June in Saanenland was rich in artistic encounters. Two openings, very different in style yet both deeply rooted in tradition, drew crowds and conversations. And the good news: while the vernissages have passed, the exhibitions remain open well into autumn and even through next spring.

Denise Schwizgebel: Between memory and mixed media 
At the Museum der Landschaft in Saanen, Zurich-based artist Denise Schwizgebel returned with a show that is as much about family as it is about art. Together with her parents, she brought back to Saanen the extraordinary Alpine carvings of her late grandfather Fritz Schwizgebel, pairing them with her own contemporary mixed-media works.

The opening in June was an emotional moment. Denise, visibly moved, spoke of fulfilling a lifelong dream: to exhibit her art side by side with her grandfather’s, in the valley where his story began. His almost lifelike wooden miniatures – inspired by years as a Senn on Wispile and Kühdungel – tell of Alpine life with astonishing detail. Her atmospheric animal portraits, born from her own journey of overcoming a severe childhood allergy, now continue that narrative in another form.

There’s a tenderness in seeing these works together. Grandfather and granddaughter, separated by time but connected by love of craft and animals, seem to enter into a quiet conversation across the exhibition space.

The show runs until 19 October 2025, Thursday to Sunday, 14:00–17:00, at the Museum der Landschaft, Saanen.

Ueli Hofer: Paper, Scissors, Poetry
A short stroll away, in the public spaces of the Hotel Gstaaderhof, another exhibition opened in June. It marks the return of Emmental artist Ueli Hofer, whose delicate Scherenschnitte (paper cuts) and more experimental collages haven’t been seen in this setting for fifteen years.

Walking through the hotel, you encounter works that seem both fragile and strong. Hofer has spent more than five decades refining the art of the paper cut, creating figures and symbols from a single sheet with breathtaking precision. Alongside these, his collages weave in fragments of text, found objects, and layers of cut paper to create dreamlike visual stories.

The hotel’s hosts, Konstanze and Christof Huber, see the exhibition as “a new identity” for their spaces, and it’s true: the works bring a quiet tension and a touch of poetry to the atmosphere.

The exhibition continues until 30 March 2026, welcoming both hotel guests and casual visitors.

Why Go Now

Together, these two shows highlight the best of Saanenland’s cultural summer: heritage carried forward with care, traditions reimagined with fresh energy. They are also reminders that art here is not locked in galleries alone, but woven into the very fabric of local life.

• Denise & Fritz Schwizgebel – Museum der Landschaft Saanen, until 19 October 2025

• Ueli Hofer – Hotel Gstaaderhof, until 30 March 2026

Edited by Jeanette Wichmann