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About Us

Art reflects who we are - as a society, as an individual, and as an institution. It can remind us of our collective heritage. Or hint at our future. The same goes for us - UBS. The UBS Art Collection reflects the many paths our business has taken as we have grown to become one of the world's largest financial institutions. It incorporates key works from our former collections in both Europe and the US - mirroring the businesses that have become a part of us in that time.

With a rich collection of paintings, photographs, drawings, sculptures and video art by some of the world's major artists from 1950 onwards, we are widely recognized as having one of the world's most important collections of contemporary art. The philosophy underlying our collection is to build and maintain a seminal body of work that provokes thought while being inspirational. We also believe it upholds our commitment to support and encourage the artistic communities in places where we do business.

Many of the works are from renowned contemporary artists and of museum quality. In order to maintain the collection's extremely high standard, the works are regularly re-appraised and re-valued. Working with independent curators, we evaluate potential significant additions to our collection - whether by established artists or promising, upcoming talent.

We actively want to reach out and share our passion for art with our clients and the public, so we frequently lend our works to leading institutions and arrange exhibitions around the globe. This web museum is also an expression of that desire.

History

Each of the firms that have become a part of UBS over the past decade have an illustrious history of their own - our two Swiss predecessors and PaineWebber were founded in the 19th century and SG Warburg in the early 20th century. They all shared a common belief - that creative thinking and intelligent risk-taking foster positive and enriching outcomes for all those concerned.

We believe the arts serve as a constant reminder of the value of creativity, innovation, inspired action and energy - values that we at UBS seek to bring to the relationships we share with our clients every day.

Art Collection Board
The members of the art collection board are a mixture of senior art interested individuals from inside our businesses and independent and influential individuals in the field of contemporary art today.

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Curators

Regional curators work for the collection. They liaise with the art community and lead the acquisition and sale of works of art. They work with the art collection board to implement the broader strategy.

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Art Office

Supporting the curators and the art collection board the art office team, headed by Irene Zortea, helps to ensure that the collection remains one of the pre-eminent collections of contemporary art in the world.

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