Villa dei Cedri Celebrates 40 Years with El Lissitzky Exhibition
To mark its 40th anniversary, the Museo Villa dei Cedri in Bellinzona, Switzerland, is hosting an exhibition dedicated to Russian avant-garde artist El Lissitzky, titled 'Looking for Lissitzky. El Lissitzky e la Svizzera.' This event will take place from September 20, 2025, to January 25, 2026. The exhibition showcases Lissitzky's work from 1919 to 1929 across 12 thematic sections, including an unpublished portfolio from 1920 and pieces created for Pelikan. It emphasizes the contributions of Sophie Küppers-Lissitzky and Lissitzky's impact on Swiss graphic design, in partnership with the Graphische Sammlung Zürich. Born in 1890, Lissitzky was influential in Suprematism and Constructivism, publishing 'Nasci' and 'Die Kunstismen' in Switzerland and establishing 'ABC – Beiträge zum Bauen.' A series of lectures will complement the exhibition.
Key facts
- Museo Villa dei Cedri in Bellinzona, Switzerland, celebrates 40 years in 2025.
- Exhibition 'Looking for Lissitzky. El Lissitzky e la Svizzera' runs from September 20, 2025 to January 25, 2026.
- The show covers Lissitzky's work from 1919 to 1929 across Russia, Germany, and Switzerland.
- Includes an unpublished portfolio of prouns from 1920, Kesternmappe, Figurinenmappe, and a self-portrait made in Switzerland.
- Focus on Sophie Küppers-Lissitzky, the artist's wife, agent, translator, and curator.
- Lissitzky was a Suprematist with Kazimir Malevich and later a Constructivist with Aleksandr Rodchenko.
- He conceived horizontal skyscrapers (Wolkenbügel) for Moscow, never realized.
- In Switzerland, he published 'Nasci' and 'Die Kunstismen' with Hans Arp, and founded the journal 'ABC – Beiträge zum Bauen'.
- The exhibition collaborates with Graphische Sammlung Zürich on Lissitzky's legacy in Swiss graphic art.
- A lecture series 'El Lissitzky e il Ticino' accompanies the exhibition in September and October 2025.
Entities
Artists
- El Lissitzky
- Kazimir Malevich
- Aleksandr Rodchenko
- Kurt Schwitters
- Hans Richter
- Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
- Hans Arp
- Sophie Küppers-Lissitzky
- Carole Haensler
Institutions
- Museo Villa dei Cedri
- Civica Galleria d'Arte
- Fondazione Marguerite Arp
- Graphische Sammlung Zürich
- Scuola Popolare di Vitebsk
- Pelikan
Locations
- Bellinzona
- Switzerland
- Locarno
- Solduno
- Zurich
- Moscow
- Russia
- Germany
- Berlin
- Vitebsk