The Museum of art
The sacred, every day and artistic objects created by the Gurin craftsmen form the art museum section and bear witness to the unique culture of this Walser village which was isolated from the rest of the world for a long time.
Handicraft
The Gurin people were known as excellent craftsmen and builders: They were masters of the techniques used to work wood, with which they built houses, stables and barns and made a wide variety of tools and containers, using mainly larch and spruce wood. These woods were also used to make window frames and doors and for the interior panelling of the rooms.
Using various techniques such as carving, inlay, gilding and painting, the Gurin craftsmen decorated their furniture and tools. They also demonstrated their skills on the occasion of the seasonal migration and were particularly appreciated in the German-speaking Switzerland.
In the room dedicated to craftsmanship one discovers the various processing techniques and the associated work phases.
Hans Tomamichel 1899 – 1984
The artist and graphic designer Hans Tomamichel was born on 12th February 1899 in Bosco Gurin where he spent his childhood and youth. In 1914 he began an apprenticeship as a graphic designer in Zurich. In 1925 he moved to Paris where he attended the Academy of Arts.
Four years later he returned to Zurich where he started his own graphic design business.
His rich artistic vein led him to create posters and advertising figures and promotional films, to illustrate books, advertisements, greeting cards, to draw models for wooden inlays, stamps and much more. One of his best-known advertising figures is undoubtedly the timeless 'Knorrli' (1947), but equally known are the nest of Nestlé’s logo and the symbol of the International Association for Walser Culture (IVfW).
He executed numerous sgraffiti and frescoes on houses and in chapels not only in his home town Bosco Gurin but also in the rest of Switzerland.
The artist's work encompasses the most diverse techniques, from pencil and charcoal drawing, watercolour, oil on canvas, fresco, sgraffito and so on.
Hans Tomamichel died in 1984 in Zurich and is buried in the Bosco Gurin cemetery.
In the museum room dedicated to the artist, you will discover many interesting things about the different techniques he used and about his works. In addition to the permanent exhibition, there are regular temporary exhibitions on selected themes relating to his creations.