Various platforms and venues in South American countries received works from the contemporary Swiss scene, in a variety of genres and languages.
During those events, artists were able to present their work, as well as connect with the local scene and conduct related activities, such as talks and workshops.
Here are a few examples of events that took place in 2024:
CHIII Festival
CHIII – Festival de Música Criativa (Creative Music Festival) is a Brazilian contemporary music event that provides a space for artists to explore new forms of musical expression. For its fifth edition, the festival counted on the presence of Swiss violist Charlotte Hug, who presents site-specific and musical-visual performances where she explores different possibilities for voice and violin. For CHIII, she got to improvise alongside other artists. Performing in Belo Horizonte, Campinas, and São Paulo, Chalotte had the chance to play alongside Brazilian Luiz Pretti, then Canadian Diane Labrosse, and finally Argentinian-Brazilian Inés Terra and Brazilian Everton Santos. Each performance provided musical dialogue, cultural exchange, and a blend of each artist’s experiences. Besides, the show with Inés and Everton sparked in Charlotte a desire to create something together in the future.
Fitzcarraldo Tour
In 2022, Pablo Assandri, director of Zurich-based IOIC – Institute of Incoherent Cinema, went on a research trip to South America to meet with partners for a future project, comprising the screening of silent films with live music. The research was also influenced by another project supported by Pro Helvetia, ‘Amazonia Revisited’, based on Amazonian sound archives, with which Pablo had contact during his journey. All this unfolded into a tour of IOIC Fitzcarraldo Ensemble (with musicians from Argentina, Brazil, Italy, and Switzerland) through Brazil and Peru in August 2024. Thy performed in Recife, Olinda, Manaus, Iquitos, and Lima, presenting live scores for films by Man Ray to Fernand Léger and Dudley Murphy in various venues, like historical theatres and cultural centres.
La Paz International Book Fair
In its 20th edition, FIL – Festival Internacional del Libro de La Paz featured sections dedicated to comics and illustration that counted on a focus with three Swiss authors: Camille Vallotton aka Vamille (a comics author and illustrator based in Fribourg), Patricia Keller (a graphic designer and illustrator based in Zurich), and Fabian Menor (a Genevan comics author). Besides presenting their work, they participated in professional meetings, networking and creative activities. Patricia, for instance, conducted a live drawing section, giving participants tips on illustration technics. Vamille and Fabian were both part of a panel to discuss graphic novels’ conception.
Foto Festival Manzana 1
In its second edition, Bolivian Photo Festival Manzana 1 – carried out by cultural centre Manzana 1 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra – focused on documentary photography and brought together artists from different parts of the world. One of them was Swiss Philippe Dudouit, who presented his work ‘The Dynamics of Dust’, a long-term photographic study on the sociopolitical evolution of the Sahelo-Saharan. Starting in 2008, the artist registered the new relationships that the region’s historically nomadic habitants have forged with the territory. As well as exhibiting his work, Philippe conducted lectures and guided visits.
Yumi Ito: tour in Colombia and Venezuela
A musician, composer, producer and arranger with Japanese and Polish roots, Swiss-based Yumi Ito creates diverse sounds, mixing several styles, including jazz, art-pop, electronica, free improvisation and neo-classical music. During September 2024, she set off on a tour of her album ‘Ysla’ in Colombia and Venezuela, to present her work to the local scene and connect with it. Yumi participated in the Colombia Jazz Circuit, travelling through Bogotá, Medellín, Popayan, Cali, and Past. There, she performed in quartet, alongside ‘drum poet’ Iago Fernández, the bassist Nadav Erlich, and the guitarist Alessio Cazzetta. Besides, she was included in the Euro Venezuelan Jazz Festival’s programme, performing and conducting masterclasses. She played in Maracaibo and Caracas in venues ranging from urban open-air spaces (such as parks and squares) as well as different theatres and cultural centres.
Yvyrasacha Festival
For a while now, theatre artists Diego Aramburo, from Bolivia, and Boris Nikitin, from Switzerland, have been exchanging their artistic practices and working together. Among those projects is Boris’ participation in Yvyrasacha, a festival created to strengthen the performing arts scene in Bolivia and reflect on artistic practices. Boris presented ‘Essay on Dying’, a solo in which the actor, writer, and director explores his vulnerability and recounts his father’s passing after struggling with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). He performed in different venues in La Paz and Cochabamba, and the shows were followed by talks with the audience.
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