From Switzerland to Algiers and Tunisia to Winterthur

Alan Schmalz in Algiers: No Straight Lines (Languages & Vehicles)

During his three-month residency at Rhizome in Algiers, Swiss visual artist Alan Schmalz explored language as a central theme in his project No Straight Lines (Languages & Vehicles). His practice was inspired by two key sources: first, he collected visual fragments from daily life—such as a door handle, a school mural, and graffiti—attracted to their aesthetic and conceptual potential. These elements became narrative components within his drawings. Later, his studies of Derdja led him to visually represent the language through images that functioned as learning aids. This playful, pedagogical approach aligned with his artistic style, and sharing the images with studio visitors confirmed their accessibility while sparking valuable feedback.

The works combine pen, watercolour, and oil paint, starting with a direct sketch on the final support, followed by colouring. Some pieces use the metaphor of a train, where words (the wagons) connect to form meaning (the sentence), exploring language as a vehicle.

His engagement with the local scene was enriching, thanks to a series of fruitful encounters with a diverse group of individuals—writers, filmmakers, visual artists, theorists, musicians, graphic designers, and editors. A key observation was the shared connection to the land among both Algerian and international artists, explored politically, socially, and historically. This common ground facilitated rich dialogue and a compelling sense of artistic complementarity.

“I see this residency as the starting point of a new chapter, where the exchanges between some actors of the local scene and myself will strengthen my connection to Algiers and lead to the development of projects between Switzerland and Algeria,” Schmalz shared.

Myriam Amri in Winterthur: Like water running through your veins

Tunisian visual artist, filmmaker, and anthropologist Myriam Amri completed her residency at Villa Sträuli in Winterthur, Switzerland.  Her residency focused on the theme of water, specifically exploring the politics of (in)visibility and the submerged. She investigated how underwater and underground waters offer new perspectives on the past and present, while also considering water’s crucial role in photography, particularly analog photography.

Amri dedicated her time to developing her project, “Like water running through your veins,” which examines the movements of water both above and below the surface. Through photographs and a moving-image work created in the darkroom (“Analog Attack”), she traces water’s presence from our environments to the photographic surface. By juxtaposing images of Tunisia’s submerged landscapes with Switzerland’s diverse water surfaces, she explores the interconnectedness of these spaces.

During her residency, Amri engaged with Swiss-based artists, researchers, and curators, discussing topics such as environmental transformations, ecological collapses, the visible and invisible, materiality, circulations, and contemporary capitalism.

“I worked in a darkroom and explored the conceptual and technical possibilities of analog photography,” Amri shared. “I produced a small exhibition/open studio, which allowed me to consider questions of audience and scenography. I began to think about how the different media I use (still images, video, writing, and sound) could converge in space and through a project. Finally, I clarified the connections between my research and my art practice, identifying the common threads that animate both my work as an anthropologist and as an artist.”