About the Artist
Markus Raetz
Markus Raetz (b. June 6, 1941 – d. April 14, 2020) was a Swiss artist renowned for his exploration of perception through drawing, painting, sculpture, and installation.
Born in Büren an der Aare near Bern and educated as a schoolteacher, Raetz began his artistic career in the early 1960s. After living in Amsterdam (1969–73) and Ticino (1973–76), he returned to Bern, where he lived and worked for the remainder of his life.
He participated in major international exhibitions including documenta IV (1968), documenta V (1972), and documenta VII (1982), and represented Switzerland at the Venice Biennale in 1988.
Raetz produced over 30,000 drawings, using them as a means to unpack how images are formed and perceived—often prioritizing viewer interaction and perspective shifts over static representation. His sculptural works, including anamorphic and mobile pieces, frequently change appearance based on the viewer’s position—most famously pieces like Oui‑Non and Yes‑No
He received several artistic honors, including the Gerhard-Altenbourg-Preis in 2004 and the Prix Meret Oppenheim in 2006. His works are held in major collections like MoMA New York, Kunstmuseum Basel, Kunstmuseum Bern, and Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt
.
