Today, the Swiss Federal Art Collection comprises some 22,500 works of art and design objects, making it one of the most significant collections of Swiss art since the 19th century. The "Swiss Federal Decree on the Promotion and Elevation of Swiss Art" of 1887 represents the Collection's cornerstone, encouraging the annual acquisition of works by Swiss artists as a major policy tenet. Today, these acquisitions continue to be made according to Article 13 of the Culture Promotion Act, as well as Articles 5 and 10 of the Cultur Promotion Ordinance, upon recommendation by the Federal Art Commission.
On request from Swiss art museums joint acquisitions, joint acquisitions can also be made if the sale price of the work exceeds CHF 100,000. See: