Facts

There are so many stories within the story of Ruzo’s paintings and life.

There is the over 70 year old love story between Ruzo and his wife Ria. Ruzo wrote of Ria, “A thousand pages would have to be written to understand her soul and and her ability to overcome the blows of fate, even the worst ones which have haunted us. Today, at the age of almost ninety, she amazes me with her joyous love of life, colour and form, singing a joyous hymn to life. Amazing, truly amazing. In all life situations, Ria is the one person who supported me one-hundred percent.”

There are the devastating stories of unfathomable tragedies and loss. Ruzo and Ria dedicate 20 years to caring for their daughter, Mimosa, who was blinded and paralyzed at 29. Tragedy struck again and a fire killed their beloved daughter and destroyed their home along with over 5000 paintings, including all the photos and negatives of these paintings. Unfortunately the story doesn’t end here. The Ruzo’s also suffered the losses of their son Victor, a sailor, painter, and sculptor who drowned in the Mediterranean, and their daughter Christa-Angela who died of cancer.

“Although Victor Ruzo does not mention the five thousand burnt works and does not bring the loss of his children to the forefront, it is amazing that he does not grieve over his lost works, which constituted of a large part of his oeuvre. His philosophy of life, universal and deeply rooted inside him, helps him to overcome so much.”
Dr Henri Charles Tauxe, Lost World, Victor Ruzo, The Artist’s Life and Works.

There is the story of invention. Ruzo created a unique technique for painting using special mixture of paints on metal. This technique allows his paintings to transform with light.

Then there is the story of the revolving painting, which took Ruzo 15 years to complete and is his master oeuvre.

And finally, there is the story of recognition. A visit by Mr. Andrei Orekhov in the summer of 2001 leads to an exhibition of Ruzo’s work at the Marble Palace in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg in 2003. This event can still be enjoyed today because it produced the over 200 page book Victor Ruzo, The Artist’s Life and Work which is available in 3 languages.

Dates

1913 Victor RUZO (born Victor Rutz) is born on December 22 in St. Gallen, Switzerland. He is the fourth of six children.

1915 The family moves to Zurich where the artist lives until 1946. He completes his schooling and from 1928 to 1931 is an apprentice as a designer of fashion catalogues.

1934 Marries Ria Wedeking. They have 4 children.

From 1931 to 1950, under his real name, he creates more than 200 posters which give him international recognition. During this time Swiss posters were considered some of the most creative in the world.

1945 Moves to Vevey, Switzerland where he lives next door to the architect Le Corbusier.

1948 First exhibition in Vevey which is visited by over 5,000 people in three weeks. Of the 150 works, only two or three small pictures are sold.
Has financial problems and suffers a nervous breakdown. Auctions some paintings and moves to Cap d’Antibes, France.

1949 Cote d’Azur France. Numerous articles in the press catch the attention of Pablo Picasso, who visits his studio on August 3^rd, examining and touching his paintings. He receives many offers from people interested in his art including a commission from Winston Churchill to paint his grandson.
Florence Gould, a well-known American art collector, offers to promote his works. Ruzo doesn’t accept and instead returns to Switzerland to begin his master oeuvre the “revolving painting” on which he will work for the next 15 years.

1956 Victor Rutz becomes Victor Ruzo.
L.P. Kuperman publishes the book Ruzo in New York.

1960 The president of the Swiss Confederation, Paul Chaudet, participates in the inauguration of his new home and studio “La Muse” in Montreux-Territet.

1962 Art critic Paris F. Depret and Zurich art historian Dr. W. Y. Muller publish the book Ruzo in 5 languages.

1964 Chosen to represent Swiss art at the Swiss Pavilion at the World Exposition in New York.

1967 Completes his master work “The Revolving Painting of the World”.

1968 Abandons figurative painting and creates abstract works on aluminium.

1969 - 1971 a 90 minute film in 35 mm panorama is created by Marc Michel about the revolving painting.

In 1971 and 1972 Ruzo and Ria visit India, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.

In 1979 Mimosa, his youngest daughter becomes blind and paralyzed. Ruzo stops painting for 2 years and he and his wife are dedicated to the care of their daughter.

In 1982 Hans Neuburg and Adolf Wirz write a "monographie" edited by ABC Editions (Zürich).

In 1988 Creates the Ruzo foundation for his daughter and other children with the same destiny.

In 1989, studies to create a museum and Ruzo' records, how are inteded to file the complete works of Victor RUZO.

1992 The Ruzo Museum and Archives opens in Ruzo’s home in Montreux-Territet, Switzerland.

1966 to 1997 Creates numerous paintings using the technique he invents of painting with a special emulsion on aluminium.

1997 A TV explodes causing a fire to destroy Ruzo’s home and museum. His paralyzed daughter Mimosa dies in the fire. Over 5,000 paintings disappear in the flames..

In 1998, with his wife Ria’s support, Ruzo begins to paint again. His works become even more powerful. He becomes obsessed, painting daily, without fail, creating work after work. This insatiable need to paint is all consuming.

1999 Inauguration of his new residence which Ruzo designed like a museum.

2003 Exposition in the Marble Palace at the Russian National Museum in St. Petersburg.

November 2006: The guest of honour in the Montreux MAG expo, an exposition with over 200 artists.

March 26, 2008, Ruzo dies in his home in Montreux-Territet.