Jon Merz, Portfolio of 7 Works

Valuation Summary 📝

To ensure the competitiveness of the investment, we conducted a thorough verification of the purchase price by analyzing recent gallery transactions. Our analysis confirmed that the price offered, inclusive of all associated fees, is highly competitive. To estimate the potential ROI, we used the annualized return of his paintings over the past five years and factored in the potential of additional growth due to the anticipated international representation that is likely to materialize in the coming months. For our conservative scenario, we assumed the value of the painting would grow at the rate of Swiss inflation, reflecting a defensive approach. In the balanced scenario, we assume a 100% probability of realizing a 16.5% (CAGR of the past 5 years) annual return for the next 5 years and added 54% of the expected additional growth (21.5%) due to the international representation that is likely to materialize in the coming months. Finally, in the ambitious scenario, we assume a 100% probability of realizing a 16.5% (CAGR of the past 4 years) annual return for the next 5 years and added 100% of the expected additional growth due to the international representation that is likely to materialize in the coming months.

Exit Options at Maturity 🚪

We will manage the exit strategy in collaboration with our expert M&A Arts on behalf of our investors, ensuring the best possible outcome based on market conditions at the time. Depending on the prevailing market situation, the paintings will be sold to a private collector or offered as single lots at an auction for contemporary art. An auction is considered if the price has developed to the point where the minimum bid matches the market value and there is high demand for works by the artist. Both options are carefully considered, and we will choose the one that maximizes the return for our investors.

Why Invest in This Category? 🎨

For centuries, art was collected for its cultural, emotional, intellectual, political, and economic value. Investing in emerging artists offers a mix of financial potential and personal satisfaction, making it an appealing option for both new and seasoned collectors.

Why Invest in This Asset? 💎

Investing in Jon Merz's artwork presents a compelling opportunity due to his strong historical performance and future growth potential. Over the past five years, the prices of his 200 x 150 cm paintings have more than doubled, increasing from CHF 7,000 in 2021 to CHF 15,000 in 2025, showcasing a 114% rise.The sustained interest in Merz's work is evident from the numerous solo and group exhibitions he has participated in over recent years. In 2024 alone, he was featured in six shows, including a museum-quality exhibition at Château de Gruyères in Switzerland, which concluded in October and marked the largest exhibition of his career, as well as the Swiss Art Awards, where he was nominated for the third time. Additionally, Merz’s work was featured in a group exhibition with Galerie Lange + Pult in Auvernier, Switzerland, in November.

In addition to his Swiss representation with Galerie Mighela Shama, Merz has recently begun a new collaboration with another Swiss gallery (name to be announced soon), which is already planning a solo show for him in Zurich, scheduled for September 2025. Merz has also been in discussion with an international gallery with strong ties to Germany and Asia. While this partnership has not yet materialized, discussions are ongoing and could come to fruition in the coming months. The new partnership with this Swiss gallery and the potential collaboration with new international galleries will likely expand Merz’s reach into new markets and collectors, further boosting his recognition and likely driving up his prices.

Description about this asset 🖼️

Jon Merz is a Swiss Postwar & Contemporary artist who was born in 1981 in Neuchâtel. Merz, who lives in Berlin and Basel, trained at the Bern University of the Arts and the Hamburg Academy of Fine Arts. He has been exhibiting his work in Switzerland and abroad over ten years. He can almost be seen as a painter with an easel and a summer hat in the outdoors, almost as if he were a 19th-century Impressionist. However, the paintings depicted in his immediate surroundings resemble Expressionism and occasionally Symbolism. The works appear classically styled, almost in the manner of Old Masters, showing a strong art historical influence. Much of it feels somewhat familiar, yet at the same time, it is extremely surprising and refreshing, especially when one is aware of the artist’s earlier work, such as his monochrome-painted wooden cubes from the early 2010s or his constructions made from plywood boards, steel rods, and other materials from hardware stores. These early pieces, which fluctuate between paintings and early objects, evoke movements like Post-Minimalism and the Conceptual Art of the 1970s, as well as Hard Edge or Color Field painting. They also recall German artists like Joseph Beuy’s students Imi Knoebel and Blinky Palermo. Like them, Merz emerges as a new representative of constructivist, non-objective art – a kind of Constructivism 3.0.

His paintings are characterized by a masterful interplay of light, color, and texture, which invites a nuanced examination of both the physical and metaphysical realms, prompting viewers to embark on a journey of introspection. Merz often marries representational elements with abstract forms, blurring the boundaries between realism and abstraction. Furthermore, Merz’s technique demonstrates an acute awareness of composition and rhythm, integrating dynamic brushwork with meticulous detail.

Merz's work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and art shows, and institutions, such as the Bern Cantonal Bank and the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire de Neuchâtel, have begun acquiring his paintings.

