COMING EXHIBITION

"Lonely Planets" in Vevey and Zurich


From April 11th to 19th, as part of an artistic exchange, FOCUS association based in Vevey presents the collective exhibition "Lonely Planets" between Swiss and Iranian artists. Graphic design, architecture, video and cinema, this innovative pluridisciplinary project questions the importance of artistic exchanges and encourages ideas sharing and intercultural dialogue.

Artworks address common themes to all societies, Iranian or Swiss such as public space, ways of eating, wedding, colors representations, aftermath of turism. But the project also focuses on issues of artistic exchanges and their discursives practices, often complices with economical interests of globalization. Since its creation in 2009, FOCUS association questions this cultural value which is anchored since childhood by educating with histories of adventure or pirates. According to the French historian Sylvain Venayre, this notions translates into international capitalist entrepreneurship when becoming adult and desire of leaving abroad in order to discover mysterious lands. At a time when Western society expresses its dissatisfaction with a global system that has reached all its limits, we ask the following question: should we not reconsider the image of explorer adventurer linked to cultural actors, artists, writers or anthropologists going abroad?

Detailed program here

SWISS ARTISTS IN IRAN

In September 2018, three Swiss artists have been to Iran for an innovate artistic exchange


FOCUS association organized the first part of the exchange « We all eat but not in the same manner » from September 6th to 16th, 2018 in Tehran, in partnership with Platform 28 a space dedicated to art and design.

In order to foster cultural relations between Switzerland and Iran, three Swiss artists enthusiastically accepted the challenge: the photographer and video maker Lisa Roehrich from Vevey, two founders of Atlas Studio Jonas Wandeler from Fribourg and Martin Andereggen from Zurich. Dialogue and sharing of ideas were encouraged during a week with the Iranian film maker Shiva Sanjiri and the graphic designers of Studio Kargah, Aria Kasei and Ashkan Forootan.More than just a research trip, this first part was an opportunity to promote Swiss graphic design during an exhibition at Platform 28, "Swiss Artists in Tehran", which took place from 7th to 22nd September 2018, at heart of the Iranian capital. Swiss artists spent a week with them, trying to question the limits of cultural exchange. The title of the project "We all eat but not in the same manner" is a way to address controversial societal issues without revealing its essence with food and culinary habits as a starting point. In 2019, for the second part of this exchange Iranian artists and the director of Platform 28 will be invited to Switzerland to discover the Swiss contemporary culture and present their work during a collective exhibition, alongside Swiss productions made during the research trip in September 2018.

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UPCOMING PROJECT

In September 2018 Switzerland meets Iran


From September 6th to 16th, FOCUS invites three Swiss artists in Tehran for a research trip in collaboration with the cultural space Platform 28, specialized actor of the Iranian artistic sphere. They will present their works during the exhibition "Swiss artists in Tehran". The aim is to create new encounters in the field of visual arts.

Since 2009, FOCUS organizes artistic exchanges and encourages ideas sharing between artists from diverse artistic milieus. For this project, two graphic designers from Atlas Studio based in Zurich, Martin Andereggen and Jonas Wandeler plus the photographer Lisa Roehrich from Vevey will be invited to discover the Persian cultural scene. "We all eat but from a different manner" is a journey through culinary habits in a globalized world which offers the opportunity to learn about food habits, products that surrounds us and architecture related to them. With globalization and individualization, this project will encourage a reflexion on two models of society, Swiss and Iranian and stress on elements that are part of our everyday lives, culture and identity. Discussions will create a context of interactions to address issues affecting ways of consuming, architecture, design, history, traditions and issues of cultural identities among others.

More on Atlas Studio More on Lisa Roehrich More on Plat+Form

TET A TET

Anatolyi Kolesnikov and FOCUS association guests of honor at Les Nuits Photographiques in Paris 28 June 2014


The Kyrgyz artist Anatolyi Kolesnikov (1983-2013) participated in TET A TET exchange organized by FOCUS between Switzerland and Kyrgyzstan in 2009 and 2011. His video "Swiss Monolith" has been selected for a projections night at Les Nuits Photographiques in collaboration with Elysée Museum in Lausanne. By presenting Anatolyi's artwork in Paris FOCUS does honor to his memory.

In 2009, four Swiss artists - Adrienne Scherrer, Yann Gross, Régis Tosetti and Simon Deppierraz - have been to Kyrgyzstan to collaborate with five Kyrgyz artists - Anatolyi Kolesnikov, Nikolai Cherkasov, Bermet Borubaeva, Chingiz Aidarov and Dmitry Petrovsky. They worked together during 3 weeks in order to present a first exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Bishkek. In 2011, the Kyrgyz came to Switzerland and built a second exhibition at the EX-EPA in Vevey. TET A TET is an international artistic exchange which fostered dialogue and ideas sharing between two diverse cultures.

Site Les Nuits Photographiques

AFGHAN ROCK NIGHTS 2014

In January 2014, FOCUS association invited two rock bands from Afghanistan


By organizing the program Sofa Kabul, FOCUS association has encouraged idea sharing between Switzerland and Afghanistan. The goal was intended to foster dialogue between traditional and contemporary art, the mix of artistic statements and generations.

In that spirit, the Afghan Rock Nights have taken place at Dachstock in Bern, Rote Fabrik in Zurich, RKC in Vevey and Case à Chocs in Neuchâtel. More than 300 people attended the concerts which are now available on our MEDIA page in audio and video. FOCUS warmly thanks its partners, the audience and the venues that welcomed us.

More on Sofa Kabul program

SOFA KABUL

FOCUS organizes four Afghan Rock nights in January 2014


Singer and filmmaker Ariana Delawari and Kabul based rock band White Page will play at four renown cultural venues in Switzerland.

This project aims to promote the Afghan artistic scene at an international level and mix diverse musical influences both traditional and contemporary in order to treasure Afghan legacy and open doors to new artistic opportunities.

AFGHAN ROCK NIGHTS - DATES & VENUES
10.01.14  Reitschule, Bern 11.01.14  Rote Fabrik, Zürich 17.01.14  Rocking-chair, Vevey 18.01.14  Case à chocs, Neuchâtel
arianadelawari.com whitepageafghanistan.com More on SOFA KABUL