Engadin Art Talks

Engadin Art Talks

UPCOMING EVENTS

About E.A.T.

Engadin Art Talks (E.A.T.) is a forum of art, architecture, design, literature, and innovation that regularly takes place in Zuoz in the Swiss Engadin valley. With a year-round public programme, E.A.T. aims to connect the arts with its neighbouring disciplines through insightful presentations, panel discussions, and participatory happenings that respond to urgent themes of our world. The forum's intention is to find novel perspectives on relevant topics that define our present and shape our future.

Browse the Archive

AI WEIWEI, ULI SIGG AND HANS ULRICH OBRIST: IN CONVERSATION

KENNETH ROTH: ART AND THE QUEST FOR FREEDOM

SIMONE FATTAL: VOIR C’EST PENSER (TO SEE IS TO THINK)

NOT VITAL AND GRAŻYNA KULCZYK: TUOR PER SUSCH

MATTHEW LUTZ-KINOY AND NATSUKO UCHINO: KERAMIKOS IS A SOCIAL UTOPIAN CARRIER-BAG

RASHA SALTI: ONCE I ENTERED A GARDEN

Publications and editions

TACTIQUE BY THÉO CASCIANI

MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE: NOW WHAT?

CERAMICS BY MATTHEW LUTZ-KINOY, NATSUKO UCHINO AND CERÁMICA LOS ARRAYANES

HOPE LESS / LESS HOPE BY AI WEIWEI

GALLERY

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It’s a wrap! Many thanks to all speakers — Eleni Chatzi (@lne_chatzi), Pamela Rosenkranz (@pamelaememrosenkranz) & Joana de la Fontaine (@joanadelafontaine), and Günther Vogt (@vogtlandscape) — and to everyone who joined us for the E.A.T. X Kunsthalle Zürich satellite event. Your insights and participation made this collaboration truly inspiring.

Special thanks to Kunsthalle Zürich (@kunsthallezurich), Daniel Baumann (@danielbaumannhitwestt), Casinelli Vogel Stiftung, Crozier (@crozierfinearts) and Cosa (@cosatravel) for their generous support.

We look forward to continuing the dialogue at the 2025 edition of E.A.T. in Zuoz, taking place on the weekend of January 24–26. Tickets are now available! Get yours via the link in our bio or our website. We hope to see you there!

Photos by Horatiu Sovaiala (@horatiu.sovaiala).

#eat2025 #engadinarttalks #kunsthallezurich #eatxkunsthallezurich #elenichatzi #pamelarosenkranz #joanadelafontaine #gunthervogt #aiexperiments #artandarchitecture #artandai #culturaldialogue #publictalks #artcommunity

A profound and moving exhibition by Amy Vogel (@amyevogel) and former E.A.T. participant Joseph Grigely (@josephgrigely) opens tomorrow at Prats Nogueras Blanchard (@pratsnoguerasblanchard). The exhibition titled ‘When Things Fall Apart’ delves into the fragility and resilience of the human body and mind, capturing moments when life, bodies, and worlds unravel. Grigely’s and Vogel’s work, grounded in their personal experiences with disability, explores how transformative moments of physical limitation can generate powerful new perspectives.

For Grigely, an eye hemorrhage in 2022 inspired a series of watercolors that document his compromised vision. These works, initially made for his retina surgeon, depict rings of light, shadows, and swirling forms—a record of sight transforming as words fell short. Deaf since age ten, Grigely’s work captures language’s visual textures, exploring communication without sound. His latest book, ‘My Sick Eye Drawings’, offers an intimate look into this recent journey.

For Vogel, an autoimmune disease altering her physical movement inspired a dialogue on nature’s fragility. Her “erasure drawings” meditate on change, revealing the constant flux between permanence and decay. Vogel’s work addresses how we shape and disrupt landscapes, often using “unmaking” as much as making to underscore nature’s impermanence.

Collaborators for over 25 years, Grigely and Vogel embrace disability as a force that expands perception. Their work challenges the notion of disability as purely limiting, revealing creative potential in vulnerability. ‘When Things Fall Apart’ invites viewers to reconsider strength and creativity, showing how even in fracture, art finds new paths to express resilience and beauty.

