MBAL - Musée des beaux-arts Le Locle

What MBAL - Musée des beaux-arts Le Locle does

MBAL (Musée des beaux-arts Le Locle) is a Swiss art museum operating under the Société des beaux-arts du Locle (SBAL), a private non-profit association founded in the 19th century. The museum reopened in 2014 after a major renovation under director Nathalie Herschdorfer, with Italian curator Federica Chiocchetti (PhD) assuming the directorship in June 2022. MBAL houses a permanent collection of approximately 5,000 works spanning Swiss and international art from the 17th to 21st century, including significant print holdings (over 1,000 prints featuring artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Giacometti, Bonnard, and Armleder). The museum presents two major exhibition cycles per year (roughly six exhibitions), runs a cultural mediation program with free workshops for Swiss primary and secondary school classes, and operates a dedicated young-audiences space (Salle Marie-Anne Calame, inaugurated 2022).

In 2022, MBAL launched ORBIT_E, a digital exhibition platform functioning as a virtual extension of the museum and an annual commissioning program for original digital works by contemporary artists. ORBIT_E has featured works using generative AI tools (specifically DALL-E by OpenAI) and has been curated in partnership with international institutions including Fotomuseum Winterthur, objkt.com, and House of Electronic Arts Basel. The museum's revenue is generated through admissions (with free entry on the first Sunday of each month), a museum shop selling posters (CHF 5-15), publications (CHF 20-25), artist editions and puzzles (CHF 13.80-49), guided tours (CHF 6-120 per group), educational workshops, venue rental for private events, and institutional grants including multi-year support from Pro Helvetia. Distribution channels include the Le Locle physical site, the ORBIT_E digital platform, the museum shop, and outreach through Swiss press (RTS, RTN, Le Temps, Kunstbulletin) and art fairs (Art Genève).

Name

MBAL - Musée des beaux-arts Le Locle

Legal name

Société des beaux-arts du Locle (SBAL)

Website

https://mbal.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MBAL is a Swiss regional fine-arts museum in Le Locle (Canton Neuchâtel) operating a 5,000-work permanent collection, two annual exhibition cycles, cultural mediation programs for schools, and the ORBIT_E digital commissioning platform launched in 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Arts Museum

NAICS

Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Fine art museum
• Contemporary art exhibitions
• Permanent art collection
• Digital art platform
• Cultural education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Locle

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission Fees: Revenue from ticket sales for museum exhibitions and events. Public visits are free on the first Sunday of each month.
2. Museum Shop Sales: Sale of museum merchandise including posters, publications, puzzles, bags, and art-related products. Products linked to current exhibitions.
3. Publications and Books: Sale of exhibition catalogs, artist books, and special publications such as L* plaisir du texte, Les voix magnétiques, and artist editions.
4. Cultural Mediation Services: Revenue from guided tours, workshops, and educational programs for schools and groups. Free for Swiss primary and secondary school classes.
5. Event Venue Rental: Rental of museum spaces for private events (Vos événements au MBAL).

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MBAL is a fine arts museum that presents its permanent collection of approximately 5,000 works alongside two major temporary exhibition cycles each year. The institution delivers supporting cultural services including guided tours, workshops, publications, artist editions, and a museum boutique, and extends its programming online through the ORBIT_E digital exhibition platform. Educational access is provided free of charge to Swiss primary and secondary school classes.

Product overview

MBAL - Musée des beaux-arts Le Locle is a museum institution offering a unified portfolio centered on temporary exhibitions and collection management. The core offerings include physical exhibitions at the museum, the digital ORBIT_E platform launched in 2022 for online artistic programming, a permanent collection of approximately 5,000 artworks, cultural mediation programs, museum publications, a boutique selling exhibition-related merchandise, and artist editions. The museum operates under the Société des beaux-arts du Locle (SBAL) and presents two major exhibition cycles per year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MBAL Museum Exhibitions Temporary exhibitions presented at the Museum of Fine Arts Le Locle, featuring works from the permanent collection alongside contemporary artists. The museum hosts two major exhibition cycles per year.
• MBAL Collection (Permanent Collection) The museum's permanent collection of approximately 5,000 pieces including paintings, drawings, watercolors, sculptures, and prints from Swiss and international artists spanning the 17th to 21st centuries.
• ORBIT_E Digital Platform A virtual extension of MBAL launched in 2022, ORBIT_E is a digital exhibition platform and experimental laboratory for contemporary digital art. It provides annual financial support to artists for producing original digital works accessible via the MBAL website.
• Cultural Mediation Program Cultural mediation services including creative workshops for children and adults, guided tours, brunches, round tables, performances, and educational activities aligned with exhibition themes.
• MBAL Boutique / Museum Shop Museum shop selling exhibition posters, books, publications, puzzles, bags, and artist editions produced in conjunction with temporary exhibitions.
• MBAL Publications Museum publications including exhibition catalogs, artist books, and the 'Could you talk about' series of small publications featuring artist interviews, as well as quadrilingual books on exhibition themes.
• Artist Editions (Éditions d'artistes) Annual sale of engravings by well-known Swiss artists, offered by the Société des beaux-arts et du musée to extend the artistic experience beyond the museum.
• Salle Marie-Anne Calame A space inaugurated in 2022, designed for young audiences, hosting exhibitions, workshops, and encounters named after Marie-Anne Calame, founder of the Établissement de travail des Billodes in 1815.
• Event Venue Rental (Vos évènements au MBAL) Rental of museum spaces for private events, functions, and gatherings under the title "Vos évènements au MBAL."

