Tobias Brunner (b. 1990, Zurich) is a Swiss artist whose work explores what it means to be human in an industrialized world.
Based in Zurich, his practice centers on site-specific installations and collectible editions that bridge the material and immaterial, fusing industrial materials with conceptual themes rooted in philosophy and spirituality. Growing up between Zurich and the Swiss Alps, as the son of an engineer and an art and culture teacher, Brunner was shaped by dual worlds—factory floors and cultural venues. This interplay of industrial and artistic realms profoundly informs his work, which invites dialogue between creation and existence, production and identity. Brunner’s study of industrial design was not merely technical but philosophical—a pursuit to uncover the mechanics of how we shape the world and, in turn, are shaped by it. His art transforms the factory into a temple, machinery into symbols of humanity’s drive to create and comprehend. Each piece juxtaposes industrial precision with meditative spaces, reflecting humanity’s tension between making and being.
Together with his partner in life and work, Brunner co-founded edition-b, a label rooted in relationships and collaboration. Edition-b creates limited-edition pieces in close partnership with manufacturers around the globe, emphasizing the human connections behind every object. edition-b.com
Brunner also collaborates with his father, an engineer, through Bureau Brunner, a family office dedicated to realizing the seemingly impossible. This partnership blends artistic vision and technical expertise to push the boundaries of what can be made. bureaubrunner.com
Through his "living sculptures" and collaborative ventures, Brunner asks profound questions about identity, purpose, and the unseen forces shaping our world. His works transcend the material, offering moments of reflection on what it means to live and create in a world driven by both spirit and industry.
Exhibitions & Awards
Upcoming:
Thinking Event, Zurich (CH)
Latest:
Almost There, Studio Schoch, (CH) Dez 2024
Limited Edition Smileycup, ÉDITION-B (CH) Dez 2024
Featurefilm 5kg, Oliver Schmoker (VIRAL) Dez 2024
Living Sculpture no.2, Marmomac (IT) Sep 2024
Infinito non-finito, opia, Zurich Art Weekend (CH) June 2024
5kg, Yongsoy Gallery Hong Kong (HK) April 2024
Thinkerseat, Hornbach (DE + CH) November 2023
Swiss Design and Art Awards, Basel (CH) June 2023
Pro Helvetia Copenhagen Grant (DK) May 2022
3 Days of Design Copenhagen, Vitra (DK) April 2021
Makers Show / Salone del Mobile (IT) September 2021
Second Nature / Hope springs Eternal (CH) August 2020
Object with Love 2020, ELAC Gallery (CH) March 2020
Christa Gebert Preis, Nomination (CH) July 2020
Object with Love, Art Basel (CH) June 2019
Hong Kong Essentials, ECAL Lausanne (CH) June 2018
ECAL + HKDI Hong Kong Art Residency Grant (HK) 2018
Agora Bordeaux (FR) October 2017
ECAL Graduation Show (CH) June 2017
Forbo, Dutch Design Week (NL) October 2017
IKEA Design Days, Almuhlt (SE) June 2016
For inquiries and collaborations please contact:
contact@bureaubrunner.com
Based in Zurich, his practice centers on site-specific installations and collectible editions that bridge the material and immaterial, fusing industrial materials with conceptual themes rooted in philosophy and spirituality. Growing up between Zurich and the Swiss Alps, as the son of an engineer and an art and culture teacher, Brunner was shaped by dual worlds—factory floors and cultural venues. This interplay of industrial and artistic realms profoundly informs his work, which invites dialogue between creation and existence, production and identity. Brunner’s study of industrial design was not merely technical but philosophical—a pursuit to uncover the mechanics of how we shape the world and, in turn, are shaped by it. His art transforms the factory into a temple, machinery into symbols of humanity’s drive to create and comprehend. Each piece juxtaposes industrial precision with meditative spaces, reflecting humanity’s tension between making and being.
Together with his partner in life and work, Brunner co-founded edition-b, a label rooted in relationships and collaboration. Edition-b creates limited-edition pieces in close partnership with manufacturers around the globe, emphasizing the human connections behind every object. edition-b.com
Brunner also collaborates with his father, an engineer, through Bureau Brunner, a family office dedicated to realizing the seemingly impossible. This partnership blends artistic vision and technical expertise to push the boundaries of what can be made. bureaubrunner.com
Through his "living sculptures" and collaborative ventures, Brunner asks profound questions about identity, purpose, and the unseen forces shaping our world. His works transcend the material, offering moments of reflection on what it means to live and create in a world driven by both spirit and industry.
Exhibitions & Awards
Upcoming:
Thinking Event, Zurich (CH)
Latest:
Almost There, Studio Schoch, (CH) Dez 2024
Limited Edition Smileycup, ÉDITION-B (CH) Dez 2024
Featurefilm 5kg, Oliver Schmoker (VIRAL) Dez 2024
Living Sculpture no.2, Marmomac (IT) Sep 2024
Infinito non-finito, opia, Zurich Art Weekend (CH) June 2024
5kg, Yongsoy Gallery Hong Kong (HK) April 2024
Thinkerseat, Hornbach (DE + CH) November 2023
Swiss Design and Art Awards, Basel (CH) June 2023
Pro Helvetia Copenhagen Grant (DK) May 2022
3 Days of Design Copenhagen, Vitra (DK) April 2021
Makers Show / Salone del Mobile (IT) September 2021
Second Nature / Hope springs Eternal (CH) August 2020
Object with Love 2020, ELAC Gallery (CH) March 2020
Christa Gebert Preis, Nomination (CH) July 2020
Object with Love, Art Basel (CH) June 2019
Hong Kong Essentials, ECAL Lausanne (CH) June 2018
ECAL + HKDI Hong Kong Art Residency Grant (HK) 2018
Agora Bordeaux (FR) October 2017
ECAL Graduation Show (CH) June 2017
Forbo, Dutch Design Week (NL) October 2017
IKEA Design Days, Almuhlt (SE) June 2016
For inquiries and collaborations please contact:
contact@bureaubrunner.com