In 2007, the Musée des beaux-arts was gifted a significant collection by the Swiss painter Olivier Mosset, born in 1944. Mosset has lived in the United States since 1977 and has been a crucial cultural intermediary between Europe and America. As he came to discover the U.S. art scene, he acquired several hundred contemporary works reflecting the vibrancy both of major centres such as Paris and New York and the regional art scene in Switzerland, particularly his home town of Neuchâtel. Olivier Mosset’s collection, built up over decades by a process of unexpected encounters, exchanges, and artistic collaborations, reflects his own journey as an artist, rich in exchanges and discoveries.

When Olivier Mosset began to run out of space in the 1990s, he turned to his friend Edmond Charrière, then a curator at the museum, who offered to store some of the overspill. Some years later, Mosset’s acquisitions were shown for the first time at La Chaux-de-Fonds, showcasing the rich collection of 171 works.