Sophie Haslinger has been named the new director of Fotomuseum Winterthur, according to an announcement published by the Swiss photography institution. The announcement does not provide a start date or further details about the appointment, but introduces Haslinger as the museum’s incoming leader.
In an interview with Barbara Paul for SWR Kultur, Haslinger discusses her plans for the museum, including ways cultural institutions can operate more sustainably and reduce their impact on the climate. The conversation also addresses the role and potential of contemporary photography.
The announcement offers no biographical information about Haslinger and does not describe the selection process or identify the director she succeeds. It presents the appointment alongside the museum’s programme and public activities, which include exhibitions, talks and workshops dedicated to photography and related image practices.
Fotomuseum Winterthur is based at Grüzenstrasse 44 in Winterthur, next to Fotostiftung Schweiz at Grüzenstrasse 45. The two institutions are presented together in the newsletter announcing Haslinger’s appointment, while their programmes and exhibition listings remain separately identified. Fotostiftung Schweiz’s current and forthcoming material includes exhibitions drawn from its photography collection and projects examining historical and contemporary image-making.
The museum’s published preview lists the exhibition ‘Helen Levitt’ at Fotomuseum Winterthur from 24 October 2026 to 14 February 2027. A separate institutional notice also states that Fotomuseum Winterthur and Fotostiftung Schweiz will close for exhibition installation from 15 to 26 June 2026, with new exhibitions scheduled to open on 26 June: ‘Andri Pol – Poliversum’, ‘Schattenwesen – Von der Geisterfotografie zu den Phantomen des Algorithmus’ and ‘(Mit)einander – Nhu Xuan Hua und die Sammlung des Fotomuseum Winterthur’.
Haslinger’s interview places environmental sustainability and contemporary photography among the subjects she intends to address as director. Beyond those points, the available announcement does not specify her programme, institutional priorities or timetable for taking up the post.
