The art world also suffers from the problem of “bubbles” – communities that are almost homogeneous in terms of opinion or value system, often by age group, gender or geographical origin – present on social networks. These bubbles are determined by the algorithms that regulate the presentation of posts and, on the one hand, reduce “flames” – keyboard wars – but also the possibilities for dialogue and discussion between people belonging to different groups, even if only in terms of age and profession.
Even in a small area such as Ticino, there are different art worlds that rarely meet. Unfortunately, the audience for individual exhibitions is often very homogeneous.
Having had the opportunity to propose exhibitions in a gallery that is fairly new to the Lugano scene, I thought it would be useful and interesting to try to mix things up and literally force the audience to mix, first and foremost between generations, but also simply in terms of their approach to creating and enjoying visual art. This will happen in four exhibitions this year, as part of the Kosmos programme, which aims to bring “worlds together”, even if only by bringing together artists who are very different, including in terms of their origins. The first exhibition is entitled Altri luoghi, altre vite (Other places, other lives). It creates an unusual dialogue between François Bonjour, a long-standing artist from Ticino working in Dino, and the young emerging artist Byron Gago, an Italian-Ecuadorian who lived in Lugano and now works in Biel.
François Bonjour creates both two-dimensional works and sculptures. In all his works from recent decades – including those on display here, dating from the last three years – references can be found to Arte Povera, which played a fundamental role in his formative years. In fact, he still uses materials that he sees as “the skin of cities”: rope, wood, wax and, above all, paper, such as that from old books and notebooks, whose written pages he also exploits for their rhythmic patterns.
These materials exude a human breath, referring to lives, not only past ones. They also look to the future, like the “sprouts” present in many of these works – even in their titles – made of rope, which for him are symbols of new life, of rebirth. He is continuing his serial research based on the use of specific materials. Black backgrounds in works from a few years ago, for example, were made with carbon paper, while now he is exploring the use of a technological material that is familiar to everyone and even intimate: X-rays. Fifteen two-dimensional works are on display, including a large white-on-white diptych, in which the elegance of his artistry becomes icy. But passing along Viale Cattaneo, one can also see one of his sculptures from the central window of the gallery: a slender wooden column whose surface is covered with old volumes, entitled Antiche scritture (Ancient Writings). All of François Bonjour's works reveal a distinctive style and gentle elegance, the result of an aesthetic balance that is part of his being. These are works that communicate in a light but direct way and can fascinate both laymen and experts alike.
Byron Gago, born in Ecuador in 1994, has lived in Lugano, Switzerland, as well as in Milan and Sardinia. He currently works in Biel. His active participation as an artist in the cultural offerings of Morel, a brand new space in Lugano, is worth mentioning, and his absence is keenly felt. Gago expresses himself using a variety of media: from installation to video, from photography to sculpture, always achieving highly contemporary results. He is sometimes inspired by places and elements linked to his origins. For example, he has created works and series connected to the Ecuadorian Amazon. In fact, rather than individual works, he now tends to create series composed of works in different techniques, showing their specificities. Some provide a documentary-like contribution, while others are metaphorical. Byron is not only inspired by landscapes, as one might imagine, but also by anthropic presences: architecture and other human signs. At times, he has hinted at situations of conflict, for example in border and confinement areas, as in Leviathan, an installation from 2025. His interpretation is always multifaceted and layered, the result of a personal cultural melting pot and instinctive curiosity. This gives rise to complex and fascinating works, which have already made him a promising international artist at the age of thirty. Gago is also very productive: all the works on display are from 2025 and have therefore been recently conceived or reworked.
In particular, in the main room of the Serene Gallery, one can notice points of dialogue between the works of these two artists. A glance from the right-hand window, for example, reveals chromatic affinities in light shades of grey, extending to white. The left-hand window, on the other hand, shows common dark tones. Here, Gago reuses fans manufactured in Mexico in a minimalist work, while Bonjour exhibits a square strongly linked to the aesthetics of Arte Povera: a remarkable combination.
Near the central window, on the other hand, the trait d'union is the use of cement: in addition to the base of Bonjour's column, it is the basic element of small works that refer to the use of broken bottles as a defence against intrusion into the
autoconstrucción. This series finds an excellent location here above two of the large windows: it is in a similar position to that normally found in South America. As with any exhibition, an important goal is to engage and involve the public. In this first exhibition of the Kosmos programme, we hope to have intrigued you and convinced you of the fundamental importance and intrinsic value of heterogeneity and personality in current artistic research. A big thank you goes to Spazio Morel and Spazio L'ove. The appointment for everyone is for the second exhibition of this programme, on Friday 18 April from 6 p.m., with the two-person exhibition by Sandro Pianetti and Marco Scorti.
__________
Download Flyer
__________
until April 12
open Thursday to Saturday, 11 am-6 pm
and by appointment: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+41 78 836 24 50 | +41 76 439 18 66
Serene Gallery
viale Cattaneo 17, Lugano
www.serenegallery.ch
