Image: Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau
Aargauer Kunsthaus in Aarau is in the final stretch of two exhibitions that opened on 12 June 2026 and run until 6 September 2026: ‘Miteinander nebeneinander’ and ‘Shamiran Istifan’. The museum’s current newsletter frames the pair as a last-chance opportunity to see a project about the 1970s in Aarau alongside the work of Istifan, the recipient of the Manor Kunstpreis 2026.
‘Miteinander nebeneinander’ looks at the experimental energy of the 1970s and its impact on society and collective work. According to the museum, the exhibition shows how the period’s spirit of experimentation changed art and social life, and how shared forms of working continue to shape artistic practice. The show is tied specifically to Aarau and to the city’s role in that decade, making local history part of its subject matter rather than using the 1970s as a broad retrospective backdrop.
Running in parallel, the presentation of Shamiran Istifan brings her recent work into the museum context under the banner of the Manor Kunstpreis 2026. Aargauer Kunsthaus describes Istifan’s practice as developing from fragments of memory and the present, with the work opening new perspectives on social and structural issues. The museum’s materials also identify specific works on view, including ‘Unearth Angel I-VII’ and ‘Pipelines’ from 2026, as well as ‘A House With No Past’ from 2023.
The newsletter connects the exhibition to a wider public programme that extends the themes of the show. On 20 August 2026, the museum will host ‘Podiumsgespräch. Treffpunkt Ziegelrain’, a discussion about the Ziegelrain artist community that formed after Christian Rothacher and Markus Müller moved to Ziegelrain 29 in 1967 and were joined by other artists. The event, presented in cooperation with the Swiss Institute for Art Research’s SIKART lexicon, features Markus Müller, Petra Njezic and Beat Wismer, moderated by Patricia Bieder and Katharina Ammann.
Another programme item, ‘Performance von Nalo Tschäni. Vokalisierte Kerbtiere’, is scheduled for 3 September 2026. The museum says the performance follows an entomologist through the Kunsthaus, using sound, performance and nature observation to give voice to insects and other small creatures. Aargauer Kunsthaus presents the event in cooperation with Kulturdünger.
The final date for the exhibitions is marked by ‘Finissage und Buchvernissage’ for Shamiran Istifan on 6 September 2026 from 14 to 16 Uhr. The museum says the afternoon will include harp music by Sherazade, a short reading by Moshtari Hilal from a text written for Istifan’s first monographic publication, and a book signing with Istifan and Hilal. Admission is free for the finissage.
Aargauer Kunsthaus also lists a separate concert-format programme, ‘Bildklänge. Natur als Klangraum’, on 8 September 2026, after the exhibitions have closed. The museum’s current exhibition page confirms that ‘Miteinander nebeneinander’ and ‘Shamiran Istifan’ are both on view from 12 June to 6 September 2026 at Aargauer Kunsthaus, alongside the museum’s other current presentations ‘Verwandtschaften’ and ‘Gabi Fuhrimann’.
