Cathérine Hug

Hug was born 1976 in Basel, Switzerland. With her parents and siblings she grew up in Saint-Ursanne and Delémont, Switzerland.

Hug studied Computer Science, Media Science and Art History at the Chairs of Rolf Pfeiffer, Heinz Bonfadelli and Stanislaus von Moos at the University of Zurich.

From 2000 until 2007 she was curatorial assistant at the Kunsthaus Zurich, where she worked closely with Bice Curiger and Tobia Bezzola.

From 2005 until 2008 she was assistant of the Art Unlimited Curator Simon Lamunière at the Art Basel. As freelance curator she organized among others Unloaded (Oberschan 2002-03) with Giovanni Carmine; In The Alps with Tobia Bezzola (Kunsthaus Zurich, 2006); and Carola Giedion-Welcker and Modernism (Kunsthaus Zurich, 2007).

From 2008 until 2013 she was curator at the Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna, where she curated among others Thomas Ruff (2009), 1989. End of History or Beginning of the Future? (2009–10) with Gerald Matt, Street And Studio. From Basquiat to Séripop (2010) with Thomas Mießgang, Space. About A Dream (2011) with Walter Famler, Lucy Skaer – Force Justify (2012), WWTBD – What Would Thomas Bernhard Do and Salon der Angst with Nicolaus Schafhausen (both 2013). From 2011 until 2013 she was in the workers’ committee and supervisory board (Betriebsrat and Aufsichtsrat) of Kunsthalle Wien.

Since 2013 she is curator at the Kunsthaus Zurich, where she curated among others Von Matisse zum Blauen Reiter (2014) with Timothy Benson (LACMA, Los Angeles); Europa. The Future of History (2015) with Robert Menasse; Tomi Ungerer. Incognito (2015) in collaboration with Folkwang Essen; Dadaglobe Reconstructed (2016) with Adrien Sudhalter in collaboration with MoMA New York; and Francis Picabia. A retrospective (2016) with Anne Umland in collaboration with MoMA New York.

As guest curator she curated Feiert das Leben! with Robert Menasse and Manuela Laubenberger at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien in Vienna (2015–16). Hug is further project leader of the digitalization of the Kunsthaus Dada Collection (2013–16).

(*) labels exhibitions with an accompanying publication or catalogue

1999

• Co-conductor with Charlotte Tschumi of the tutorial course The Actuality of Walter Benjamin & the Critical Theory, Institute of Art History, University of Zurich (Winter term 1999/2000).

2000

• Editorial collaboration to the exhibition catalogue Mixing Memory and Desire, Museum of Art Lucerne.
• Assistant to the artists’ books publishing house Memory/Cage Editions, Zurich.
• Editorial assistance to the exhibition catalogue Hypermental*, curated by Bice Curiger and Christoph Heinrich at the Kunsthaus Zurich and Hamburger Kunsthalle.

2001

• Program with Giovanni Carmine of the Nam June Paik-retrospective at VIDEOEX: Video und Experimentalfilmfestival*, organiser Patrik Huber.
• Curatorial assistance to Daniel Kurjakovic’s group exhibition A World Within A Space*, Kunsthalle Zurich 2001.
• Initiation, organization and assistance to Gianni Jetzer’s guest lecture Art & Everyday Life, Institute of Art History, University of Zurich (Summer term 2001).
• Initiation, organization and assistance to Yvonne Volkart’s guest lecture Artistic Practice in the Area of Information and Biotechnology (Künstlerische Praktiken im Zeitalter von Informations- und Biotechnologien), Institute of Art History, University of Zurich (Winter term 2000/01).

