The Swiss parliament has approved a CHF987.9 million cultural budget for 2025-2028, following the resolution of a prolonged disagreement over the handling of looted art.
With this approval, funding is unlocked for various cultural initiatives, including CHF210 million allocated to cinema, CHF139 million to the Swiss National Museum, and CHF159 million earmarked for cultural promotion, including the creation of a national museum on women's roles in Swiss history.
A key aspect of this decision is the creation of an independent commission designed to address claims concerning cultural property seized due to Nazi persecution. This commission allows heirs to directly approach it in cases related to Nazi-looted artworks in public museums and collections; in other instances, the agreement of all involved parties is required. The establishment of this commission aligns Switzerland with countries like Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, which have created similar bodies to assess and recommend actions on Nazi-looted art claims.
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
ArtDependence Magazine is an international magazine covering all spheres of contemporary art, as well as modern and classical art.
ArtDependence features the latest art news, highlighting interviews with today’s most influential artists, galleries, curators, collectors, fair directors and individuals at the axis of the arts.
The magazine also covers series of articles and reviews on critical art events, new publications and other foremost happenings in the art world.
If you would like to submit events or editorial content to ArtDependence Magazine, please feel free to reach the magazine via the contact page.
