Now in its 25th edition, Art in the Park returns to the iconic grounds of Baur au Lac this summer with a compelling solo presentation by Norwegian artist Ida Ekblad. Initiated and curated by sixth-generation owner Gigi Kracht, the annual sculpture exhibition has long been a fixture of the Zurich cultural calendar and a highly anticipated prelude to Art Basel.
Having attended many editions over the years, this is one of those Zurich summer highlights I return to time and again, and if you have been following Sandra’s Closet for a while, you will no doubt have seen my coverage before. What Gigi Kracht creates here each year is simply remarkable.
With Gigi Kracht at a previous Art in the Park event.
Running from June 14 to July 21, 2026, and opening in parallel with Zurich Art Weekend, this year’s edition is realised in collaboration with Zurich gallery Karma International. Ekblad, whose work is held in collections including the Kunsthaus Zürich, Centre Pompidou and MOCA Los Angeles, brings a new body of work that extends her sculptural and painterly practice into both the park and the hotel’s interior salons.
Book of Boredom by Ida Ekblad
Two monumental bronze sculptures, THE JINXED PORTRAIT (2026) and BOOK OF BOREDOM (2022), will anchor the outdoor presentation, their hand-painted surfaces entering into dialogue with the park’s remarkable tree canopy.
Joining them is the white bronze bench NATTSYN FOR DAGSYN (2022), adorned with a rose motif and previously shown at the Kunsthaus Zürich. A particular highlight is the world premiere of Ekblad’s Kraken Möbel series, a group of wooden objects that blur the boundary between sculpture and design, inviting visitors to interact with the space in entirely new ways.
Ida Ekblad
Indoors, a new series of paintings and works on paper continues Ekblad’s signature language of gestural abstraction, layered colour and poetic text.
The exhibition is free for hotel guests. Outside visitors are welcome following a visit to one of the hotel’s bars or restaurants.
LoL, Sandra
Photos: Courtesy of Baur au Lac and Kistefos-Museum, © Sandra Bauknecht
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