2002

• Co-curator with Giovanni Carmine of the exhibition UNLOADED – Coming Up For Air*, Oberschan. With the participation of Monica Bonvicini (D), Annelise Coste (F), Christoph Büchel, Olivier Mosset and Gianni Motti among others.
• Reader/voice of Rirkrit Tiravanija’s 280min video work (ghost reader C.H.), video animation.
• Assistant to Bice Curiger’s group exhibition Public Affairs*, Kunsthaus Zurich.
• Initiation, organization and assistance to Jan Linders’ guest lecture In The Light of Experience. James Turrell’s Extensions of Horizon (Im Lichte der Erfahrung. James Turrells Horizonterweiter-ungen), Institute of Art History, University of Zurich (Winter term 2001/2002).

2003

• University exams with the degree of lic. phil. (equivalent to M.A.) in Art History, Computer Science and Media Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
• Initiation, organization of and assistance to Cornel Windlin’s guest lecture Sexy Terror (The Stuff That Surrounds You), Institute of Art History, University of Zurich (Winter term 03/04).

2004

• Scientific research associate and catalogue author of Monet: the Garden*, Kunsthaus from October 29, 2004 – March 13, 2005.

2005

• Co-curator with Alexandra Blättler of Friends Electric!* with the participating artists Jen Liu (New York) and Andrea Thal (Zurich) at Binz39, Zurich.
• Assistant Art Unlimited *, Art 36 Basel. Project Manager Ursula Diehr, Curator Simon Lamunière.
• Research collaborator at the Kunsthaus Zurich in relation with the exhibition catalogue Sigmar Polke: Werke & Tage* curated by Bice Curiger.

2006

• Assistant Art Unlimited*, Art 37 Basel. Curator Simon Lamunière.
• Co-curator with Tobia Bezzola of In the Alps* (Fall/Winter 2006), Kunsthaus Zurich.
• Swiss delegate of the Fine Arts Showcase in Liverpool organized by the British Council on the occasion of the Liverpool Biennial, 2006, in October 2006.

2007

• Ph.D. researches at the National Library of Canada, Ottawa (Nov. 06 – Jan. 07)
• AZPAA (A-Z public art projects) in collaboration with Annie Wuand Manuela Schlumpf, a non-profit art agency looking for unconventional exhibition locations and helping to produce site-specific artworks.
• Assistant Art Unlimited*, Art 38 Basel. Curator Simon Lamunière.
• Guest-curator of the exhibition Carola Giedion-Welcker und die Moderne, Kunsthaus Zurich, August 31 – November 18, 2007,
• Assistant to Simon Lamunière, Art Director of Utopics*, 11e Exposition Suisse de Sculpture, 11. Schweizerische Plastikausstellung, Bienne (Summer/Fall 09).

2008

• Assistant Art Unlimited*, Art 39 Basel. Curator Simon Lamunière.
• Co-curator together with Christoph Doswald of the exh. KONKRET MEGAMOPP. Sammlung Moderne Kunst – Neuerwerbungen*, with among others Katia Bassanini, Anton Bruhin, Stéphane Dafflon, Philippe Decrauzat, Martin Disler, Mark Divo, Germann/Lorenzi, Info Giezendanner, Hanspeter Hofmann, Zilla Leutenegger, Elodie Pong, and David Renggli, Foundation Stiftung Charles und Agnes Vögele, Pfäffikon/SZ, Sept. 21 – Nov. 2, 2008.

2009

• Co-curator with Gerald Matt of 1989. End of History or Beginning of the Future? Comments on a Paradigm Shift*, with among others Marina Abramovic, Chantal Akerman, Christoph Büchel and Giovanni Carmine, Erik Bulatov, Chen Danqing, Harun Farocki, Johan Grimonprez, Hans Haacke, Anna Jermolaewa, Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, Alexander Kosolapov, Barbara Kruger, Lars Laumann, Boris Mikhailov, Marcel Odenbach, Susan Philipsz, Neo Rauch, Nedko Solakov, Song Dong, Jane & Louise Wilson, KUNSTHALLE wien, October 9 – February 7, 2010,
• Curator of Thomas Ruff. Surfaces, Depth*, KUNSTHALLE wien, May 21 – September 13,