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fondazione Monte VeritàcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2024Collaboration on exhibition 'la scia del monte ou les utopistes magnétiques' (23.03-15.09.2024). Joint curation with Nicoletta Mongini from Fondazione Monte Verità. Exhibition exploring the legacy of Monte Verità, the Swiss cradle of avant-garde movements, with 26 contemporary artists whose creations were inspired by the site.
• Galerie Christophe GuyeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Galerie Christophe Guye in Zurich for Erik Madigan Heck exhibition (03.11.2018-27.01.2019), the artist's first museum show.
• Fondazione SozzanicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Fondazione Sozzani for exhibition 'Entre l'art et la mode' featuring photographs from the Carla Sozzani collection (18.06-15.10.2017). Exhibition also born from the will of couturier Azzedine Alaïa.
• Marco De Mutiis (Fotomuseum Winterthur)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital curator at Fotomuseum Winterthur curated the 2024 ORBIT_E capsule, selecting artist Alfatih for the digital commission.
• Kika Nicolela (objkt.com)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian curator Kika Nicolela, Head Curator at objkt (NFT art platform), curated the 2025 ORBIT_E capsule, inviting Mexican artist Canek Zapata to create original digital artwork.
• Marlene Wenger (House of Electronic Arts Basel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurator at House of Electronic Arts (HEK) in Basel curated the 2026 ORBIT_E capsule, selecting artist duo Entangled Others.
• Lycée Blaise-Cendrars, La Chaux-de-FondsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent collaboration for 'For One Solid Time, WET' exhibition (autumn 2026). Visual arts students created works exploring the theme of swimming pools, exhibited alongside the main exhibition.
• Nicolas PollicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss artist, graphic designer, and educator conceived and curated 'Pour tout faire, il faut une fleur' exhibition (Spring 2026). Also responsible for graphic design of MBAL publications including L* plaisir du texte and Les voix magnétiques.
• Canek ZapataminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexican artist and internet artist created ORBIT_E 2025 digital artwork 'doomscrolling>>>' - a webpage generating real-time digital collages with 27 invited artists.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kunsthalle Bern: A historic Swiss institution dedicated to contemporary art exhibitions. Comparable to MBAL in producing temporary contemporary exhibitions without a permanent collection focus, and in operating with a lean curatorial team.
• Fotomuseum Winterthur: A leading Swiss photography museum and active MBAL partner (curated the 2024 ORBIT_E capsule). Comparable in size and contemporary focus, with similar revenue mix from exhibitions, publications, and educational programming.
• House of Electronic Arts Basel (HEK): A Swiss institution dedicated to digital and media arts; curator Marlene Wenger selected the 2026 ORBIT_E artist. Most direct conceptual peer to MBAL's digital art commissioning via ORBIT_E, with similar programmatic DNA.
• Centre d'Art Contemporain Genève: An independent contemporary art center in Geneva producing exhibitions, editions, and publications. Mirrors MBAL's curatorial risk-taking and artist-commissioning model at a similar institutional scale.
• Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts (MCBA), Lausanne: The cantonal fine arts museum of Lausanne, presenting historic to contemporary works. Closely comparable mission to MBAL as a regional Swiss museum covering 17th–21st century art with rotating exhibitions and an emphasis on prints and drawings.
• Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (MAMCO), Geneva: A contemporary art museum in Geneva focused on post-1960 art. Shares MBAL's emphasis on contemporary programming and temporary exhibitions, with comparable scale of team and ambition relative to the Swiss museum ecosystem.
• Musée d'Art de Pully: A small Swiss municipal fine arts museum with a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. Highly comparable to MBAL in scale, governance structure (association-run), and exhibition programming cadence.
• Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva: A public fine arts and history museum in Switzerland of comparable scope. Both serve as regional Swiss anchor museums with broad permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, though MAH operates at significantly larger scale and budget.

Broad incumbents

• Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern: A larger Swiss art institution combining exhibitions, concerts, and education around the Klee legacy. Comparable in educational programming scope and Swiss museum positioning, though at substantially larger scale and budget.
• Kunstmuseum Basel: Switzerland's oldest public art collection and one of the largest. Operates in the same Swiss fine-arts museum space but at vastly greater scale, with much broader international reach and budget — serving as an aspirational peer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubembal.ch/decouvrez-notre-chaine-youtube
• Facebookfacebook.com/mbalelocle
• Instagraminstagram.com/mbalelocle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mbalelocle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MBAL - Musée des beaux-arts Le Locle