Solo Shows:

• 2025 New Swiss gallery (name to be announced soon), Zurich, Switzerland – September (Upcoming)
• 2024 “Le Jardin d’Eau“, Château de Gruyères, Gruyères, Switzerland
• 2022 “Berlin am Meer”, Lokal-int, Bienne, Switzerland
• 2021 “Sohn des Glücks”, Espace Sauvage, Düsseldorf, Germany
• 2018 “Parade de Monstres”, Smallville Space, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
• 2018 “No regrets”, Benzene, Hamburg, Germany
• 2017 “Sonntag”, Espace Labo, Geneva, Switzerland
• 2016 “The fool on the Hill”, Córtex Frontal, Arraiolos, Portugal
• 2014 “Blue”, Galerie Milieu, Bern, Switzerland
• 2012 “Gegenschlag im Zentrum”, Center, Berlin, Germany

Selected Group Shows:

• 2024 “Snack III”, Galerie Lange + Pult, Auvernier, Switzerland
• 2024 “Berlin Group Show”, Nizza Berlin (Cooperation Space), Berlin, Germany
• 2024 “Votive”, Hyphastudios, London, United Kingdom
• 2024 “Swiss Art Awards”, Basel, Switzerland
• 2024 “Summer Show”, Galerie Mighela Shama, Geneva, Switzerland
• 2023 “The Painting Academy”, Galerie Polomarco, Geneva, Switzerland
• 2021 “Plus est en vous”, Art Môtiers 2021, Môtiers, Switzerland
• 2021 “Corona Call”, Kunstraum Kreuzlingen, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
• 2019 “Cantonale Bern Jura”, Kunsthauslangenthal, Langenthal, Switzerland
• 2019 “Snack”, Galerie Lange + Pult, Auvernier, Switzerland
• 2018 “Juleutstillingen”, Billedgalleri, Haugesund, Norway
• 2018 “Toxic BoomRoom”, Benzene, Hamburg, Germany
• 2018 “Jahresaustellung”, Hochschule der Künste, Hamburg, Germany
• 2017 “Festivalfangst”, Haugesund, Norway
• 2017 “Poly Eck Dings”, Benzene, Hamburg, Germany
• 2017 “Masteraustellung”, Hochschule der Künste, Hamburg, Germany
• 2016 “Rundgang”, Hochschule der Künste, Hamburg, Germany
• 2015 “Old Friends New Ideas - Old Ideas New Friends”, Galerie Milieu, Bern, Switzerland
• 2015 “Going places”, Salon Mondial, Basel, Switzerland
• 2015 “Swiss art awards”, Art Basel. Basel, Switzerland
• 2014 “Space is the place”, IAAB, Berlin, Germany
• 2014 “Cantonale Bern Jura”, Kunsthaus Langenthal, Switzerland
• 2014 “Regionale”, Kunstverein Freiburg, Switzerland

Awards and grants:

• 2024 Finalist of Swiss Art Awards
• 2015 Nominee for the Swiss Art Prize
• 2014 Scholarship holder of the international exchange and studio program Basel region (IAAB)
• 2013 Nominee for the Swiss Art Prize
• 2010 Contribution to the patronage fund for young Swiss artists, Kunsthalle Basel
• 2008 Exchange program of the Association of Icelandic Artists (SÍM), two months residency in Reykjavik and Skagaströnd, Iceland. Art in public space and writing of bachelor thesis
• 2005 Winner of a scholarship, residency in New York City

This series of paintings “Berlin am Meer” was started in 2021 and shows expressionistic depictions that evoke images of landscapes. While having worked for many years prior on more conceptual and abstract artistic expressions, the now manifold color palette of marks, flames, and specks compose vibrant, energetic panoramas. On the verge of abstraction, his painterly forms are just the right amount of figuration and ornament to give suggestive impulses – one can contemplate the sky, land, and organic and naturalistic formations in different seasons and different times of the day or night.

While looking at Merz’s work, the spaces that appear and disappear resemble places we might have seen in reality or our inner dreams, introspective observations. With references to the art of the late 19th century, one thinks of symbolist painters like James Ensor, abstract painters such as Wassily Kandinsky, and visionary artist Hilma af Klint. Merz paints on wood and canvas, often working in smaller to mid-size formats. On some pieces, he layers paint repeatedly, sometimes for several years. His paintings often feature multilayered and textured surfaces, with a painterly patina that reflects a continuous painting process that gives the work a powerful, sensual gravitas. From visions of utopian places to darker dreams and inner spiritual worlds, the rich associations in Merz’s work combine an analytical approach with effect and gesture, resonating with our metamodern reality.
 

Context in Time ⏳

Emerging artists often sell their works at more affordable prices compared to established names. If the artist gains recognition over time, the value of their art can increase significantly, offering substantial returns on your investment.

Conclusion 🎯

Investing in Jon Merz's artwork combines cultural significance with strong growth potential. His rising global profile, marked by numerous exhibitions and upcoming new gallery representations, positions his work for substantial price appreciation. The combination of his unique artistic style and expanding international reach makes this a promising investment opportunity with both cultural and financial returns.