The sun bathes Winterthur in golden light, while My Lien and Fabio stroll through the old town. Past cafés, hidden courtyards and shady squares, they show us places that are particularly close to their hearts – from the renowned Fotomuseum Winterthur to charming little shops that tell stories. 

In her art, My Lien combines personal life stories with social issues around home, identity and belonging. She explores the renegotiation of these terms, with heritage and traditions playing a major role in this – a central motif in her works. With the help of photography, she documents and interprets cultural identities and rituals and expresses post-migrant realities in Switzerland.

At the same time, My Lien has a special focus on food culture: She emphasises the importance of rituals and ceremonies in the social fabric and creates inclusive spaces through art projects in which different cultural experiences meet. Her multi-layered works open up new perspectives on the coexistence of different cultures and generations.

Winterthur is more than just a place to live for Thi My Lien Nguyen – the city is a place of inspiration and encounters. With its cultural diversity, historic charm and green parks, Winterthur My Lien offers an ideal balance between artistic work and everyday life.

Known for its lively cultural scene and renowned museums such as the Fotomuseum Winterthur or the Fotostiftung Schweiz, the city reflects many things that are also expressed in My Lien's art: The connection between tradition and the present, personal stories and an open togetherness. The extensive city garden, the charming squares and the striking architecture of the old town create an atmosphere that invites you to linger and discover.

For My Lien and her partner Fabio, Winterthur is a place where creative ideas unfold and moments of everyday life merge with cultural experiences. From here, the artist takes us to some of her own personal favourite places – places that make Winterthur so special to her.

In the middle of the historic Steinberggasse in Winterthur's old town lies the Cin Cin Tea & Coffee. Here, everything revolves around good coffee and selected teas – from espresso to cold brew, from classic blends to aromatic rarities. With its clear design and Nordic flair, the café offers space to linger or just for a short stopover.

Vary Valentina in Winterthur's old town stands for beautiful things away from the mainstream. Here, hand-picked Swiss and Japanese design meets antique vintage jewellery – carefully curated objects that tell stories and brighten up everyday life. This shop is also a symbol of the creative heart of Winterthur, where small, owner-managed shops shape the character of the city. 

The Malai Thai Asia Shop on Technikumstrasse offers a variety of Far Eastern foods – perfect for creative cooking projects. Here you can find the special ingredients that also play a role in My Lien's art project "Mili's Supperclub": Cooking and eating as an artistic experience that brings people together and inspires them. For those with little time or cooking talent, there are also fine Asian lunch menus to take away in the Asia Shop. 

Together, the Fotomuseum Winterthur and the Fotostiftung Schweiz form a lively place of photography. While the Fotomuseum researches and presents international contemporary positions, the Fotostiftung is dedicated to historical and current Swiss photographic creation. Here, past and present, documentary works and experimental approaches, analogue tradition and digital innovation meet. 

Thi My Lien Nguyen appreciates these institutions not only as personal sources of inspiration, but also has a personal connection to them: Her own works and projects have already been exhibited and presented here. The cultural and social significance of photography, which is reflected in both houses, also touches on themes of her own artistic work.

The Fotomuseum Winterthur sheds light on the role of photography as a medium that shapes our lives and thoughts – from selfies to memes. The Fotostiftung Schweiz, on the other hand, contains archive treasures that preserve the country's visual memory. My Lien has a special feeling for the dialogue between these worlds: Old and new techniques, intimate stories and universal images.

The Bistro Portier is a small café with a great history. In the past, the gatekeeper controlled access to the Sulzer site here, but today the charming restaurant is the perfect place for a coffee break or an aperitif. The furnishings deliberately play with the industrial past: Steel girders as benches, old mounting lamps and screw containers as sugar bowls create a unique atmosphere.

The Portier also has a lot to offer in terms of culinary delights. In the morning there is good coffee, at lunchtime changing dishes with regional ingredients and in the evening natural wine, house beer and classic drinks tempt you. In summer, concerts and festivals transform the outdoor area into a lively meeting place.

My Lien appreciates places with history where the past and present flow into each other. As in her art, this is about transformation:? Once a checkpoint, today an open meeting place for everyone. If you want to experience Winterthur's creative scene, this is the place for you.

A relaxing summer's day in Winterthur is coming to an end. My Lien and Fabio sit with friends in front of the doorman while the first bars of the music duo Polly and Goffrey sound. Snippets of conversation mix with the sounds of the band and laughter echoes across the square as evening dawns.