The Sciaredo Foundation

The History

In 1988, after the death of Marcelle Klein and several years of unsuccessful search for possible descendants, the Klein / Tentori estate, including Casa Sciaredo, came to the canton of Zurich; The executor of the will is the then Swiss bank company SBG Zurich. While still alive, the sisters wrote a will that is intended to ensure the continued existence of “Sciaredo” as a place of creation for artists. After several years of discussions, the SBG, in consultation with the Zurich Finance Directorate and at the request of the Swiss Workers' Association SWB and Visarte Zurich (since 2012 Visarte Switzerland), together with the Sciaredo association (it has been responsible for maintenance since the late 1980s) responsible from home and garden) to establish a foundation based in Ticino. On September 16, 1996 the Fondazione Sciaredo was founded, based in Lugano.

The mission of the foundation

The statutes define the mission of the foundation in the following way:

  • The atelier house has to be placed at the disposal of visual artists or other cultural producers, such as photographers, filmmakers, architects, designers, writers and so on.
  • The atelier house has to be preserved as one of the rare original examples of   “Neues Bauen” in the Canton of Ticino.
  • The artistic estate of Georgette Tentori-Klein has to be maintained in an appropriate way.
  • The activities of the foundation have promoted and made accessible to the public.

The board of the foundation

From 1996 up to now the following individuals worked on the board:

• Willi Christen, architect, Zurich, first president and executive and representative of Visarte Zurich
• Ellen Meyrat-Schlee, sociologist, Zurich
• Leonhard Fünfschilling, architect, Zurich
• Alexander Zoanni, architect, representative of Schweizerischer Werkbund SWB
• Thomas Rutherfoord, artist, Winterthur, representative of the Sciaredo Association
• Jürg Attinger, artist, Winterthur, representative of the Sciaredo Association
• Paolo Fumagalli, architect, Lugano, elected member
• Lukas Meyer-Piattini, architect, Lugano, represantative of the Canton of Ticino
• Susanne Muller, artist, Prêles, representative of Romandie
• Annelise Zwez, art critic, Biel-Bienne, elected member, president, representative of Romandie
• Roland Gut, architect, Meilen, representative of the Sciaredo Association
• Urs Dickerhof, artist, Biel-Bienne, representative of Visarte Switzerland
• Bernd Zocher, editor, Zurich, elected member
• Daniela de Maddalena, artist, Biel-Bienne, elected member
• Myrtha Steiner, artist, Zurich, represantative of Visarte Switzerland
• Alice Gut, Mànnedorf, representative of the Sciaredo Association
• Vera Gerster, Zurich, elected member
• Esther Schena, artist, Zurich, represantative of Visarte Switzerland

The current members of the board

• since 2013: Gabriele Clara Leist, writing coach, copywriter, Teufen A.Rh., president of the board and representative of the Schweizerische Werkbund
• since 2011: Jachen Könz, architect, Lugano, vicepresident and representative of the Canton of Ticino
• since 2017: Alessandra Gavin-Mueller, director/producer, Lugano, elected member and AARDT contact person
• since 2024: Miriam Rutherfoord, artist, Winterthur, representative of the Sciaredo Association
• since 2024: Bernhard Graf, curator, Arogno, elected member
• since 2025: Sophie Brunner, curator, Cavigliano, represantative of Visarte Switzerland