After he'd finished his studies at the Bauhaus under Josef Albers and Paul Klee, the 1933 commission to build die Schlehstud house for his parents helped architect Hans Fischli start his own practice in Zurich.
Devised as a three-family house, Fischli moved with his young family into the open studio space on third floor, with its huge terrace. It looked both awesome--
As it happens, just as he began to shift his own focus from architecture to painting and sculpture, Fischli's son Peter grew up to become an artist as well, primarily working in collaboration with David Weiss. On the occasion of a Fischli & Weiss retrospective in 2006, Peter Fischli wrote for Tate Magazine about his experience growing up in his Bauhaus haus:
We absorbed these teachings as children. But it wasn't a case of deriding the "wrong"; it was always about a passion for the "right". Although this did lead to certain "moments" at home - he didn't want any knick-knacks in the house, and I remember arguments because he didn't like flowers or pot plants as nature happened outside. When we were given souvenirs from distant lands he would see that they discreetly disappeared. It was a bit like living with the taste police. But it wasn't aggressive, because all his actions were based on his love and enthusiasm for the "right". It was only later that I consciously pieced together and questioned the background to all of this.I'm trying to be self-aware here, but I've also gotta cop to a bit of taste policing myself. Happy Meal toys and Pinkalicious, I'm looking at you....
While my brother and sister seemed to me to be more interested in his art, I was fascinated by the way he led his life and the feeling that life gave you. He often painted at night, listening to jazz records; that was what interested me, a father who paints at night up in his studio with music playing, a father who travels and has unusual friends - sculptors, photographers, product designers (he was the principal of the School of Applied Arts in Zurich from 1954 to 1961). At the weekend, students, fellow artists and teachers would come and have parties with the clients, who had great cars. I was spellbound.
My House, Bauhaus [tate.org.uk via ringo atelier]
Dear Sir,
I really appreciate your blog and I'm doing some researches on Hans Fischli on behalf of the Museum Georges Pompidou.
May I ask you if you know who's the person intitled to Mr Hans Fischli copyright?
I suppose it's his son Peter, but I found many homonyms in Switzerland. And at least two Peter Fischli near Zurich!
Thank you a lot for any information you could give me,
Best regards
Lilith Malagoli
Editions' Direction, Centre Pompidou - Paris