Baden/Bad Ragaz, September 9, 2025 – Garten Hotels Schweiz, with the support of Innotour and in close cooperation with the Swiss Sculpture Triennial Foundation (Bad Ragartz), are launching an innovative cultural tourism project. Starting in spring 2026, the first contemporary works by national artists will be exhibited in the gardens of Garten Hotels Schweiz – serving as decentralized open-air galleries that connect art, gardens, and hospitality in a new way.
Art in Hotel Gardens – accessible, flourishing, nationwide
The first edition of the «Art Garden Hotels» is scheduled to take place in spring 2026. During the pilot year, the plan is to present initial works by renowned artists at all Garten Hotels locations. The gardens will become vibrant open spaces for art through related offerings and events contextualized by the artworks. The exhibition is aimed at both hotel guests and the interested public, inviting them to encounter art in everyday life, embedded in garden culture and hospitality. From 2027 onwards, the exhibition will be further developed annually and supplemented with new artistic contributions.
«The Art Garden Hotels project creates a new form of cultural tourism: contemporary art enriches the hotel gardens of our members, transforming them into places of encounter, diversity, and inspiration.» Luca Norato, President, Garten Hotels Schweiz Association
Collaboration with the Swiss Sculpture Triennial Foundation – Bad Ragartz
The Swiss Sculpture Triennial Foundation Bad Ragartz has been identified as the ideal partner for the project. Behind Bad Ragartz is the Hohmeister family, who have continuously developed the renowned open-air exhibition since its first edition in 2000, creating a cultural event that attracts visitors from all over the world to Bad Ragaz. The Swiss Sculpture Triennial Foundation brings extensive expertise, years of experience, and a broad network to the project. Through a selection process, the foundation contributes its keen eye for suitable artistic positions and assigns the works to the respective hotel gardens, tailored to the location, surroundings, and atmosphere. This collaboration represents artistic quality and a shared philosophy: art should be experienced in everyday life, in open and vibrant spaces.
«The greatest art in life is connecting people through things. It's even more wonderful when this can also lead to an economically and touristically relevant factor.» Rolf Hohmeister, Founder, Bad Ragartz
Call for Artists
Nationally active artists whose works are suitable for an open-air exhibition can now apply via the public call for participation in Art Garden Hotels 2026. We are looking for contemporary works that can exist in public, open spaces and create a special impact in the gardens of the participating hotels.
Funding by Innotour
The Art Garden Hotels project will be supported until 2028 by the funding program «Innotour» from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The funding will be allocated to innovation work, inter-company coordination, and knowledge transfer to sustainably and long-term establish the project within Swiss cultural tourism.
About Garten Hotels Schweiz
Garten Hotels is an association of currently 19 independent Swiss hotels that share one thing: a special garden. Whether blooming and meticulously maintained, wild and close to nature, or designed with loving details. The gardens shape the guest experience and make each hotel unique. They invite guests to linger, explore, and take a deep breath.
With the Art Garden Hotels project, these gardens become open spaces for art, accessible to guests, locals, and spontaneous visitors alike.
About the Swiss Triennial of Sculpture Foundation – Bad Ragartz
Behind the international open-air exhibition Bad Ragartz is the Swiss Triennial of Sculpture Foundation. For over 20 years, the Hohmeister family has been realizing an extraordinary art project every three years as part of this exhibition, bringing contemporary sculpture into public spaces. The open-air exhibition in Bad Ragaz, Vaduz (Liechtenstein), and the Old Bath Pfäfers has since developed into one of the largest open-air art events worldwide. In 2024, it once again attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Sarganserland region and Liechtenstein, where they could discover works by internationally renowned artists.
Media Contact
Fabian Weidmann, Garten Hotels Switzerland
Email: kontakt@gartenhotels.ch
Phone: +41 56 525 33 06