ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Katja Snozzi's Centenarian Portraits at Museo Vincenzo Vela

exhibition · 2026-05-05

Katja Snozzi (Locarno, 1947) presents thirty large-format portraits of centenarians from a 2014 photographic campaign in Switzerland. The subjects are captured naturally, without posed expressions, revealing a range of emotions from melancholy to joy. One portrait features Elisa, from the Onsernone valley, who was nanny to Rebecca, daughter of Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles—this gives the exhibition its title. The photographs are displayed alongside original plaster sculptures by Vincenzo Vela, a Ticinese artist, creating a dialogue based on shared naturalism and psychological introspection. The exhibition is held at the Museo Vincenzo Vela in Ligornetto.

Key facts

  • Katja Snozzi was born in Locarno in 1947.
  • The photographic campaign took place in 2014 in Switzerland.
  • The exhibition features thirty large-format portraits of centenarians.
  • Subjects are presented naturally, without poses.
  • Elisa, from the Onsernone valley, was nanny to Rebecca, daughter of Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles.
  • The exhibition title is derived from Elisa's story.
  • Photographs are displayed with original plaster sculptures by Vincenzo Vela.
  • The exhibition is at Museo Vincenzo Vela in Ligornetto.

Entities

Artists

  • Katja Snozzi
  • Vincenzo Vela

Institutions

  • Museo Vincenzo Vela
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Locarno
  • Switzerland
  • Onsernone valley
  • Ligornetto

Sources