2010

• Co-curator with Rita Vitorelli of ZINE*FAIR, 1st international Fanzine & Small Publishers’ Fair in Austria, September 18.
• Co-curator with Thomas Mießgang of Street and Studio From Basquiat to Séripop*, with among others Rita Ackermann, Charlie Ahearn, Kader Attia, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Dara Birnbaum, Blek le Rat, Sophie Calle, Sol LeWitt, KUNSTHALLE wien, June 25 – Oct. 10, 2010,
• Co-curator with Gerald Matt of Marilyn Manson – David Lynch: Genealogies of Pain*, KUNSTHALLE wien, June 28 – July 11,
• Co-curator with Isabel Reiß and Dimitrina Sevova of the exh. ich tier! (du mensch) – du tier! (ich mensch) i animal! (you human) – you animal! (i human), with among others Christian Eisenberger, Klara Hobza, Lin May, Silke Nowak, and two guest lectures by Judith “Jack” Halberstam (UCLA), “Creative Anthropomorphism” and “Unbecoming,” a collab. between Perla-Mode, Dienstgebäude, Corner College, English Institute and History Institute of the University of Zurich (Bronfen), Zurich, April 9 – 25, 2010,

2011

• Co-curator with Rita Vitorelli of ZINE*FAIR, 2nd international Fanzine & Small Publishers’ Fair in Austria, KUNSTHALLE wien, September 17, 2011.
• Curator of Franz Huemer: Seher und Genie, Seer and Genious, KUNSTHALLE wien project wall, Sept. 17 – March 1, 2012,
• Co-curator with Karolina Dankow of the BA diploma class of Erik Steinbrecher, Zurich School of Arts (abbr. ZHdK), April–June 2011.
• Curator of Loris Gréaud*, KUNSTHALLE wien project space, April 15 - May 25, 2011,
• Curator of WELTRAUM, die Kunst und ein Traum. SPACE. Art and a Dream*, KUNSTHALLE wien, March 31 – August 15, 2011, with among others Paweł Althamer, Vladimir Dubossarsky & Alexander Vinogradov, William Kentridge, Jen Liu, Mariko Mori, Deimantas Narkevičius, Amalia Pica, Robert Rauschenberg, Pipilotti Rist, Thomas Ruff, Wilhelm Sasnal, Keith Tyson, Jane & Louise Wilson, Carey Young,

2012

• Zine*Fair, 3rd international Fanzine & Small Publishers’ Fair in Austria co-curated by Rita Vitorelli (Spike Art Quarterly), KUNSTHALLE wien, September 22–23, 2012.
• 20th Parabolic Flight Campaign, special project Kunst schwebt on invitation of DLR (initiator Peter Zarth) to make participate the three artists Julieta Aranda, Thomas Ruff as well as the writer Clemens Berger to the campaign, Novespace in Merignac-Bordeaux and ILA in Berlin, September 13–16, 2012.
• Lecture entitled Artzine Renaissance in the Age of Internet and Social Web at the annual international AICA conference, July 12, 2012 in Zurich
• Curator of Lucy Skaer – Force Justify (part 3), KUNSTHALLE wien, project space Karlsplatz, July 4 until August 26, 2012,
• Talks series Kleinodien – Anomalous Talks, people talking about their extraordinary but rather unknown or invisible activity, job or passion, organized together with visual artist Andreas Duscha and writer Clemens Berger, Salzburg and Vienna, launched on Nov. 14, 2011.
• Unheimliche Reise, Uncanny Journey, exhibition and screenings with Annette Amberg, Kader Attia, Ursula Biemann, Neil Beloufa, Luis Bunuel, Djibril Diop Mambety, Harun Farocki, Robert Jelinek, Katia Kameli, Bouchra Khalili, Philip Mayrhofer & Christian Kobald, Uriel Orlow, Jean Rouch, Clemens von Wedemeyer, initiated by and co-curated with Nadja Baldini & Beat Huber, Dienstgebaeude, Zurich, March 23 – April 22, 2012,
• Curator of Daniel Knorr, Explosion, KUNSTHALLE wien project space karlsplatz, sculpture place, March 29, 2012 – February 28, 2013,
• Curator of Ulrike Lienbacher, Kartenhaus, KUNSTHALLE wien project space karlsplatz, sculpture place, March 29, 2012 – February 28, 2013,

