Swiss collector Uli Sigg is showing his vast collection of contemporary Chinese art in the show, Chinese Whispers, in Bern. [Photos/China Daily]

"They've mastered an international art language to express themselves," she says.

"When Mahjong was held in 2005, Western art lovers saw it with the curiosity of viewing exotic art," she says, adding that it would be different with the upcoming show in Bern.

A friend of Sigg for long, Liu Lili says Sigg is the most diligent collector she has ever met. Even on a two-day trip to China, Sigg usually ends up visiting more than 20 studios and insists on meeting artists until the last minute before leaving the country.

Sigg has also followed individual artists for years and has collected their works as they evolved in their careers.

Instead of collecting based on his personal preferences, Sigg says he seeks to "document the history" of Chinese contemporary art.

He hopes to bring shows focussed on shanshui and calligraphy to China in the future.

The collector is also the subject of a film, titled The Chinese Lives of Uli Sigg, documenting his time with eight Chinese artists, including Zeng Fanzhi, Feng Mengbo and Cao. The film will be screened in Switzerland on Feb 9.

If you go

10 am-5 pm, daily except Mondays, Feb 19-June 19. Museum of Fine Arts Bern, Hodlerstrasse 12, 3000 Bern 7. +41-313-280-944.