Lugano's MASI adds to Petignat Collection: more than 650 works donated

The entire collection of Jocelyne and Fabrice Petignat, a body of more than 650 works that offers an overview of international and Swiss contemporary art of the past four decades, has been donated to the Museo d’Arte della Svizzera Italiana (MASI) in Lugano. This collection is distinguished by its intimate and personal character, the result of field research work and close relationships with artists. The Petignat Collection, developed over more than four decades, consists mainly of works on paper and editions in medium and small formats. Jocelyne and Fabrice Petignat built their collection not only by acquiring works, but by establishing deep personal ties with artists, often known early in their careers.

Among the first to support video artist Pipilotti Rist, the Petignats sensed the value of artists such as Vanessa Beecroft, Miriam Cahn, Nan Goldin, Jamie Reid and Wolfgang Tillmans, bringing together some of their rarest works. The collection includes works by internationally prominent artists such as Marina Abramović, Alighiero Boetti, Christian Boltanski, Heidi Bucher, and Maurizio Cattelan.

The collection explores central themes in contemporary art, including the advent of video art, feminism, the influence of punk in visual art, and the renewal of contemporary painting. Strands that have enabled the Petignats to build a unique collection documenting artistic evolution in contemporary art, with a particular focus on the Swiss landscape.

The process of integrating the collection into MASI’s collections will be gradual. The goal is to enhance each work through careful archiving and detailed study. To this end, two rooms in the Palazzo Reali have already been dedicated, as of last October, to inventorying the works.

“The collection reflects not only our tastes and orientations, but also the deep relationships we have cultivated with places and people over time,” said Jocelyne and Fabrice Petignat. “Ticino, in particular, represents one of these ties, and we feel that the MASI Museum is the ideal place to best preserve our collection, making it accessible to the public in the future.”

“We are very happy to welcome this exceptional donation, which will enrich a nucleus of works by Swiss ar tists and artists from the generation of the 1950s and 1960s, but not only, because the Petignat collection has a breadth that goes beyond national borders and looks at emerging art from major centers in Europe. The donation is, moreover, a great atte ntation of trust within a relationship, that between the museum and private collectors, which is very valuable for our institution and benefits the entire community,” commented Tobia Bezzola, director of MASI Lugano.

Lugano's MASI adds to Petignat Collection: more than 650 works donated

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