Jonathan Steiger

Probably the last time I used medium format to document a work… But here they are, some pictures of the installation „Ten Windows on a Tree“ that I presented at @helmhaus_zuerich this spring! The installation consists of ten windows, arranged along a single axis in the exhibition space. Each window comes from a different building, but all once faced a tree. Removed for various reasons, some come from houses and landscapes that still exist; others are remants of places that have since disappeared. An accompanying inventory lists each window’s origin and the species of tree it once looked upon. Ten Windows on a Tree, 2025 Windows, Indian ink, aluminium feet, A4 paper Thank you Lucian Kunz for designing the inventory!

@artesoazza is over. Here two installation shots and a short excerpt of „Trachycarpus“. I hope I will soon show this work in the NL! Photography by Ralph Feiner The accompanying music was composed by @ping.en.hung (🙏), voice by Pascal Holzer, and the title design as well as additional research was done by @goytung Trachycarpus, 2025
, Single-channel UHD-video, sound. Trachycarpus is a video installation exploring the Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus Fortunei), now emblematic of southern Switzerland. It combines historic postcard imagery with nocturnal footage of escaped palms in local forests. The work traces the plant’s journey from Asia to Europe through archival sources and spoken quotes, touching on its colonial entanglements and role in European horticulture. Excerpts from classical Chinese literature offer a counterpoint to this predominantly Western narrative.

Finally sharing some pictures of our recent exhibition „Backrooms“ in Amsterdam. 1. Jonathan Steiger: Roads, Bridges, Hotels (Hospice du Simplon), 2024
Indian ink on stereograph 3. Pam Virada: far, 2024 doll house, light 4. Jonathan Steiger: Roads, Bridges, Hotels (Hôtel de l’Alpenclup Maderanertal [Uri]), 2024 Indian ink on stereograph 6. Pablo Rezzonico Bongcam: Scratched mirrors, 2024 8. - 9. Tal Stadler, Zhiyi Cao, Lucas de Montalembert: Crate 7004 (Backtracks), 2024 Anti-theft rollcontainer, plexiglass box, 22 sealed credit cards, A4 sealed with plexiglass 11. Jonathan Steiger: In the Dutch Mountains, 2024 4K-video with sound, matte, frame 13. Anna Tamm: The Clock Struck Midnight and They were Never to be Seen Again. 2021–ongoing porcelainware, high fire glaze, low fire glaze 15. Pablo Rezzonico Bongcam: Untitled (remains of an image), 2024 Cast bronze adhesive tape and paper 17. Jonathan Steiger: Stad, Land, Water (RGB), 2024 hand-tinted 8mm film (ca. 4 min.), projector, three coloured lightbulbs Big thanks to everyone who was involved in the process, especially to the artists @anna.alla @lucasmontalembert @_pamvirada @b_a_p_l_o @lolaiaminlovewithyourears @zyc.revisionaire , to @goytung who designed the poster @studio_buymytalent , @amartefonds for supporting the projects I presented, and @jiuba.as and @nomansart for letting us use their space.

In der Werkserie «Nest» von Jonathan Steiger fügen sich Textil- und Papierfragmente zu einem Bild zusammen. Einige der Stoff- und Papierreste sind so stark zerfressen, dass sie zu abstrakten Mustern und Gebilden werden. Andere sind noch deutlich er¬kennbar. Auf den Fragmenten lassen sich zeichenhaft Hinweise auf Zeitungen oder Briefe finden. Aufgespürt hat der Künstler die Materialien auf dem Dachboden eines Hauses im Tessin, wo sich Tiere damit ein Nest gebaut haben. Was sagen diese Fundstücke über die Geschichte des Ortes aus? Oder über das Zusammenspiel von Natur und Kultur? Was würde sich verändern, wenn wir Tiere als Mitbewohnende anerkennen würden, ja gar als Archivare von persönlichen Geschichten und historischen Be¬gebenheiten? Das untrennbare Zusammenwirken menschlicher und nicht-menschlicher Spezies ist immer wieder Gegenstand der Arbeiten von Jonathan Steiger. Auf dem Boden des oxyd finden sich aktuell 131 Gipseier. Exakt die Anzahl Eier, die im Jahr 2025 in der Stadt Winterthur verwendet wurde, um den Taubenbestand zu regulieren. In den zwei Taubenschlägen der Stadt Winterthur tauscht eine Taubenwartin beinahe täglich echte Taubeneier gegen Gips-Attrappen aus und reinigt gleichzeitig die Nester, damit sich keine Parasiten ansiedeln. Die Gipseier sind im Baumarkt erhältlich, kommen in Gipskartons und für den Transport gut verpackt ganz harmlos daher. Doch neben der «artgerechten» Regulation der Tiere aus Schutz vor Krankheiten und Überpopulation sagt dieses Vorgehen des «Taubenmanagements» sehr viel darüber aus, in welchem gewaltvollen Machtverhältnis sich Taube und Mensch gegenüberstehen. Taubennichtbestand ist ein stilles Denkmal dafür, welche Leben (nicht) lebenswert sind und welche «Körper» kontrolliert werden. #morethanhuman #togetherness #oxydart

