Mai 36 Galerie Gallery in Zurich

Editorial Profile

Founded in 1987 and based in Zurich’s Altstadt, Mai 36 Galerie operates as an established yet programmatically agile presence within the city’s contemporary art ecosystem. Its exhibition program has long balanced internationally recognized figures with historically significant conceptual and postwar practices, positioning the gallery between the primary and secondary markets while maintaining a strong curatorial identity. The gallery is particularly associated with painting, conceptual art, photography, installation, and media-based practices, and has worked with artists such as John Baldessari, Matt Mullican, Lawrence Weiner, and David Reed. Within the context of contemporary art in Zurich, it contributes to a network of spaces that combine commercial activity with discursive exhibition-making, reinforcing the role of galleries in Zurich as both market actors and cultural interlocutors.

The program frequently foregrounds rigorous solo presentations and historically informed dialogues, often linking conceptual legacies to younger or mid-career international artists. Participation in major international art fairs and sustained relationships with artists across Europe and the United States extend its relevance beyond Switzerland, while its local presence remains closely tied to Zurich’s compact but internationally connected art scene. In a city where institutions such as Kunsthaus Zürich and Löwenbräukunst shape broader public discourse, commercial spaces like Mai 36 Galerie play a parallel role in introducing experimental and museum-caliber practices into the urban fabric. Its position within Zurich’s contemporary art scene reflects the broader interplay between private galleries and institutions in Zurich, where historical continuity and contemporary experimentation often intersect.