Livio Bernasconi, with Athos Bugno: Brè

Livio Bernasconi, born in 1932, is considered one of the major personalities on the Swiss contemporary art scene. He possesses an unmistakable sign, which has allowed him to elaborate his personal contribution to the poetics of geometric abstraction with strength and determination.
It is therefore no coincidence that the Circolo Culturale Pasquale Gilardi "Lelèn" has invited Bernasconi to commemorate the prominent artistic presence of another artist: the painter Wilhelm Schmid who, with his wife Maria, lived in the village of Brè for many years in the house that later became a museum dedicated to him.
The project, of great scenographic and emotional effect, consists of a large blue parallelogram on a dark background, painted over the entire surface of the façade on the north-west side of a private home, overlooking one of the most characteristic squares in the village. The converging and diverging lines outlining the geometric figure relate perfectly with the contours of the houses, the alleys and the threads of light, creating a magical atmosphere involving the entire neighbourhood.
The choice of the wall was suggested by its proximity to the museum as well as its prominent location, but not immediately perceptible to those coming from the south. However, it allowed Bernasconi to make a further contribution to the field of mural painting in Ticino, which is particularly appreciated for its ability to dialogue with space and architecture, which express their full potential here.

"I was delighted to accept the invitation of the friends of the Circolo to create a commemorative work. The visit to the village centre in their company was fascinating, and the discovery of the large wall on Piazzetta Lelèn immediately attracted my attention because it lacked any particular architectural elements, but at the same time characterised the space with its massive presence,' this is how Bernasconi describes his arrival in Brè. In my life I have often been confronted with large works - even much larger than those in Brè - but my approach to the work is always the same: I use known geometric shapes and organise them freely in the space I have available, seeking a dialogue with the surrounding context. And then I love colour. In this case, the dominant colour is blue, which seems to fall from the sky into the core with force, but not overbearingly'.

Realisation: Between 15 and 29 July 2021