‘Average’ By Jonathan Steiger Average (Albergo Monte Fiorito), 2026 Oil on postcard Average (Locarno Muralto), 2026 Oil on postcard Average (Wawona Tunnel Tree), 2026 Oil on postcard Average (Bergheim im Härggis), 2026 Oil on postcard Average (Ristorante San Gottardo), 2026 Oil on postcard exhibition text by Juri Velt Tin Surinameplein 33 (Backdoor) 1058 GM, Amsterdam Still on view: Wed 1.4 and Thu 2.4, 13:00 - 18:00 Fri 3.4 - Sun 6.4, by appointment This exhibition is made possible with the generous support of the @mondriaanfonds

A palm tree on a beach; a fir in the mountains. On a postcard, the destination appears in its most familiar form. Typical houses, typical landscapes, typical plants. We already know the image before the postcard arrives. On Thursday 26.03 the show „Average“ will open at @t_______i_______n A big thank you to @mondriaanfonds who made it possible for me to work on this show. Looking forward to see you there!

‘Average’ Jonathan Steiger Opening Thursday 26.03.2026, 18:00 A palm tree on a beach; a fir in the mountains. On a postcard, the destination appears in its most familiar form. Typical houses, typical landscapes, typical plants. We already know the image before the postcard arrives. Tin Surinameplein 33 (backdoor) 1058 GM, Amsterdam on view: 26 March 18:00 (opening) 27—31 March 13:00—18:00

Risonanze was magical ✨ A heartfelt thank you to the Municipality of Balerna @comunebalerna for this precious collaboration and to all the artists who took part @popyhmbrt @joshuaventurino @jonathansteiger_ 🧡 Thank you as well to everyone who came to see the exhibition — your presence means a lot to us. To learn more, visit our website. Stay tuned for new projects 🥰 Xoxo, Team +41 #piuquarantuno #arte#art#kunst

Eingenistet! Herzlich willkommen zur Vernissage morgen Fr, 27.2.2026 | 18H EINNISTEN Mit: Maxi Ehrenzeller, Mireille Gros, Miriam Rutherfoord & Joke Schmidt, Jonathan Steiger #contemporaryart #einnisten #oxydart #kulturstadtwinterthur

Maybe it was a family of rats that once lived in the attic of the holiday house. It’s an old, large house, probably built by fisherfolk, right on the shore of Lago Maggiore. The animals in the attic seem to have vacated the house a long time ago. They left behind their nests, built from everything they could find in and around the house: old rags and fragments of newspaper, nutshells, leaves, a sock. On a piece of newspaper we can read a date, 1949. A religious text is torn into many small fragments. And there is some backing paper from a plaster, too. Nest 3 (Casa Alta), 2026 Not on view at @oxyd_winterthur ; instead, the first two works from this series will be shown. Opening Friday 27.02.2026, 18:00

The room still breathes all the letters and packages that went through it every day. Or is it just me? At least, the ugly traces and weird corners of the old post office provide excellent ground for my stereographs. These photographs from the 1860s show the beginnings of the touristic (and postal) infrastructure of Switzerland. With black ink, I trace the roads, bridges, and hotels that made it possible to see Switzerland as what it is today: A beautiful landscape. Roads, Bridges, Hotels. 2024-2025 On view in Balerna, CH. Exhibition by @piuquarantuno , together with @popyhmbrt and @joshuaventurino and works from the municipal collection of Balerna. Installation views by @gabrielespalluto @sis_association

𝓮𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷 Maxi Ehrenzeller, Mireille Gros, Miriam Rutherfoord & Joke Schmidt, Jonathan Steiger Vernissage Fr, 27.2.2026 | 18H Im Dachstock der oxyd – Kunsträume befindet sich der Taubenschlag der Stadt Winterthur. Darin haben sich mithilfe des Menschen Lebewesen eingenistet, die in unmittelbarer Nähe des Ausstellungsraumes ihr Zuhause haben. Dieses Nebeneinander von Mensch und Tier ist Ausgangslage der Ausstellung EINNISTEN. In den gezeigten Arbeiten geht es um Pflanzen, Vögel und Menschen – um deren Nebeneinander und Miteinander –, um Materialien und Prozesse, um Landschaften und Erzählungen. EINNISTEN umkreist die wechselseitige Beziehung zwischen Natur, Architekturen und Ökosystemen. Was wäre, wenn wir unsere Umwelt einmal aus der Perspektive eines Tieres betrachten könnten? Warum bauen wir Menschen Architekturen für Tiere? Und was würde sich verändern, wenn wir Tiere als Mitbewohnende anerkennen würden, ja gar als Archivare von Geschichten und historischen Begebenheiten? Credits: Miriam Rutherfoord & Joke Schmidt Grafik: @evaohnea #cultureandnature #contemporaryart #oxydart #kulturstadtwinterthur