Stefan Banz

Stefan Banz (11 September 1961 – 16 May 2021^[1]) was an artist and curator.

Banz was born in Sursee, Switzerland, and grew up in Menznau. In 1989, he co-founded the Kunsthalle Luzern and served as its artistic director until 1993. From 1994 to 1997 he was an artistic advisor for the Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Zurich, where he organised exhibitions with Gerhard Richter, Francis Picabia, Bruce Nauman and others. In 2005, he was the curator for the Swiss Pavilion at the 51st Biennale in Venice. He was also a member of the Swiss Federal Art Committee from 2001 to 2007.

As an artist, he participated in solo and group exhibitions in international galleries, art institutions and museums, such as Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart; Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zurich; Kunstmuseum Lucerne, Kunsthaus Zurich, Walker Art Center Minneapolis. In 2000, he received the Manor Art prize, as well as the Recognition Award from the City of Lucerne, Switzerland. Since 2004, he worked together with Caroline Bachmann under the name of Bachmann/Banz. In 2007, Bachmann/Banz won the 'Werkbeitrag' Award.

Banz also wrote plays, novels, theoretical texts and critical essays about artists and personalities such as Jacques Derrida, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Nauman, Frank Zappa and Marcel Duchamp.