The exhibition is on view until January 18 and includes a new publication titled ‘My Sick Eye Drawings’, published in an edition of 1500, in collaboration with E.A.T. curator Hans Ulrich Obrist (@hansulrichobrist).

Grigely participated in the 2016 edition of Engadin Art Talks. Want to watch the video recording of his presentation? Click on the link in our bio.

#whenthingsfallapart #josephgrigely #amyvogel #engadinarttalks #pratsnoguerasblanchard

Artist and former E.A.T. participant Doug Aitken (@dougaitkenworkshop) presents ‘Lightscape’, an immersive multimedia work in collaboration with the Los Angeles Master Chorale (@lamasterchorale) and the LA Philharmonic (@laphil). This innovative project merges film, a multi-screen installation, and live musical performance to pose timeless questions: “Where are we now?” and “Where are we going?” ‘Lightscape’ traverses the West Coast’s diverse landscapes, flowing without dialogue or traditional structure. Instead, it tells its story through an evocative blend of music and visuals, capturing the haunting beauty of our contemporary world.

At the core of ‘Lightscape’ is a powerful soundtrack, combining Aitken’s original compositions with those by Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director of the Master Chorale, and orchestral pieces led by Gustavo Dudamel (@gustavodudamel). The vocal arrangements are minimalist, with words and phrases that repeat, overlap, and dissolve, creating a mesmerizing, abstracted language. The music shifts seamlessly from these original pieces to works by minimalist legends like Philip Glass (@philipglass), Steve Reich (@stevereich), and Meredith Monk (@meredithmonk). Ambient soundscapes by Aitken and collaborators like Beck add depth, crafting an immersive sound journey.

The world premiere live-to-picture concert of ‘Lightscape’ is set to be the centerpiece of the LA Phil’s Noon to Midnight: Field Recordings festival on November 16. The work will also be showcased as a large-scale immersive installation at the Marciano Art Foundation (@marcianoartfoundation) from December 17 through March 15.

Aitken participated in the inaugural edition of E.A.T. in 2010 and spoke about his artistic practice with Bice Curiger during the E.A.T. X Zurich satellite event in 2018. Would you like to hear more? Watch the video recording of their conversation via the link in our bio.

#dougaitken #lightscape #contemporaryart #multimediaart #lapl #losangelesmasterchorale #losangelesphilharmonic #grantgershon #gustavodudamel #fieldrecordings #noontomidnight #minimalism #soundscape #artandmusic #modernmythology #americanwest

“How am I going to fix myself? How am I going to make good?” With such candor, artist Igshaan Adams (@igshaan.adams) addressed the traumatic wounds of his past during the 2022 edition of Engadin Art Talks.

The theme of the 2022 edition of E.A.T. was taken from the title of Henri Bergson’s book ‘Matter and Memory: An Essay on the Relationship of Body and Mind’, which the French philosopher published in 1896. His work is part of the 19th century debate on whether memory is physically stored in the brain or rather spiritual, resonating in the soul. Bergson proposes a synthesis of the two, emphasizing their spiritual connection.

Through his practice, Adams seeks a path to healing, a way to cope with memories. His artistic practice is inspired by Muslim Sufism and other forms of belief he witnessed growing up. Adams uses techniques and materials from his community to create environments that bear witness to his search for his true self.

Adams is a South African artist of Creole and Malay origin based in Cape Town. His large-scale installations have been shown at biennials and exhibitions, including the 59th Venice Biennale (2022) and the 35th São Paolo Biennale (2023). In 2022, Kunsthalle Zurich (@kunsthallezurich) presented his solo exhibition ‘Kicking Dust’. Adams’s artistic practice includes performance, weaving, and sculpture. He uses his background to challenge racial, sexual, and religious boundaries.

During Engadin Art Talks, a short film about his work was shown after the conversation between Adams and E.A.T. curator Daniel Baumann (@danielbaumannhitwestt). Want to see the video recording? Click on the link in our bio.

Photo by Mario Todeschini (@mari00ooo).

#igshaanadams #engadinarttalks #matterandmemory #danielbaumann #kunsthallezurich #kickingdust #trauma #healing #community #healingjourney #henribergson