The great summer exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler promises to be a highlight in the European cultural calendar. It is devoted to the Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), who, in Paris, became one of the most influential of modern artists.

His seemingly fragile figures in which the human form is reduced to the essentials, his virtually sculpted paintings, and his concentrated drawings are still capable of deeply moving all who see them. Giacometti viewed himself as part of a spacetime cosmos in which his family members were key points of reference. For this reason, one of the exhibition’s emphases is on the artist’s involvement with the appearance of figures in space and the perception and representation of bodies in motion.

On view will be about 150 major works from every phase of the oeuvre, from the family collection as well as renowned collections around the world. These will be supplemented by works by Giacometti’s father, Giovanni (1868-1933), his brother, Diego (1902-1985), and his uncle, Augusto (1877-1947). An important role is also played by Alberto’s mother, Annetta, and his wife, Annette, whom he frequently portrayed.

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