Le signe du temps

Bucher created imposing, even gigantic sculptures with pure lines and forms oscillating between the figurative and the abstract. “Le Signe du Temps” represents one of the artist’s favourite themes, of which he explored many different facets in his works.
The piece was a gift from the Swiss community in Monaco to Prince Rainier III, to mark the 50th anniversary of his reign. The vertical bar is inscribed with the key events that occurred during the Prince’s reign, including his accession to the throne in 1949, his wedding to Grace Kelly in 1956, the creation of the Larvotto and Fontvieille districts, and his jubilee in 1999. Installed in 2002 on the Promenade du Larvotto, the sculpture was moved to a spot on Boulevard de Belgique, outside Princess Antoinette Park, in 2021.

Originally from Kerns in the canton of Obwald, born in Inhambane, Mozambique on 7 March 1924, he was a student at the Écoles des Beaux-Arts in Zurich and Paris, before completing his studies at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière under the supervision of Ossip Zadkine. He later spent time in Berlin, London, Rome, the United States, and Japan. From 1948, he worked as a graphic designer and layout artist whilst continuing to paint. In 1966, he devoted himself exclusively to his art, and sculpture in particular.
His meeting with the volcanologist Haroun Tazieff in 1975 proved a turning point. He visited an erupting Mount Etna the following year. From that point on, molten lava became an important theme of his work. He took the incandescent matter and cast it in pre-made moulds to create works of art. André Bucher’s works can be found in collections belonging to private owners, museums, and foundations in Switzerland and around the world. He dies in 2009.