One hundred years after his birth, the Mart is paying tribute to Riccardo Schweizer, a painter, sculptor, architect and designer from Trentino, whose works stand out for their vibrant colours and dynamic shapes. The exhibition explores his creative universe in a thematic itinerary that focuses on the various aspects of his work, highlighting his contribution to the 20th-century art scene and his ties to the local area.

Born in 1925 in the mountains of Primiero, Schweizer was a free spirit with a curious mind who combined international experiences with his Alpine roots, collaborating with such personalities as Pablo Picasso, Le Corbusier and Gio Ponti. After his early figurative works in the 1940s, which focussed heavily on everyday realism and the Trentino landscape, the artist took his research further into sign and colour. This led him, in the 1950s and 1960s, to explore informal art and European approaches.

A painter, sculptor, architect, designer, decorator and ceramist, he epitomised the modern artist who could engage with different languages and move between seemingly distant worlds, between local roots and international horizons.

In the Renaissance rooms of what were once the Mart’s first premises, the exhibition traces the various stages of the artist’s career: from his early figurative works to his abstract creations, from ceramics to large wall decorations, and finally to his architectural and design projects. The 100th anniversary of the artist’s birth is an opportunity to present a large body of works from public and private collections: paintings, sculptures, ceramics, drawings, architectural projects and furnishings that document the extraordinary variety of Schweizer’s achievements. Through approximately 100 works, the exhibition shows the public the richness of a creative journey that ranged from art to design, architecture and communication. A journey through intense colours, dynamic forms and a constant striving for the synthesis between art and life.