Image: Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich
Kunsthaus Zürich’s exhibition ‘Vilhelm Hammershøi: The Eye That Listens’ remains on view through 25 October 2026. Presented in the ground floor of the Moser Building, the show is described as the first comprehensive museum exhibition in Switzerland dedicated to the artist.
The exhibition brings together Hammershøi’s interiors alongside portraits, cityscapes and landscapes. His paintings focus on perception, atmosphere and the tensions between space and objects, with empty rooms, closed doors, figures seen from behind and subtle gradations of muted colour among their recurring elements.
The presentation also addresses the role of music in Hammershøi’s work, including the appearance of instruments such as cellos and pianos in his paintings. It places his work in dialogue with international movements of his time and notes an affinity with James McNeill Whistler in reduced compositions and formal concerns.
Organised by Kunsthaus Zürich in cooperation with the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, the exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue with contributions by Ramón Andrés, Jonas Beyer, Sandra Gianfreda, Florian Illies, Clara Marcellán and Peter Nørgaard Larsen.
