Cultural Engagements

For us, sponsoring is about engaging and inspiring - in the spirit of our brand promise "partnering for progress". We believe that a lively cultural scene offers new perspectives, opens hearts and minds, and fosters dialogue. When people think, talk and engage, there are often moments of lasting inspiration and innovation – moments we encourage.

In Zurich, where we are headquartered, our connection and dedication to the city go back to Swiss Re's foundation in 1863. Here we partner with some of the city's finest cultural institutions and so actively contribute to making Zurich a great place to work and live for our employees, neighbours and clients.

our partner Kunsthaus Zurich

The Kunsthaus Zurich opened its doors in 1910 and houses one of the most important art collections in Switzerland. One of the highlights at the Kunsthaus is the largest collection of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch outside Scandinavia, initially started by the first appointed Kunsthaus director Wilhelm Wartmann in 1922. The museum shows great masterpieces from past eras as well as exciting contemporary exhibitions. We have been a strategic partner of the Kunsthaus Zurich for contemporary art since 2005. Our commitment includes sponsoring the annual contemporary art exhibition and supporting exhibition projects. Image: © Kunsthaus Zürich/Anita Affentranger

our partner Museum Rietberg

Located within walking distance of Swiss Re's headquarters in Zurich, Museum Rietberg focuses on traditional and contemporary art from Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania. It has a collection of over 23,000 objects and 37,000 ethnographic photographs. The museum is owned by the city of Zurich. Swiss Re has been supporting Museum Rietberg since 1999 as an exhibition partner and in 2014 we enabled the realisation of the summer pavilion by architect Shigeru Ban. Image: © Museum Rietberg

our partner Zurich University of Applied Arts (ZHdK)

The Museum für Gestaltung is an integral part of the Zurich University of Applied Arts (ZHdK) and Switzerland's leading museum for design and visual communications. The collection includes over half a million objects of national and international design history. The Pavillon Le Corbusier, located by the lake of Zurich, is one of the museum's exhibition sites. It is the last artistic milestones of famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier and his sole work made entirely out of steel and glass. We have been supporting the Museum für Gestaltung and the Zurich University of Applied Arts since 2012. With our support, the museum has developed an e-guide that showcases exhibits from the collection alongside other topics. Image: © Museum für Gestaltung/Georg Aerni

our partner Design Biennale Zurich

The Design Biennale Zurich addresses the broad public and integrates all design disciplines: game, interaction, fashion and product design, scenography, textile and visual communication. Every second year in September, the Design Biennale Zurich takes place for three weeks in the Old Botanical Garden in the heart of Zurich. The focus lays on different experimental and partly interactive projects, exploring the tension between society, production and technology. Since 2023, Swiss Re has been main partner of the Design Biennale Zurich. Our commitment includes a Design Biennale Talent Award. Image: ©Luca Zanier

our partner The Swiss Institute for Art Research (SIK-ISEA)

Founded in 1951, the Swiss Institute for Art Research (SIK-ISEA) is a competence center for art scholarship and art technology with both a national and an international focus. Its primary activities are research, documentation, dissemination of knowledge and services in the field of fine art. SIK-ISEA specialises in artworks produced in Switzerland from the Middle Ages to the present day. We became a project partner in 1972 and have been supporting the research focus "Materials, Ideas and Authenticity" since 2018. This research programme spans several research projects, lectures, events and publications. Image: © Schweizerisches Institut für Kunstwissenschaft (SIK-ISEA)

our partner Zürcher Theater Spektakel

The Zürcher Theater Spektakel was founded in 1980 as an annual international platform for independent theatre groups. Today, the festival is hosted by the city of Zurich and attracts around 150 000 visitors every year. It ranks among the most important European festivals for the contemporary performing arts. We have been a main sponsor since 1994 and in 2016 supported the realisation of one of the festival's newest venues, the Pavilion. Image: © Zürcher Theater Spektakel/Christian Altorfer

our partner Millers

Located in Zurich's somewhat bohemian neighbourhood of Seefeld, Millers is a small private theatre focusing on cabaret, slam poetry and the spoken word, burlesque and other "niche products" of the theatre world. In contrast to most other local stages, it is one of the few theatres in Zurich offering bilingual programmes. We have been a house partner since 1994 and support the diversity of the seasonal programmes. Image: © Millers/Lukas Ziegler

our partner Opernhaus Zürich

The tradition of opera performances in Zurich goes back more than 150 years. Opernhaus Zürich opened its doors in 1891 and today is among the most productive opera stages in Europe. We have been supporting the Opernhaus Zürich since 1960. Our partnership focuses on special formats, such as an annual series of pre-Christmas open air short concerts, or videos that bring opera enthusiasts behind the scenes of the Opernhaus. Image: © Opernhaus Zürich/Dominic Büttner

our partner Lucerne Festival

Located in the central Swiss city of Lucerne, the Lucerne Festival goes back to the 1930s. Each summer, top-ranking classical music orchestras, conductors and soloists are invited to perform in the splendid KKL building on the shore of the Lake of Lucerne. The Festival is among the premier classical music festivals in Europe. We have been supporting Lucerne Festival since 1997 as a project partner. Over the last few years, the focus of our support has been on the alumni of the Lucerne Festival Academy, where promising young musicians are trained in contemporary classical music. Image: © Lucerne Festival/Priska Ketterer

our partner Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich

Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich is the city's premier symphonic orchestra. Domiciled in a splendidly renovated music hall situated on the shore of Lake Zurich, Tonhalle-Orchester performances are a highlight of Zurich's cultural calendar. We have been supporting the Tonhalle-Orchester since 1998. Image: © Tonhalle Zurich / Paolo Dutto

our partner Swiss Orchestra

Founded in 2018, the Swiss Orchestra aims to bring forgotten Swiss symphonic music from the late 18th to the early 20th century back to life. The founder and music director Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer is pioneering the forgotten or unknown Swiss symphonic repertoire of the classical and romantic eras. Together with a dynamic young ensemble of first-class instrumentalists and renowned soloists, they excite audiences across Switzerland. We are partner since 2022 and proudly support the rich diversity of Swiss symphonic and pioneering spirit of the Orchestra. Image: © Swiss Orchestra / Dominic Büttner

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