• Valeria Caflisch

    After finishing high school in Switzerland I moved to Sicily, Italy, where I worked in display windows, while studying sculpture at the Fine Art Academy of Catania. I then moved around the world living several years in Indonesia, Berlin and the United States before coming back to Fribourg, Switzerland. I worked in restauration and wall conservation, worked as teaching artist in Museums and schools while growing up my children.
    Having grown myself between three different cultures made my transcultural experiences become my "fil rouge" for my interest in anthropology, ethnology and the idea of the "Other".
    From 2010-2013 I studied painting at the Corcoran College in Washington and started my first exhibition in the US. My work questions social constructs and ways of perception in diverse society. Interested since my youth in the idea of social sculpture and the Erweiterte Kunstbegriff, I then studied social pedagogy and social culture in Bern, discovering social philosophy and in particular deconstructionist theories. Until 2019 I got involved in participative projects with intergenerational groups called GiM and TimeSlips with a focus on the perception of art for people with Alzheimer.
    Since 2019 I focus on participative projects, where artist and environment interact. I'm particularly interested in involving the Other as an actif part of the art event.
    After several short term projects and performances like the Pompon project in Morocco , Resilience in Romont, Viva Sant'Agata at the fishmarket in Catania, Give me your breast at the Museum in Fribourg, I'm working know on a project called 1698/t-t, which started in 2019 and collaborates with 9 artists, 2 curators and two museums between Catania, my hometown, and Fribourg, where I live!

    Since 2013 I am member of Visarte Swiss, where I'm on the board of the admission committee. In 2016 I co-organised the event of the 150 years for Visarte Fribourg. Since 2019 together with Atelier à la X and artist colleagues, Wojtek Klakla and Isabelle Pilloud, we started a cultural association in our atelier where we organise monthly Flash Expos and Werkgespräche with invited artists.

  • Paradox and deconstruction

    Je travaille sur l’incertitude du sens. Avec un intérêt constant, comme dirait Derrida, aux « cadres » ou au « marges » des choses. Le paradoxe et la déconstruction sont pour moi mouvement même de l’attention à l’autrui. September 2017

  • Exhibitions

    2022
    27.11.22-31.11.22
    Leporello at Galerie du Soleil, Saignelegier
    26.10.22
    Accademia di Belle Arti Catania Tableronde about Project 1698/t-t
    22.10.22-20.12.22
    Fondazione Brodbeck Catania, Exchange project 1698/t-t between Fribourg and Catania (Italy) with participation of 10 artists, 2 curators, 2 museums. Organized and coordinated by Valeria Caflisch. Curated by Philippe Clerc and Valentina Barbagallo. With Isabelle Pilloud & Francesco Balsamo, Ivo Vonlanthen & Gianluca Lombardo, Primula Bosshard & Alessandra Schilirò, Christiane Hamacher & Marcella Barone
    11.6.22-25.9.22
    Les archives de nos utopies at Manoir de Martigny
    26.3.22-29.5.22
    Museum Murten Expo Exchange project 1698/t-t
    12.5.22
    Museum Murten Tableronde and book launching 1698/t-t


    2021
    27.11.21-31.12.21
    ART INCOGNITO Galerie du Soleil in Saignelegier with série "Colin-Maillard"
    22.10.21
    FlashExpo 1698/t-t at Fondazione Brodbeck Catania
    07.08.21
    FlashExpo 1698/t-t Espace Tinguely-SaintPhalle Fribourg
    09-10.21
    Corona Expo Visarte, achat de la ville
    05-06.21
    The Fullness of the Emptiness Expo avec Diana Rachmuth at Galerie du Trait Noir, Fribourg
    01-03.21
    AOP Expo at the BCU Bibliotheque Cantonale "CasaNostra"

    2019
    Musée d'art et d'histoire Fribourg MEMOIRES VIVES, achat du MAHF "GIB MIR DEINE BRUST!"

    2018
    22-23.11.18
    Congrès TRANS (20ème journée ASSA) Genève "TRANS-FORMATION" performance
    9.11.18-17.3.19
    Musée d'art et d'histoire Fribourg LE CAFE: une soif de société "CARTE BLANCHE" pour l'Atelier à la X
    31.8.-11.11.18
    Senslermuseum, Tafers "LARVAE SESAMENSIS"
    25.6.18
    Pescheria di Catania Italy, "W S.AGATA!"

    2017
    Le Tunnel, Fribourg EXPO HOSTIES aux tunnel "ETRE"
    Eglise des Capucins, EXPO LES MINIMES
    Romont "LA FORME RESILIENTE"
    Ancienne Gare, Fribourg REFUGE
    DarBellage, Marakech,Marocco "POMPON PROJECT"

    2016
    Musée Gruérien, ARTISTES CONTRE LA TERREUR
    17.9.16
    Fribourg,150 ANS VISARTE Place George-Python "INCLUSION"
    Salon des femmes Forum Bulle "VALERIA ET MARCELLA"

    2015
    Blue Factory Fribourg ART POSITION

    2014
    Musée du Papier Peint Mézière VIS-A-VIS VISARTE

    2013
    Circle Gallery Annapolis EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
    Duke Ellington School for the Arts, Washington DC
    Gallery102 George Washington University, DC, SANDY

    2012
    Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington DC, WHITE HALL
    Hillyer's Nin9 Gallery, Washington DC, PERSONAL SHOW
    Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington DC, GALLERY 31
    Artomatic Cristal City, Virginia
    Batista Fine Art Washington DC

    2011
    Corcoran College of Art and Design,Washington DC, WHITE HALL,
    Stanford-Bing Gallery, Washington DC

  • Workexperience

    2016- Atelier à la X, Fribourg, Werkgespräche with invited artists
    2016- Sesam School, St Wolfgang, Teaching Artist
    2013- Musee d'Art et d'Histoire Fribourg, Teaching Artist
    2013-17 BFH Bern, Socialstudies and work at Espace Femme
    2009-13 Corcoran College of Art and Design, Painting degree
    2009-13 Kreeger Museum Washington DC, Teaching Artist
    2005-09 Musee d'Art et d'Histoire Fribourg, Teaching Artist
    2002-05 Berlin
    1999-02 Indonesian National Museum Jakarta, Teaching Artist
    1995-99 Kunstmuseum Bern, Teaching Artist
    1994-95 Atelier ACR Fribourg, Wallpainting Conservation,
    1990-94 MA Fine Art Accademy, Catania, Italy