28. December 2025
As the year comes to a close, we thank our partners, artists, researchers, collaborators, students, alumni, institutions, visitors and friends who have engaged with our program throughout the year.
2025 was a year of transition for ILEA. We reorganised the association with a new board and revised articles of association. Several new formats were implemented this year.
Here’s to new ideas, shared moments, and exciting collaborations in 2026!
We look forward to reconnecting and wish you a hopeful start to the New Year.
Johannes and the ILEA team
Review 2025:
– We kicked off 2025 with a presentation of ILEA Book 1 and 2 at our publishing house VEXER in Berlin. Book 3 is sheduled for the end of 2026.
– In February, ILEA attended a conference at the Science Gallery in Bengaluru, India. The participation was connected to the international research project “River Landscape”. Funded by a Pro Helvetia Synergies Grant, this two-year research project develops a new glossary that understands rivers as landscapes shared by many species and cultures.
– In May we had to say goodbye to Gian Pedretti (19.4.1926 – 25.5.2025). He was in exchange with several of our artists and residency artists. His collaboration with the Indian artist Dharmendra Prasad in 2022 remains a special memory.
– In July ILEA hosted hosted Indian artist and curator Indranjan Banerjee and artist and author Ralph Tharayil (IN/CH) in Safiental for the first part of their Pro Helvetia funded co-creation project.
– In July, ILEA was invited for an exchange at EUFONIC. The festival focuses on sound, visual, and digital performative arts. It takes place in Terres de l’Ebre, Spain.
– In August, ILEA’s cooperation with Labör officially started with the public opening of the new experimental and learning space for community, culture, and sustainability in Zurich Oerlikon, including a first art walk on our side. Labör currently acts as our new physical hub for ILEA. ILEA and Labör are represented on each other’s advisory boards. A wide range of events in and with Labör are planned for 2026.
– In September, “WALKING – Thinking in Motion” took place in Tenna. It was a 2.5-day symposium with 11 talks and 11 walkshops on Lucius Burckhardt and the future of perception. Keynotes by Tim Ingold and Pablo Helguera. Co-organised by studio.erde. Co-curated and moderated by Johannes Hedinger, Violeta Burckhardt, and Raimund Rodewald.
The strong positive feedback and the fact that we had to reject more than twice as many applications led to the decision to organise two similar events in 2026. – SAVE THE DATES:
5–7 June in Zurich Oerlikon and 11–13 September at Basel Rheinhafen.
– In November, the Bündner Jahrbuch published an eight-page article on the history of the Art Safiental Biennale, founded in 2016 by ILEA.
– At the end of the year, a new research project titled “Art & Transformation” started together with HKB Bern University of the Arts. The project focuses on spatial transformation processes through art.
Preview 2026:
– In February (3–7.2.) the course “ART & SUSTAINABLE FUTURES” takes place in cooperation with the ZHdK Winter School. It is a workshop on current ecological and social discourses and practices. Led by Annemarie Bucher and Johannes Hedinger. Application deadline 9 January. > Link
– Also in February, the final event of the research project “Activating Fluxus” (HKB, SNF) takes place on 28 Feb at the Cabaret Voltaire. Participation with an own score or the activation of an existing score is open until the end of Jan. More information via the IG channel (or here).
– In March and April (12.3. – 12.4.) “Urban Waters” takes place in Zurich Wipkingen. ILEA contributes to the exhibition and event series with an audio walk along the Limmat and a Walk & Talk on 21.3. > Info
– In April, the ILEA Advisory Board meets for an internal workshop on the future orientation and vision of ILEA.
– In May (27.5.) participants can explore sustainable niches in Oerlikon with Rita Illien. The walk is a supporting event of the exhibition «Zurich Circular», together with Labör.
– In June (5.-7.6.) the second edition of “WALKING – Thinking in Motion” takes place at Labör in Oerlikon-Zurich. Symposium and walkshops on Lucius Burckhardt. Co-curated by Violeta Burckhardt and Johannes Hedinger.
– Also in June, the final event of the Pro Helvetia funded research project “River Landscape” takes place in Zurich, including the presentation of the research results and the website.
– In addition, June features the presentation of the first research phase of “Art & Transformation”, the research project on spatial transformation processes through art (HKB).
– In August (7.8.) the premiere of the play “More than Art”, focusing on art in rural contexts, takes place as part of Kunstwege Pontresina.
– In September (3.-5.9.) the course “URBAN COMMONS – Art & Collective Placemaking” takes place in cooperation with the ZHdK Summer School. It is a workshop on collective forms of action between art, everyday life, and urban practice. Led by Violeta Burckhardt and Johannes Hedinger.
– Also in September (11.-13-9.), the third edition of “WALKING – Thinking in Motion” takes place at the Rhine Harbour in Basel. Symposium and walkshops on Lucius Burckhardt. Co-curated by Violeta Burckhardt and Johannes Hedinger.
