The Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève, the first space dedicated to contemporary art in French-speaking Switzerland, is embarking on a new chapter in its history, having proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Since its foundation in 1974, the Centre has occupied a variety of venues and spaces, from the Salle Patiño in Champel to the Palais Wilson in Pâquis. In 1990, the Centre became the first institution to move into the Contemporary Art Building (BAC) in Plainpalais.

On October 29, 2025, the Geneva City Council voted unanimously in favor of a complete renovation of the contemporary art building, which also houses the MAMCO and the Centre de la Photographie. Led by Berlin-based architects Kuehn Malvezzi, the renovation project will provide a better welcome for visitors and works of art. It will also feature new, convivial shared spaces. During this new phase of transformation, our commitment to supporting and diffusing emerging visual culture remains unwavering. To continue offering a dynamic cultural program to the public of Greater Geneva, we are launching an ambitious off-site program.

After the exhibitions by Antonio Obá and Paolo Colombo, presented in our current spaces until March 2, 2025, we will connect with our itinerant past, in partnership with local and international cultural players. In 2025, we will move into a new space in Geneva and launch a ground-breaking free online art school. Our artistic programming will be deployed in various venues in Greater Geneva and abroad, thanks to major institutional collaborations. At the same time, we will devote ourselves to educational initiatives as part of our mission to raise awareness and provide access to contemporary art for all audiences.

From March 2025, the offices of the Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève will move to the Mont-Blanc Centre, alongside other cultural structures such as the Fondation Plaza, the GIFF – Geneva International Film Festival, the FIFDH – Festival International du Film et Forum des Droits Humains, Everybody’s Prefect – Geneva International Queer Film Festival, Cinéforum, Flux Laboratory, ProFilms, Rita Productions and Large Network.
This historic building, designed by architect Marc J. Saugey in the 1950s, is home to the iconic Cinéma Plaza, whose ongoing renovation promises a rich program to which the Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève will contribute over the coming years.

Our artistic program for 2025 will be announced at the beginning of the year.

Image: Visualizations of the building, renovated by Kuehn Malvezzi