BACKGROUND
In 1977, Thomas Ammann founded the gallery “Thomas Ammann Fine Art AG” in Zurich. Within a few years, he had established himself as one of the most influential art dealers of his generation. Thomas was also a dedicated collector of contemporary art, maintaining close personal contacts with renowned artists and international collectors.
After Thomas’s untimely death in 1993, his sister Doris took over the gallery and developed it with extraordinary success together with her partner, the art historian Georg Frei. Doris passed away on 21 March 2021. In her will, she stipulated that the gallery’s art collection be transferred to a foundation and liquidated for charitable purposes. The Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation was founded in 2021.
DISTINCT AREAS OF ENGAGEMENT
The Foundation works with institutions important to Thomas and Doris Ammann to support projects in the fields of medicine, the arts and education, and it develops sustainable partnerships. The Foundation’s funding strategy is based on three pillars:
Human medicine
The Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation funds research models and projects in collaboration with Swiss institutions.
Education of children and young people
The Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation supports humanistic educational initiatives.
Art scholarship and art education
In the field of art, the Foundation is committed to funding projects in art scholarship and art education.
The Foundation works with selected partner institutions that are aligned with the Foundation’s funding areas in terms of content and strategy. It takes a targeted, proactive approach and seeks out specific collaborations with suitable project partners.
The University Children’s Hospital Zurich is the largest paediatric hospital in Switzerland and is one of the leading centres for child and adolescent medicine in Europe, providing inpatient and outpatient medical care for more than 100,000 children and young people every year. Highly specialised care, innovative research and state-of-the-art technology come together here. Doctors, nurses and researchers work hand-in-hand – on an interdisciplinary basis and with great commitment. The focus is on the child with their physical, mental and social needs. The Children’s Hospital Zurich is run by the private, non-profit Eleonore Foundation, which has made unrivalled medical treatment and compassionate care available to sick children in need for over 150 years.
The Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (KJPP) at the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich is one of Switzerland’s leading institutions for the treatment of children and young people, whether as outpatients, day-clinic patients, inpatients or even at home. The department offers high-quality care for the entire spectrum of psychiatric disorders and develops innovative programmes in interdisciplinary teams, such as the crisis intervention programme “Life” for adolescents at risk of suicide. The department supports children and young people during challenging and stressful times and enables them to find new perspectives.
Fondation Beyeler is a museum of modern and contemporary art that aims to inspire people to engage with art. With initiatives such as “Art Lab” and the “Young Art Club”, it actively promotes access to art and cultural education, particularly for young people. Prestigious exhibitions of renowned artists from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries have made Fondation Beyeler one of the most popular art museums in Switzerland and beyond.
The Board of Trustees is composed by:
- Georg Frei President
- loannis Martinos Vice President
- Amina Miriam Chaudri Member
Financial and fiduciary consulting is provided by Format A AG in Zurich.
Legal support is provided by SCHMIDT-GABAIN AG, Zurich and Basel.
Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation
Restelbergstrasse 97
8044 Zurich (Switzerland)
Gabriela Hafner, Executive Assistant
info@ammannfoundation.ch