Boltshauser Architects honoured at the Swiss Art Awards
The jury recognized their installation in Basel, which combines research and art. During the exhibition, sifted clay varieties create a material map of geological Switzerland.
The Federal Office of Culture presents the Swiss Art and Design Awards every year as part of Art Basel. The award in the architecture category goes to Boltshauser Architects – the practice of ETH Professor Roger Boltshauser –, whose installation "Map of Clay" combines art and research. "The project translates Switzerland’s clay soils into visible objects that can be experienced as building material", the jury writes.
Over a period of one year, Boltshauser Architects will collect samples, compare and document the various types of clay, and present them as a catalogue and geological map. For the duration of the Swiss Art Awards exhibition, the different clays in the installation will be shaken through vibrating sieves. A material map of the multicoloured spaces of geological Switzerland will be created on the floor of the exhibition hall. The jury was impressed by the combination of research and sensory experience. "Map of Clay is a plea not just for sustainable, regional construction materials, but also for beauty."
As part of Art Basel, the Federal Office of Culture also awards the Prix Meret Oppenheim, which this year honours, among others, the architect and emeritus ETH professor Miroslav Šik.