin, drawn to its sensational valley views and its iconic frozen lake.  Ultimately, Swiss art dealer Bruno Bischofberger was inspired by the influx to open St. Moritz’s first gallery in 1963. The St. Moritz art and culture scene has long maintained a quiet momentum that has continued over time and never quite slowed, but there is undeniably something of a renaissance happening there today: it feels more dynamic than ever.

With the advent of international galleries popping up over the past decade, as well as traveling art shows and glamorous cultural events securing their permanent spot on an already packed calendar, the elegant ski resort is burnishing its reputation among the international art and culture communities. Keep reading to discover some of the key people at the forefront of this moment for St. Moritz. 

Nomad Circle is a traveling art fair that brings together the world’s leading contemporary galleries and collectible design, hosting exhibitions in unique intimate settings in destinations around the world—from Capri to St. Moritz. "Hosting Nomad in St. Moritz was a strategic decision rooted in our desire to transform the cultural landscape of this historic town,” says Nicholas Bellavance-Lecompte.

Nomad’s past 13 shows have been held in iconic spaces around St. Moritz—from a raw construction site of a former historic hotel, to a traditional Engadin Sgraffito–style farmhouse-turned–culture center—and boast a curated lineup of gallery presentations, talks, and bespoke commissions with highly regarded creatives, curators, and brands. “In recent years, St. Moritz has emerged as a prime destination for art collectors from around the world, largely due to its evolving art scene,” Bellavance-Lecompte says. “The influx of international collectors and the establishment of prominent galleries and art fairs have positioned the town as a pivotal hub for contemporary art and design.” Their favorite culture highlight in town includes Tschudi Gallery, which features innovative contemporary exhibitions.

The upcoming edition of Nomad will take place next year, from February 20 to 23.

“The opening of Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz in December of 2018 was really a natural extension of the gallery’s activities in Switzerland,” explains Barbara Corti, who’s based in Zurich and oversees the St. Moritz gallery’s programming. Founded in Zurich in 1992, the gallery is a destination that has seen tremendous success over the past 30 years for Iwan and Manuela Wirth, who also have personal connections to the Engadin, which has long possessed a rich cultural heritage and a thriving art scene. As Hauser & Wirth already has many close partners and collectors who live in or have homes in this part of the Alps, Corti says, it’s been an opportunity to engage with them outside of their urban centers, as well as to offer their artists and estates a backdrop of great natural beauty against which to exhibit their work.

“St. Moritz is steeped in artistic tradition,” she says. “The Engadin region has been visited by a number of cultural intellectual figures from the past century.” These include philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, writer Thomas Mann, and dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, to a swath of artists including Dieter Roth, Julian Schnabel, Richard Long, Joseph Beuys, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Gerhard Richter, whose Engadin works the gallery exhibited last December in collaboration with local institutions Segantini Museum and Nietzsche-Haus [where Nietzche lived during his visits to the Engadin]. Conti notes that the latter are must-visits for travelers visiting St. Moritz, as they are full of regional significance.

Marco Makaus, a self-described “car guy,” first hatched the idea for The International Concours of Elegance, known as I.C.E., a cultural and lifestyle automotive event, in 2019. Due to delays caused by the pandemic, the first I.C.E. event debuted in 2022. Now held every winter, I.C.E. is the world’s chicest classic car show, attracting stylish crowds—from drivers and collectors to enthusiasts—to descend on St. Moritz’s frozen lake in mink coats for an afternoon of glamour.

Makaus is an unapologetic aesthete, lover of all things art, craftsmanship, and quality. “The I.C.E can only happen in St. Moritz, because it is the only international and cosmopolitan Alpine city and sports resort with an unparalleled experience in hospitality and event organization,” he says. “It has a unique blend of obsession for quality and a casual sporting atmosphere.” The most compelling reason, however, for St. Moritz to host the event is its optimal location, sitting over 5,000 feet above sea level, which ensures the lake is properly frozen every year. St. Moritz’s strong relationship with culture and art has long been woven into its identity. “There are so many places to go and things to do, I can’t even start to list them," he says. "I will suggest one: the Segantini Museum. Giovanni Segantini was a pioneer in that he came from a big city—Milan, where he studied at Brera Academy—and used to live in the European art milieu, but decided to move up to the Alps in the St. Moritz area. Everything starts there with him, even the relationship between art and motors, as his life partner was Bice Bugatti, the aunt of Ettore Bugatti.”

Two years after American gallerist Vito Schnabel opened his first New York City gallery devoted to modern and contemporary artists and estates, he was presented with an interesting opportunity. “Legendary Swiss dealer Bruno Bischofberger was planning on closing his space in St. Moritz and offered it to me,” Schnabel says. (Bischofberger was among the first to bring art galleries to St. Moritz in 1963.) “It was an opportunity that I am very grateful for; St. Moritz has [an] incredible history with artists… Warhol, Basquiat, Clemente, and others all spent time painting here.” So he decided to accept the offer and opened his second gallery—and first European location—in Bischofberger’s former space in 2015. For Vito, it felt like the ideal place to showcase his extensive breadth of artists, including well known names like Ai Weiwei, Man Ray, and Ron Gorchov, as well as to introduce young artists, such as Angel Otero, Trey Abdella, and Ariana Papademetropoulos, to the European market.

In addition to his gallery, he highlights the Giacometti Museum as an inspiring must-see for art lovers visiting St. Moritz. “The Engadin Valley has always been a cultural destination. Giacometti, Not Vital, Warhol, Basquiat, my father Julian [Schnabel], and many other artists have spent time in the area and created work here,” Schnabel says. “It is a small town but has a global audience."

Nestled in the mountainside behind the main village of St. Moritz, Suvretta House has been frequented by actors, writers, and artists since the beginning of the 20th century. Its commitment to preserving its history while thoughtfully evolving with the contemporary art and culture scene is reflected through its participation in various art shows, brand activations, and cultural events.

Beyond the hotel’s own in-house contemporary gallery, Gallery Elle by Atossa Meier, which showcases works by artists Ana María Hernando, Ian Fisher, and Mathias Kiss, and the hotel’s participation in iconic cultural events, such as the British Classic Car Meeting (the oldest classic car event in St. Moritz, starting in 1994), the hotel also hosts its own Leica photo workshops, art weeks with artist Nicki Heenan, and a writing workshop with Kein and Aber Verlag. Behind the brand is the property’s gatekeeper of cool: Marketing Manager Florian Thöni, who oversees the hotel’s myriad special projects and is responsible for the general brand image and mood of the hotel, organizing unique collaborations that appeal to the younger, stylish crowds.

“The most respected people from the art scene come to St. Moritz—at least once a year,” he says. As the only ski-in and ski-out hotel with a private ski lift in St. Moritz, along with their mountain restaurants Chasellas and Trutz, Suvretta has the ability to host immersive brand events, like last year’s lunch hosted in partnership with Extreme Cashmere at Trutz, where the cult-favorite cashmere brand took over the sundeck to introduce the brand’s new St. Moritz shop. Florian’s vision blends Suvretta House’s traditional sensibility with a modern élan that feels fresh and pertinent. For travelers looking to immerse themselves deeper into the scene outside of the hotel, Florian suggests beginning with a coffee or glass of champagne at Café Belmont, before heading to the new Cresta & Bob Museum located at the Scala Cinema, which features a James Turrell room that is actually a cocktail bar on weekends.