Jan Krugier

Jan Krugier, born in Poland in 1928, fought the Nazis during the war until he was caught and sent to Auschwitz. Krugier survived the camps and came to Switzerland with a Red Cross-transport where he was given the chance of starting a new life with a family in Zurich. He was educated as an artist in Zurich and Paris. Encouraged by Alberto Giacometti, Krugier turned to art education and eventually opened his own galleries in Geneva in 1962 and New York in 1966. Both houses quickly became known for ambitious, museum-quality exhibitions of established and emerging contemporary artists, such as Jawlensky, Giacometti, Morandi, Schlemmer and, in particular, Picasso. Krugier also put together a superb collection of 20th-century art. In a series of interviews, done over the last few years before his death in November 2008, the passionate collector, knowledgeable dealer and controversial expert reviews his life marked by traumatising experiences and happy coincidences. He gives a comprehensive insight into his understanding of and his thoughts about art, bringing to life all the great artists he encountered and whose work he helped to promote.