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The meeting pointSt. Moritz Art Masters

An extensive program and extraordinary encounters
Interview Maddalena Iodice

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Martin Kippenberger, Transportabler U-Bahn-Eingang, 1997. Copyright Estate of Martin Kippenberger,
Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne und Walter A. Bechtler Stiftung

 

At the end of August St. Moritz turned into the meeting point for artists, intellectuals and creatives all gathered by St. Moritz Art Masters 10th edition. This annual art festival, from August 26th to September 3rd, not only offers an extensive art program, but also provides a multifaceted platform for creative and professional encounters. We talked to SAM Curator Philipp Noller, who told us more about the origin of the event, its purpose and its ability to balance art masters and emerging young creatives.

MI St. Moritz Art Masters reaches its 10th edition delighting its guests with an extensive art program. I would like to go back in time to learn more about the creation of the event. How this came about? Why St. Moritz?
PN Monty Shadow´s idea was to combine this extraordinary valley with its long cultural history with art to create a very special platform. This platform should show the world the quality and strength of St.Moritz and the beautiful Engadine during summertime.

MI How has the festival developed and transformed throughout the years?
PN At the beginning you had only a handful of galleries, the hotels were quiet, and only a few guests around. Now you have countless high-end galleries and many other cultural events around SAM. It changed from a sleepy valley to an highly active region.

 MI What is the aim of this year creative conversation?
PN It is hard to say but this year I can summit that it is all about passion.

MI What has been the fil rouge leading the selection of the artists joining this 10th edition?

PN As every year we present a high-light in the Protestant Church in St. Moritz, this time with works by Julian Schnabel, Vik Muniz or Wim Delvoye for example. And not far away you can join the mystic photoworks of renowned Roger Ballen in the Karsten Greve Gallery. And for sure you must join our photo exhibitions at the Kempinski Hotel with Peter Lindbergh, Lenny Kravitz and Mathieu Bitton. Then you can also explore the phantasmic big drawings of Vladimir Velickovic of 2013 at the Forum Paracelsus.

MI An immersive journey that embracing the works of some of the most well known masters of art, still keeps space for a selection of young talents. What are the new frontiers of art and how is this landscape changing?
PN You must see the young upcoming artists at the Hotel Bernina 1865 for example Sascha Berretz or the local photographer Daniel Meuli who built a man’s high camera obscura and whose photos are exhibited at the Nira Alpina. In times of having kids playing and taking photos with their smartphones, this is a kind of ‘old school‘ but totally refreshing to look at them, enjoying the feeling in this photos to have all the time and time is running less fast.
For me personally I see the new frontiers of young artists in the quality and the will of doing their art with a real passion and let’s say with a kind of craftmanship. The numbers of young artists are growing everyday and it is hip to say “I am an artist” or “I am running a gallery”. But sorry: increasing numbers of artists doesn´t really produce good art.

More at www.stmoritzartmasters.org