So close and yet so strange: most people only know our fish from photos – or cooked on a plate. Anyone who has had the chance to contemplate fish underwater, is fascinated by their elegance and colourful splendour. This is also what happened to Bernese painter and passionate fisherman Alex Zürcher. For decades, he has been documenting the diversity of underwater life on canvas. Zürcher takes us into the local rivers and lakes. And he introduces us to the mysterious finned creatures; the majestic pike, for example, the nimble brown trout or the mystical tench.
But Switzerland is no longer a fish paradise: half of the species are endangered or already extinct. 60 per cent of native fish species are on the Red List. The main reason for this is the condition of the waters. That is why the Swiss Fish Centre Foundation wants to make fish and many other aquatic creatures visible in the new centre – and provide a fascinating insight into the otherwise hidden underwater world and into fishing.