– In December, the publication of Volume 3 of the ILEA Book series is planned. The focus is “Walking”. Published by Vexer Verlag, St. Gallen and Berlin.
Further details will be shared in the next newsletters and on our IG channel .
1. December 2025
ZHdK Winter School 2026
ART & SUSTAINABLE FUTURES
Current Ecological and Societal Discourses and Practices
Block seminar (3, 6, 7 February 2026)
Climate justice, sustainable lifestyles, socioecological transformation and care for the planet shape current public debates and appear in contemporary artistic practices. The traditional divides between nature and culture, city and countryside, art and society dissolve. A new sensitivity for environmental and spatial experience emerges that needs attention.
At the start of this module you gain a historical and theoretical introduction to key terms and fields of action in the context of art, ecology and the city. You explore forms of environmental experience, concepts such as NatureCulture and approaches to artistic environmental crisis management.
Practical exercises, talks with experts, excursions and experimental formats help you test how these ideas transfer to your own practice. Introductory readings are provided.
Instructors: Johannes M. Hedinger (ILEA) and Annemarie Bucher (FOA-FLUX) + guest lecturers
Dates: Tue 3 Feb, 6 – 9pm / Fri 6 Feb, 9am – 5pm / Sat 7 Feb, 9am – 5pm
Information and registration (until 9 Jan 2026): LINK
10. September 2025
The transdisciplinary conference WALKING – Thinking in Motion (September 5–7, 2025, Safiental) on walking as artistic practice, spatial experience, and a method of gaining insight in the spirit of Lucius Burckhardt took place as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations. > Concept und Program
The concept was based on a balance between indoor and outdoor contributions. Concrete walking experiences, combined with perceptions of places around Tenna, were supplemented by theoretical and practical reflections on the topic. The walks included concrete perception experiments through experimental, sequential, meditative, and exploratory walking.
The many positive responses and the large number of applications encourage us to plan a second edition of the conference in an urban context next year (expected to take place in late May/early June 2026). This will be followed by a reader (ILEA Book 3) on the topic of WALKING.
TALKS: All lectures are available on the ILEA-Youtube-channel.
WALKS: A photo documentation of the walkshops can be found here.
Speakers and Workshops
Othmar Arnold / Linard Bardill / Nitin Bathla / Lisa Lee Benjamin / Annemarie Bucher / Violeta Burckhardt / Gabriyel Dari / Babak Fakhamzadeh / Samuel Haettenschweiler / Johannes M. Hedinger / Pablo Helguera / Hanna B. Hölling / Tim Ingold / Johanna Just / San Keller / Marie-Anne Lerjen / Marinka Limat / Marcus Maeder / Jana Orb / Martin Ott / Raimund Rodewald / Elisa Storelli / Aylin Tschoepe / Nazli Tümerdem / Robin Winogrond / Mingyue Zhang
Curatorial board/Moderation
Johannes M. Hedinger, Raimund Rodewald, Violeta Burckhardt
15. August 2025
> Concept
> Program + Summaries (Talks & Workshops)
> LIVE STREAM: YOUTUBE (5.-7.9.25)
1. August 2025
📣 OPEN CALL — Apply now!
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👣 WALKING – Thinking in Motion
🗓 September 5–7, 2025
📍 Berghotel Alpenblick, Tenna, Safiental (CH)
💡 Symposium + Walkshops
To mark the 100th birthday of Lucius Burckhardt, founder of the science of walking (promenadology), this symposium brings together artists, researchers & walkers to explore walking as a critical, spatial and artistic practice.
🎤 With contributions by Tim Ingold, Pablo Helguera, Nazli Tümerdem, Annemarie Bucher, Marie-Anne Lerjen, Martin Ott, San Keller, Linard Bardill, Marcus Maeder, Othmar Arnold and many more.
🧭 Formats: Walkshops, performative walks, lecture performances, Round tables & Talks.
👉 Participation is free, limited to 30 spots
📌 Register by August 15, 2025
🎯 Want to contribute? Submit your proposal by August 8, 2025
🔗 Link in bio or visit: https://ilea.art/walking-thinking-in-movement/
Curated by: Violeta Burckhardt, Johannes M. Hedinger, Raimund Rodewald
Organized by: ILEA, studio erde, Lucius & Annemarie Burckhardt Stiftung
31. July 2025
In July, Indian artist and curator Indranjan Banerjee and artist and author Ralph Tharayil (IN/CH) were in the Safiental valley for the first part of their co-creation project, which is supported by Pro Helvetia. ILEA took care of the coaching and networking in the valley. The first part of their residency took place at the Kunstgarage Versam, and the second at the Berghotel Alpenblick. Here are a few photos of their research and the final presentation at the Kunstgarage Versam (July 31, 2025).
1. June 2025
We inform about the homecoming of GIAN PEDRETTI (19.4.1926 – 25.5.2025).
