Byron Gago/François Bonjour: Other Places, Other Lives
Serene Gallery, an international gallery (Moscow, Lugano, London) which has been contributing to the cultural vibrancy of Lugano for two years, announces Kosmos for 2025: a program of exhibitions conceived and curated by Riccardo Lisi, a curator deeply involved in the Ticino and Swiss art scene.
For 2025, Lisi has proposed a series of exhibitions that will make up a significant portion of Serene Gallery’s annual programming. The title Kosmos, beyond its reference—with the typical understatement of this curator—to the myth of the Soviet-era space race, signals the desire to "bring worlds together" in these exhibitions.
The program will primarily, but not exclusively, focus on the Swiss art scene, particularly that connected to the Canton of Ticino. Lisi favors contrasts over uniformity and has chosen to mix techniques, styles, and audiences. The Kosmos program at Serene Gallery aims to attract art lovers, collectors, and professionals from various creative disciplines, of different ages and backgrounds. The series will consist of duo exhibitions that start from common elements but are capable of creating a stimulating dialogue between the two artists featured each time, in a sort of short circuit. Usually, at least one of the artists will be from Ticino or elsewhere in Switzerland. It should be noted that many Ticino artists actually work beyond the Gotthard and abroad: their homecomings always provide interesting opportunities for reflection and dialogue with contemporary art scenes elsewhere.
The first exhibition of Kosmos is titled Other Places, Other Lives and features the experienced artist François Bonjour and the emerging talent Byron Gago.
François Bonjour is based in Dino, Ticino, and creates both two-dimensional works and sculptures. His work contains references to Arte Povera, which played a fundamental role during his artistic training. He still uses materials he perceives as "the skin of cities": ropes, wood, wax, and especially paper, often from old books and notebooks, exploiting the rhythmic signs of their written pages.
These materials exude a human presence, evoking lives—not only past ones. They also look toward the future, like the "sprouts" he creates from rope, symbols of new life and rebirth. Bonjour’s works are characterized by a unique style and a gentle elegance, the result of an aesthetic balance intrinsic to his being. His pieces communicate subtly yet directly, captivating both novices and experts alike.
Byron Gago, born in Ecuador in 1994, has lived in Switzerland (Lugano), as well as in Milan and Sardinia. He is currently based in Biel/Bienne. Notably, he was actively involved as an artist in Morel, a fresh and dynamic cultural space in Lugano whose absence is still felt.
Gago expresses himself through multiple media: from installation to video, from photography to sculpture, always achieving highly contemporary results. He is sometimes inspired by places and elements linked to his origins. For example, he has created works and series connected to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Rather than producing isolated works, he now tends to create series composed of pieces made with all the techniques at his disposal. In different locations, he is inspired not only by landscapes, as one might expect, but also by human presences: architecture and other anthropic signs. At times, he has hinted at conflict situations, particularly in border areas between the Global North and South. His interpretations are always layered and multidimensional, the result of a personal cultural melting pot and instinctive curiosity. This approach results in complex and fascinating works, allowing him, at just thirty years old, to already be a promising international artist.
This first exhibition in the Kosmos program hints at how a commercial space can effectively become a significant site for cultural engagement, thanks to events that alsoserve as promotional and visibility tools for selected artists.
Serene Gallery embarks on this journey, paying close attention to the territory in which it operates and the local art scene—but not exclusively.
The exhibition will open with a lively and generous vernissage on Saturday, February 22, from 5 PM, and will run until Saturday, April 12. The gallery is open Thursday to Saturday, from 11 AM to 6 PM.
For information and appointments outside regular hours, contact: +41 78 836 24 50 | +41 76 439 18 66 | info@serenegallery.ch.
