A towering abstract red iron giraffe sculpture by renowned Swiss artist Bernhard Luginbühl failed to find a buyer at a Thursday auction, despite being offered at an estimated price range of 50,000 to 80,000 Swiss francs ($55,000 to $88,000). The 28-foot-tall artwork, titled "Grosse Giraffe" (Large Giraffe), has been part of Swiss Re's corporate art collection and once prominently displayed in Zurich's financial district.
The massive 1969 sculpture was scheduled to be auctioned at Koller Auction House but attracted no bidders during the live sale. Art industry observers suggest the artwork's enormous size – standing 8.5 meters (nearly 28 feet) high – likely deterred potential buyers, as few locations could accommodate such a monumental piece. The sculpture is now available through a week-long post-auction sale process, where interested parties can submit offers directly to the auction house.
Interestingly, a smaller companion piece called "Model for the Large Giraffe" did find a new home, selling for 12,000 Swiss francs. At just 132 centimeters (about 4.3 feet) tall, this scaled-down version proved far more manageable for collectors than its towering counterpart that once graced the area near Swiss Re's headquarters on Mythenquai.
The decision to sell the sculpture has reportedly caused some controversy within Switzerland's art community, according to news platform Inside Paradeplatz. Critics argue that the relatively modest value of the artwork – especially compared to the billions Swiss Re typically handles as a major reinsurance company – makes the sale puzzling. Some art world insiders have expressed surprise that the company didn't simply donate the piece to a cultural institution, while others speculate whether Swiss Re might be withdrawing from cultural patronage altogether.
Swiss Re firmly rejected such speculation in response to inquiries, stating that "art is an integral part of Swiss Re's corporate culture and visual identity, and we invest in art with local connections – in Switzerland as well as internationally." The company explained that its art collection has always served to create an inspiring environment in their offices, and they regularly make artworks accessible through placement, transfer, or sale when they cannot be meaningfully displayed. The company confirmed it had offered the Large Giraffe to various public institutions before deciding to auction it.
Bernhard Luginbühl, who died in 2011 shortly after his 82nd birthday, was one of Switzerland's most significant 20th-century artists. Born in Bern in 1929 as the son of a butcher, Luginbühl initially trained as a stone sculptor but later devoted himself to working with iron, eventually becoming a pioneer of Swiss iron sculpture. His monumental works can be found in multiple cities across Switzerland and beyond, including another piece called "Silver Ghost" displayed at ETH Zurich's main building.
The fate of the Large Giraffe now rests with the post-auction sales process, where collectors and institutions have one week to submit purchase offers. After this period, Swiss Re and the auction house can choose whether to accept any of the proposed bids, potentially giving this iconic piece of Swiss sculpture art a new permanent home.
