In this episode of The Art Bystander, host Roland-Philippe Kretzschmar sits down with Daniel Arsham, one of the most influential contemporary artists working today — an artist whose work treats the present as if it were already history. Arsham is internationally known for what he calls “fictional archaeology”: sculptures, objects, and environments that imagine contemporary culture as relics of the future — eroded, crystallized, and excavated from time yet to come.

Born in Cleveland, raised in Miami, and educated at The Cooper Union in New York, Arsham has built a practice that moves fluidly between fine art, architecture, design, fashion, and popular culture. His work is held in major museum collections around the world and has reached audiences far beyond the traditional art world, shaping how an entire generation encounters contemporary art.

With his recent book Future Relic, Arsham turns the lens inward. The book offers a rare and unvarnished account of what it actually takes to build a life in art — the failures, detours, discipline, and belief that exist behind the finished works we usually encounter only at the end of the journey.

From photographing the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew as a teenager in Miami, to formative years at Cooper Union, to collaborations with Merce Cunningham, Pharrell Williams, Christian Dior, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Arsham shares the experiences that shaped both his work and his worldview.

Future Relic is not a romanticized memoir. It’s closer to a masterclass — a brutally honest guide to the realities of building a creative life. Arsham speaks candidly about the grind behind the work: how to find a gallery, why having the right lawyer matters, how to think like a creative entrepreneur, and why surrounding yourself with ambitious people is essential.

In this conversation, we talk about time, ambition, rejection, visibility, and the long game of making art — not just objects, but a practice capable of enduring.

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In this episode of The Art Bystander, Roland-Philippe Kretzschmar meets with Barbara Corti, Partner at Hauser & Wirth and Senior Director overseeing the gallery’s spaces in Zurich Limmatstrasse and St. Moritz.

Having spent more than two decades with the gallery across Europe and the United States, Corti brings a rare perspective on the evolving geography of the contemporary art world. After fourteen years in New York — including leading Hauser & Wirth’s Manhattan location in the former Roxy disco and roller-skating rink — she returned to Switzerland in 2020, where she now helps shape the gallery’s programming and presence across Zurich and St. Moritz.

The conversation moves between continents and contexts: from the velocity of the New York art world to the quieter but deeply rooted collector culture of Switzerland. We discuss the particular rhythms of Zurich and St. Moritz, the role of seasonality in shaping art audiences, and the long-term relationships between galleries and artists that continue to define Hauser & Wirth’s approach. Alongside her institutional role, Corti works closely with artists including Rita Ackermann, Anna Maria Maiolino, Mary Heilmann and Nicolas Party.

As always on The Art Bystander, the discussion unfolds in a conversational format — offering insight into how galleries, artists, places and collectors shape one another over time. Mentioned in the episode: Upcoming exhibitions at Hauser & Wirth Zurich, Limmatstrasse opening during Zurich Art Weekend 2026: War_overlays — Avery Singer and Sometimes a straight line has to be crooked — James Jarvaise & Henry Taylor

Some of the hotels and restaurants discussed in the episode belong to Artfarm, the hospitality company founded by Iwan Wirth and Manuela Wirth. Artfarm operates independently from Hauser & Wirth.

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This episode is for you — my loyal friends and followers who share my deep love for the purest form of human expression there is: art.

Many of you have asked me to open up more, to share what sits behind the platform, the voice, and the choices — so here we are.

As The Art Bystander marks its three-year anniversary this February, I sit down for an intimate conversation with my life and business partner, Ellen. Together we reflect on why I started The Art Bystander, what has driven it from the beginning, and what continues to guide everything we do.

From the bottom of my heart — thank you for being part of this journey, for your curiosity, your trust, and your presence. I’m deeply grateful you’re here with us.

#theartbystander

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