Choreographer, theatre director, set designer, and performer Martin Zimmermann was born in 1970 and grew up in the small Swiss village of Wildberg. After training as a decorative designer in Zurich, he studied at the Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC) in Paris. With his graduation piece Le Cri du caméléon (1995), he toured the world before returning to Switzerland to begin developing his own artistic universe.

For over 25 years, Zimmermann has been creating striking visual and physical theatre without words — fusing contemporary circus, dance, theatre, and striking scenographic installations. His work speaks to wide audiences, and his commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and diversity is central to his artistic vision. In his pieces, he creates strange worlds in which everyday objects are shifted into parallel, often absurd dimensions. His theatre breaks conventions, makes the invisible visible, and invites audiences to experience the world differently.

At the core of his work lies the interaction between the human body and animated objects — set in unstable, often precarious environments. His focus is always on the complexity and vulnerability of the human condition. Landmark works include Hans was Heiri (2012), Hallo (2014) — his first solo — and Eins Zwei Drei (2018). His recent touring creations include Wonderful World (in collaboration with choreographer Kinsun Chan and the Semperoper Ballet), Danse Macabre (2021), and Louise (2024).

Zimmermann’s productions are performed worldwide, including at BAM New York, TOHU Montréal, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Théâtre du Rond-Point, London’s Barbican, the Sydney Opera House, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg, Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, Hong Kong City Hall, Théâtre de Carouge, Schauspielhaus Zürich, Festival d’Avignon, NTGent, Semperoper Dresden, and Kunstmuseum Fondation Beyeler.

He has been awarded the Swiss Design Award three times in a row for his stage design work. In 2021, he received Switzerland’s highest performing arts distinction: the Grand Prix for Performing Arts / Hans Reinhart Ring. Martin Zimmermann is currently Artist in Residence at Le Manège / Scène Nationale de Maubeuge and Associated Artist at Millers Theater in Zurich.