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May 14 to October 3, 2025
Sol LeWitt, Marisa Merz, Mario Merz

The more than 55-year history of the Annemarie Verna Gallery began with the then contemporary avant-garde movements in Italy and the United States. What started as artistic acquaintances often developed into close friendships — notably with Marisa Merz (1926–2013), Mario Merz (1925–2003), and Sol LeWitt (1928–2007). As key figures in the European and American avant-garde, these artists played a crucial role in challenging and redefining existing artistic concepts and aesthetic conventions. Annemarie and Gianfranco Verna accompanied them through this dynamic and transformative period.

Mario Merz was featured in solo exhibitions in 1977, 1979, and 1989. The collaboration with Sol LeWitt began in 1975 and has since resulted in 16 solo presentations. Marisa Merz was included in various group exhibitions, although she consciously avoided broader public visibility.

The current exhibition is both a tribute to three friends and a reflection on the distinctiveness of artistic expression — situated between abstraction and figuration, and between art, nature, and life.

See all images in the lightbox.

 
Panel Discussion: Marisa Merz. Perspectives on a Quiet Pioneer

As part of the exhibition “Marisa Merz. Ascoltare lo spazio / Listening to Space” at the Kunstmuseum Bern, experts from the artist’s circle spoke about her work and her role within the Arte Povera movement – and beyond.

Bice Curiger (Fondation Vincent van Gogh, Arles), Annemarie and Gianfranco Verna (Annemarie Verna Gallery, Zurich), and Simona Ciuccio (Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau) discussed Marisa Merz’s unique material language, her artistic independence, her connection to Switzerland, and the enduring relevance of her work today

Installation views

Works

Annemarie Verna Gallery |  Neptunstrasse 42 |  8032 Zurich |  Switzerland |  Phone +41 44 262 3820 |  Fax +41 44 262 3826 |