In Fotomuseum Winterthur’s mission statement the announcement at the end was almost a bit terse: a collection of international art photography will be built up. The sentence came at the end because it was most important to create a research site for the medium of photography, with changing exhibitions, lectures, discussions, tours, and publications. A place for presentation and discussion. Yet the site is a museum of photography, which entails provisions for conservation and museum activities.

In the end, Fotomuseum began with an active exhibition program and was rather passive in assembling a collection because the economically difficult times did not allow for both at the same time. Surprisingly, various gifts from photographers and from third parties, various long-term loans and individual purchases have made the topic of collection pressing for Fotomuseum. This is why, only a year and a half after the opening, this exhibition marks the Beginning of a Collection, giving a first peek into the budding collection. Works on view include Hans Danuser, John Divola, Robert Frank, Kaspar Thomas Linder, Anita Niesz, and Joel Sternfeld.