The Stable. Andrea Furger, Pontresina

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in February 2024. In the southeastern part of Switzerland, in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, lies the Engadin Valley. People are usually drawn to this picture-perfect area of the country by the unparalleled skiing, awesome events and five-star hospitality, along with the gourmet restaurants and chic stores of glitzy St. Moritz. Indeed, it’s in this latter town that you’ll find 13 international art galleries and the NOMAD art fair each February. But the St. Moritz art galleries aren’t the only draw. The valley as a whole demands further exploration, with its more than 65 art galleries in several towns and villages that are home to inspiring spaces housing all manner of paintings, sculptures, photographs and mixed media installations, as well as rotating exhibitions, stimulating lectures and cultural festivals.

For hundreds of years, the valley has inspired the culturally curious and expressive alike—in addition to artists, thinkers such as Frederich Nietzsche settled here. In more recent times, this Switzerland art hub has also captured the imaginations of artists like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Alberto Giacometti, Gerhard Richter and James Turrell, as well as local hero Not Vital. From big names like Hauser & Wirth to independent photographers’ studios and salon-esque townhouses, there is a wealth of local and international art galleries, along with emerging artists to discover, making this a must-visit arts destination during the adventurous winter season, the bustling summer months and in the seasons between.

Where to see great contemporary art in Engadin, Switzerland

Galerie Karsten Greve

Via Maistra 4 7500 St. Moritz

Galerie Karsten Greve. Galerie Karsten Greve

The St. Moritz location of this international network of galleries follows the German founder’s ethos of forging deep personal relationships with artists, resulting in shows defined by their uniqueness. From paintings, ceramics and installations to museal exhibitions that showcase one artist’s estate, this art gallery pairs high-quality contemporary paintings and sculptures with evocative retrospectives over three floors on the main street of the sophisticated Swiss town.

The Stable

Bügl Suot 60, 7525 S-chanf

The Stable. Stefan Altenburger, Zürich

Fritz Steinhart’s The Stable in the charming village of S-chanf presents a mix of Swiss national and global talent. You’ll find contemporary art and contrasting perspectives in painting, ceramics, sculpture, photography and mixed media. It’s a space with two distinct areas. The interior proffers a semi-cloistered gallery space on a single level, but it’s the rear that proves to be the most impressive. A high-ceiling open barn (the former stable) with timber planks for walls provides visitors with a rustic, capacious area to view artworks, installations and sculptures, which are juxtaposed with the atavistic backdrop of the river and mountain range beyond. Recent exhibitions have featured Rudolf Polanzsky, Matt Smoak and Sara Rhamanian, as well as the Engadin artist Patrick Salutt.

Galerie Tschudi

Somvih 4, 7524 Zuoz

Galerie Tschudi. Courtesy: Galerie Tschudi. Photo by Ralph Feiner

Galerie Tschudi in Zuoz (located between S-chanf and Madulain) is in a large, traditional Engadin townhouse dating from the medieval period, with its own hayloft-cum-venue space. The building encompasses several commodious floors, allowing for solo or group exhibitions and installations to occur simultaneously, and there are enhanced rustic stone interiors and views of the beauty outside throughout. Open during both the summer and winter seasons, the gallery appeals to an audience of curators and private collectors while promoting emerging and established stars of contemporary art.

Art Castell

Via Castell 50, 7524 Zuoz

James Turrell’s Skyspace Piz Uter. Credit: Hotel Castell

Art Castell—an offshoot of the Hotel Castell—isn’t so much an art gallery as it is a destination for an entire installation, and it’s certainly somewhere to seek out. Owner Ruedi Bechtler is a passionate collector of contemporary art and has collaborated with various foundations to place works by Carsten Höller, David Shrigley, Tadashi Kawamata and more around the hotel. However, the must-see piece at the site is James Turrell’s Skyspace Piz Uter—a stone rotunda that invites viewers to enter, sit and look up to the sky through the open ceiling above. The changing light throughout the day provides viewers with a multitude of different perspectives and an immersive experience that surpasses many traditional installations.

Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz

Via Serlas 22, 7500 St. Moritz

Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz. Hauser & Wirth

Since December 2018, the revered blue chip gallery situated opposite The Badrutt’s Palace Hotel has supercharged the area’s art scene with its accessible exhibitions and boundary-pushing installations (last year’s full-service Roth Bar being one intoxicating example). In addition to works by photographers Don Mcculin and Cindy Sherman on display, you’ll also find work from the estates of Fausto Melotti, Eva Hesse and Dieter Roth on show across three expansive floors and 4,000 sq ft of exhibition space.

Vito Schnabel Gallery

Via Maistra 37, 7500 St. Moritz

The Angel Otero exhibition at Vito Schnabel Gallery. Courtesy the artist and Vito Schnabel Gallery

The Vito Schnabel Gallery in St. Moritz is the discerning European counterpart to the bohemian vibes of Schnabel’s New York outpost. Opened in 2015, this space is situated in the former gallery of the art dealer Bruno Bischofberger—viewed by some as the man who popularized the idea of opening art galleries in St. Moritz. Today, the rooms support and showcase those voices pushing the boundaries of contemporary art, focusing on large-scale paintings and in-your-face installations.

Stalla Madulain

Via Principela 16, 7523 Madulain

Stalla Madulain. Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich

Cousins Gian Tumasch Appenzeller and Chasper Schmidlin founded this unassuming gallery in 2014 in the middle of the attractive village of Madulain between S-chanf and St. Moritz. Situated in a 500-year-old barn, it sells and shows contemporary art by local artists who live and work nearby and those who have been inspired by the Engadin landscape. Split over three floors of hayloft, barn and basement, the surrounding agricultural milieu contrasts with paintings, multidisciplinary exhibitions and installations. Exhibitions can also stretch across to another bucolic space adjacent to the gallery, La Staletta.

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