It’s almost always sunny in St. Moritz, the alpine town being at the highest altitude in Switzerland, and yet I was operating under a dark cloud. What is it about the number 13 that makes one feel apprehensive? Fortunately, I had little to fear. The 13th edition of Nomad St. Moritz provided a wealth of inspiration. From the splendid location – the 19th-century former Hotel Eden, one of the few remaining historical buildings in the area and just a stone’s throw from St. Moritz Lake – to the extraordinary selection of presentations by 25 galleries, Nomad proved to be a lucky break.
Last year at Nomad, artist Lola Schnabel exhibited ceramic artichoke candle holders at Nilufar Gallery. The playful plants caught my eye then, much like Diego Cibelli’s delicate, frond-covered porcelain sculpture and mirror at Galleria Antonella Villanova did this time round.
Nomad has always offered an alternative to the white cube of the traditional gallery space. This year, the former Hotel Eden, which dates back to 1850, was the backdrop for the many exhibits. The building is currently being renovated, which has uncovered a layered architectural history. One of the intact rooms showcased the fittingly titled ‘Timeless Harmony’, a collaborative exhibition of furniture and sculptures by Chahan Gallery in Paris and Sorry We’re Closed in Brussels.
One might say that this room in the hotel earned its stripes, following its makeover by Milan’s Sofia Zevi Gallery. Indeed, ‘Infinitamente’, as the exhibition is called, proudly wore its Chiarastella Cattana fabrics, arranged with Massimo Vignanelli lamps, a chaise longue by Franco Albini and small vases by Fulvio Bianconi for Venini.
A bit of the unusual never goes amiss. The contemporary art gallery Foreign Agent, based in Lausanne, showed a lacquered coconut-wood cabinet by Ivorian artist Jean Servais Somian in one of the partially renovated rooms. The rough walls created an unexpected contrast that set off the craft of the sculpture and its form beautifully.
At Nomad, rugs can double as wall hangings or even tablecloths (as long as they haven’t been trampled underfoot). Above a reptilian bench by Kaspar Hamacher, Spazio Nobile gallery displayed a series of hanging rugs by Vera Vermersch that look as good as any abstract artwork. The shag-style rug by Carine Boxy, reminiscent of frosty grass or heather in sunlight, filled in the partially renovated space – proof that a good carpet can be a cure for a room, no matter the state of (dis)repair.
For more information, visit nomad-circle.com
