Opening Roundtable — In Conversation with Uli Sigg

Photo: Superglue

On 9 December 2025, the Chair of East Asian Art History at the University of Zurich inaugurated its new Roundtable series East Asian Art in Dialogue with an opening event “In Conversation with Uli Sigg.” The evening brought together academics, cultural professionals, and members of the wider public interested in Chinese and East Asian art.

The programme opened with welcome remarks by Prof. Dr. Christian Schwarzenegger (UZH Vice President Faculty Affairs and Scientific Information), followed by a public lecture by Dr. Uli Sigg, Between the Private and the Public: Collecting as Cultural Discourse, in which he reflected on his experiences as a collector and on the role of collecting in shaping global cultural narratives.

The lecture was followed by a roundtable discussion with Dr. Uli Sigg; Dr. Kathleen Bühler (Chief Curator, Head of Collection, Exhibitions, Research, Kunstmuseum Bern); Prof. Dr. Ewa Machotka (Chair of East Asian Art History, UZH) addressing questions of collecting, institutions, and the role of Chinese and East Asian art in Switzerland. The evening concluded with an informal apéro and networking session. 

Approximately 320 participants joined the event, representing academia, museums, cultural institutions, the art market, collectors, philanthropists, and an engaged public, providing clear evidence of strong interest in and commitment to cross-sectoral dialogue around Chinese and East Asian art.

Photo: Superglue