2013

• Co-Curator with Nicolaus Schafhausen of Salon der Angst*, thematic group exhibition reflecting on the phenomena of fears through the past three decades, September 13, 2013 – January 2014,
• Editor in charge and author of the cat. accompanying the competition to the permanent installation Vienna Art Passage Karlsplatz, with the participation of the 9 artists Lee Bul, Ernst Caramelle (competition winner), Barbara Kruger, Sarah Morris, Jorge Pardo, Gerwald Rockenschaub, Markus Schinwald, Cerith Wyn Evans and Sam Taylor-Wood, organized by KÖR and funded by Wiener Linien, Kunsthalle Wien project Space, June 2013,
• Zine*Fair, 4th international Fanzine & Small Publishers’ Fair in Austria co-curated by Rita Vitorelli (Spike Art Quarterly), Kunsthalle Wien, 28–30 June,
• Co-Curator with Nicolaus Schafhausen and Lucas Gehrmann of WWTBD – What Would Thomas Bernhard Do, a rather rhetorical more than literal question, alluding to a tradition of critical thinking in Vienna. The event is meant to stand in the realm of this way of critical thinking and acting, but against an international, interdisciplinary and process-oriented background, Festival taking place from May 16 until May 26, 2013,

2014

• Co-curator with Timothy Benson of the exhibition Von Matisse zum Blauen Reiter. Expressionismus in Deutschland und Frankreich*, an exhibition touring from Kunsthaus Zurich to Los Angeles County Museum and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal. Accompanied by a large event programme,

2015

• Curator of Tomi Ungerer. Incognito*, Kunsthaus Zurich from October 30 – February 7, Folkwang Museum Essen from March 18 – May 16, 2016,
• Co-curator with Manuela Laubenberger and Robert Menasse of Feiert das Leben! Zehn Lebensmasken werden zu Kunst*, an exhibition in collaboration with Caritas at Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien September 29 – April 3, 2016, accompanied by a large event programme,
• Curator of Sinnliche Ungewissheit. Eine Privatsammlung, Kunsthaus Zurich from June 19 – October 4,
• Co-curator with Robert Menasse of Europa. Die Zukunft der Geschichte*, Kunsthaus Zürich June 12 – September 6, accompanied by a large event programme,

2016

• Co-curator with Anne Umland of Francis Picabia. A Retrospective*, Kunsthaus Zurich June 3 – September 25, at MoMA New York from November 20, 2016 – March 19, 2017, accompanied by a large event programme
• Co-curator with Adrian Sudhalter of Dadaglobe Reconstructed*, Kunsthaus Zurich February 5 – May 1, at MoMA New York from June 12 – September 18,
• Project leader of the digitalization of the Kunsthaus Dada Collection (2013–2016),

• Member of the executive committee of the Erna & Curt Burgauer Foundation, since 2008
• Summer Academy Paul Klee, Bern, Switzerland, since 2011 (nominator),
• Prize of the NCCA, Moscow 2011 (nominator),
• IX Krasnoyarsk Museum Biennale, Biennale Prize, 2011 (jury)
• Werkbeiträge Digitale Kultur, migros Kulturprozent, 2013-2015 (jury),
• Videoex, Swiss competition, Zurich 2014 (jury),
• Prix du CCJE, Delémont 2014 (jury),
• Prix de la Société des Arts de Genève, Geneva 2015 (jury),
• Boston Consulting & Belvedere Contemporary Art Award, Vienna 2015 (nominator),