32 Questions for the Winterthur Museum of Photography

We have been around since:
1993.

What we do in 3 words:
Photography, workshops, encounters.

Our guiding principle is:
Look closely, explain the background, ask questions together.

Our annual budget:
Around CHF 3 million.

We receive our funding from ...
... the City of Winterthur, the Canton of Zurich, numerous private partners and foundations, as well as from our association.

If we had an extra 1 million at our disposal each year, we could ...
... invite even more international artists to Winterthur, improve working conditions for our team, set up a residency programme, and invite our neighbours to a drinks reception once a month.

We are at our most efficient ...
... just before the opening.

We are at our least efficient...
...when it rains during the set-up and we have to transport works from the storage facility across the street.

Since the photography museum was renovated, we have ...
... more space for larger exhibitions.
... more light.  ✓
... more prestige.
... nicer toilets. ✓
... even more reasons to stay longer. ✓

Our programme focuses primarily ...
... on the past.
... on the present. ✓
... on the future.

If we had to define contemporary photography in a single sentence, it would go like this:
Contemporary photography is THE mirror of our present.

Our exhibitions ...
... provoke.
... educate. ✓
... break with conventions.
... break with expectations. ✓
... adapt to global political events.
... we see as part of the entertainment industry.
... are rooted in pop culture. ✓
... invite a second look. ✓

With our exhibitions, we promote ...
... love. ✓
... knowledge. ✓
... criticism. ✓
... aesthetics.
... irony. ✓
... world peace.
... irrationality.
... justice.
... confidence. ✓
... visual literacy. ✓

Photography in the age of AI ...
... no longer provides evidence.
... reveals that photography has always been an illusion. ✓
... no longer needs photographers.
... is a challenge not only for photographers, but for us too.
... longs for the analogue.
... highlights how important it is to be able to read images. ✓

To protect photographers from AI ...
... photos created using AI should be banned.
... photos created using AI should be labelled as such. ✓
... professional photographers should receive a basic income.
... as a museum, it is not our job to concern ourselves with this.
... photographers do not need protection, but rather continued opportunities to take, exhibit and publish their images, and to receive appropriate fees for them. ✓

We will soon be breaking this taboo:
Taboo?! We also see ourselves as storytellers – in this sense, we are free, critical and keen to question established norms with relish.

If our programme were a dish, it would be ...
... mango with chilli. Sweet, spicy, surprising.

This superstar, dead or alive, is someone we’d love to exhibit here one day:
The list from our curatorial team is long, but we can all agree on one name: John Akomfrah.

If we didn’t exist, our audience would probably go to the ...
... Swiss Photo Foundation.

Cultural life in Winterthur has something you won’t find anywhere else in the world, and that would be ...
... the openness of its cultural scene – personal, vibrant and supported by a large community.

For cultural life in Winterthur, we hope for ...
... continued curiosity, openness and the courage to try new things.

For wheelchair users, our building is ...
... barrier-free and easily accessible.

By inclusion, we mean ...
... identifying barriers and removing them as far as possible, so that as many people as possible can access photography and visual culture.

This is how many people work with us:
Around 40.

By team spirit, we mean ...
… enjoying working together, constantly reflecting, staying motivated, and shaping a museum for the present and the future.

A persistent rumour surrounding our work is:
The Photographic Museum still believes that Switzerland doesn’t actually exist (background).

The average salary of our staff is ...
... less than the average wage in the Canton of Zurich.

We make this mistake time and time again:
We believe that our days are endless.

The hardest part of our work is ...
... conveying complex topics in a way that is understandable and light-hearted.

The best part of our work is ...
... when the building comes to life at 8.00 am with young people still a little sleepy, or when there isn’t a single empty seat left in the foyer on a Sunday afternoon thanks to lively conversations.

Working for culture is worthwhile because ...
... challenges and inspiration go hand in hand.

We’d also like to share this with you:
It’s always worth taking a second look. Always.