Gigantic canvases, expansive, room­filling installations and exceptionally large drawings are the subject of the collection presentation Big Picture. Large Work. But beyond its literal meaning, “big picture” may also mean totality in terms of an overall view or survey. One of the most striking examples of this in the visual arts is Marcel Duchamp’s Boîte en valise (1935 – 1941): The French artist assembles 69 reproductions of his works in a collapsible carrying case, thereby creating his own miniature museum.

In the exhibition, such conceptual notions of the big picture meet works that are actually large in scale. Included are the monochrome oil paint­ings (1980) of Marcia Hafif and the 42 flache Arbeiten (42 Flat Works, 1987– 1990) of Adrian Schiess. The photographic installations of Fiona Tan and Hannah Villiger are composed of numerous individual parts, while Christian Philipp Müller explores the Swiss museum landscape in his large­scale research project Tour de Suisse (1994). Another expansive work is Markus Raetz’ Chambre de Lecture (2013 – 2015), in front of which visitors can pause for a moment and reflect on their own perception. Mémoire de paysage (2004 – 2005), a twelve part series by Michel Grillet shows that large things can be created even on a tiny scale. Using gouache and watercolour tablets, the artist paints starry skies and mountain panoramas on tiny individual pieces.

The exhibition Big Picture comprises works from the collection of the Aargauer Kunsthaus selectively complemented with loans.