Collection de l'Art Brut
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What's on here
Café culture Pro Senectute
Thursday · All day
Michel Gondry retrospective at the Capitol
Until 25 Oct
Guided tour around “The Turn of the Screw” by Benjamin Britten
Saturday · All day
Screening "Sound Environments" by Mandrax
3 Nov – 3 Jan 2027
‘Favourite work’ tour
Saturday · All day
Public opening of the exhibition "The World of Armand Schulthess"
Thursday · All day
Show “Qui c'est celui-là” by Valerian Guillaume
2 Dec – 5 Dec
Concert Choolers Division
Saturday · All day
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Why go
- The world’s first public museum devoted exclusively to Art Brut.
- Around 700 works on permanent display, alongside temporary exhibitions devoted to themes or individual artists.
Opening hours
TodayClosedShow all
Don't miss
- 2026 anniversary exhibitionMore than 300 works by Swiss creators or creators who worked in Switzerland trace Art Brut in Switzerland from the collection’s origins to the present.Collection de l'Art Brut28 February–27 September 2026
Know before you go
- The museum temporarily closed in 2019 during a renovation project to install an elevator.
What's inside
- The collection includes sculptures, assemblages, tapestries, textiles, drawings and paintings made with varied materials.
- The museum occupies Château de Beaulieu’s west wing; the residence has a 48-metre facade comprising three connected sections.
- An approximately 300-square-metre gallery occupies the château’s east-wing attic.
- The library lets visitors consult books sold in the bookshop.
- A courtyard container connects the museum to reception and houses a cloakroom.
- La Cabane is an educational space for very young children.
- The Espace Jean Dubuffet explores the collection’s origins.
Interesting facts3
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The collection traces back to French painter Jean Dubuffet, who coined the term Art Brut for the works he collected.
Collection de l’Art Brut - Wikipedia -
The museum and Château de Beaulieu are cultural assets of national importance.
Collection de l’Art Brut - Wikipedia -
The collection is housed in the west wing of a municipal residence.
Collection de l'Art Brut - Wikipedia
Shorts
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Model Buses by Willem van Genk at Collection de l'Art Brut LausanneVernissageTV
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Paintings by Augustin Lesage at Collection de l'Art Brut LausanneVernissageTV
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interview Sarah Lombardi - Directrice de la Collection de l'Art Brutwgrcommunication
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Collection de l'Art Brut #1 (Laussane, Suisse)Juraj Brabec
History
Jean Dubuffet and Paul Budry searched Swiss psychiatric clinics for archives of patients’ artwork. In 1948, Dubuffet and other artists founded the Compagnie de l’art brut. After Dubuffet moved to America in 1951, the collection was housed at Alfonso Ossorio’s estate in East Hampton.
- 1945Jean Dubuffet began assembling the collection in Switzerland and laid the foundations of Art Brut as spontaneous work free of rules.
- 1962Dubuffet founded a study centre and published Cahiers de l’Art Brut, which ran for eight issues.
- 1967700 works from the collection were exhibited at the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris.
- 1971Dubuffet donated about 5,000 works and his archives to Lausanne on condition that it create a museum for Art Brut.
- 1974Architects Bernard Vouga and Jean de Martini restored the château wing for the collection.
Show all
- 28 February 1976The museum opened to the public at Château de Beaulieu, with Michel Thévoz as its first director.
- 1982The supplementary collection was renamed Neuve Invention.
- 1992A major donation added works by American Art Brut artist Henry Darger.
How to get there
- On footAddress: Av. des Bergières 11, Lausanne.
- BusBus 2 toward Désert to Jomini.
- BusBus 3 toward Bellevaux to Beaulieu.
Accessibility
- Audio descriptions of six major works Made for visitors with visual impairments.
- Braille booklet Accompanies the audio descriptions.
Sources: Collection de l'art brut - Wikipedia · Lausanne - Wikivoyage (see) · Collection de l'Art Brut Lausanne · The museum · History · Collection de l’Art Brut - Wikipedia · Collection de l'art brut - Wikipedia · Collection de l'Art Brut - Wikipedia · checked 26 Sep 2026
- Website
- artbrut.ch/
- Phone
- +41 21 315 25 70
Questions and answers
What is Neuve Invention at Collection de l'Art Brut?
It brings together inventive works by professional artists outside the cultural establishment and self-taught creators in traditional art circuits.
Who coined the term Art Brut for Collection de l'Art Brut?
French painter Jean Dubuffet coined the term for the works he collected. In 1945, he described Art Brut as spontaneous and free of rules.
Why did artists make works in Collection de l'Art Brut?
For personal satisfaction rather than exhibition or social and economic recognition.
Is Collection de l'Art Brut digitizing its collection?
Digitization of the full collection is underway.
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