He spent the last three years in the “Alte Sennerei” hospice in Tenna, Safiental, where he was associated with ILEA initiatives. There were several encounters with ILEA artists in residence, academy participants and students from the Zurich University of the Arts.
A special memory remains his exchange with the Indian artist Dharmendra Prasad, who built his grass museum in Tenna for three months as part of his artist residency and contribution to the Biennale Art Safiental 2022. Gian visited it daily, sometimes for several hours. Although they did not speak the same language, came from different cultural backgrounds and were separated by around 60 years, they were able to communicate across various barriers with drawings, gestures and affection. Together they created several works that were on display during the Biennale Art Safiental and the subsequent exhibition “Gras Geschichten” (2023) at the ILEA Gallery in the Berghotel Alpenblick.
Gian Pedretti’s last exhibition “War and Resurrection”, opened on his 99th birthday on 19.4.25, can still be seen at the Hospiz in Tenna until 19.10.25.
A memorial service for Gian will take place on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 2 pm in the church in Tenna.
27. February 2025
Workshop and research meeting for the international Research Project RIVER LANDSCAPES at Science Gallery Bengaluru supported by a Synergy Grant from Pro Helvetia.
+ visit 1 Shanthi Road Studio/Gallery and Suresh Jayaram + visit India Art Fair with Shailesh B.R., Ritika Sharma, Farah Mulla + visit Saagwala Organic Farmers Collective and Sujit Mallik.
13. January 2025
We are pleased to invite you to the book presentation of the last two ILEA Books at our publisher Vexer Verlag in Berlin:
#1: LEARNING FROM THE EARTH (2023)
#2: WHAT IF? LETTERS TO THE FUTURE (2024)
With an aperitif and presentation of the themes, selected art projects, reading of selected texts. With editor Johannes M. Hedinger and guests.
Fri 24. Jan 6-8pm
Vexer Verlag Berlin Office
Gneisenaustrasse 54
D – 10961 Berlin
www.vexer.ch
The following ILEA publications are available at Vexer:
– What if? Letters to the Future (2024) LINK
– Learning from the Earth (2023) LINK
– Mass Movements (2021) LINK
– Landscape #1 (2020) LINK
30. December 2024
SEASON’S GREETINGS to our friends, collaborators, partners, alumni, accomplices, visitors/readers and all interested parties.
We wish you some peaceful days with your loved ones and a happy New Year. Let’s hope for less chaos and disasters and a positive change towards a better world.
There are also some changes coming to the Institute and the Biennale.
REVIEW 2024:
In January, ILEA researcher Dominik Landwehr published an essay in the journal “Schweizerisches Archiv für Volkskunde” on the ongoing research project “Safientaler Gespräche”.
Also in January the last part of the indo-swiss exchange program EAE (Environmental Art Exchange, funded by Pro Helvetia) took place in Goa with a residency of the ILEA alumni artist duo Badel/Sarbach.
End of March closed the exhibition “Grass Stories” by Dharmendra Prasad at ILEA Gallery at Berghotel Alpenblick in Tenna.
In June the transdisciplinary artistic research project “River Landscapes”, of which ILEA is part of, was kicked off at the Zurich Art Weekend with performances and talks. Funded by Pro Helvetia Synergies Grant, this 2 yearlong research project creates a new glossary which acknowledges rivers as landscapes shared by many species and cultures.
Also in June we had to say goodbye to alumni Ben Vautier (18.7.1935 – 5.6.2024).
In July the 5th Art Safiental Biennale kicked off under the title “What if? Songs from Tomorrowlands“, and run until Oct 20. 15 productions by artists from 12 nations took a critical look at possible futures and our world in transition. For the first time, four co-curators were responsible for the biennial. In addition to the founder and artistic director Johannes M. Hedinger, these were Anne-Laure Franchette, Josiane Imhasly and Joanna Lesnierowska. During the opening (5.-7.7.) and on three days in July, Aug and Sept several temporary performances took place in the valley.
Thanks to the continuing cooperation with Pro Helvetia Delhi we were able to host again two artists from India in the ILEA Residency in Tenna: Farah Mulla (June-July) and Sujit Mallik (July-Aug). Both were also included in the Art Safiental Biennale. Farah Mullah also represented ILEA in a group show at Cularta in Laax.
Due to insufficient funding, this year’s Alps Art Academy and symposium unfortunately had to be canceled. However, it was possible to include most of the invited experts in the enlarged publication ILEA Book 2: “What if? Letters to the future” (Vexer Verlag), which was presented at the finissage of the Biennale.
In October ILEA was invited for the Conference „Land Art Lives“ in Lelystad NL (Oct 3/4).
End of October the exhibition “Spatial Solidarities” by Studio Other Spaces closed at the Gelbes Haus in Flims, where ILEA was represented with the ongoing eco-acoustic artistic research project ACLA by Marcus Maeder.
In November ILEA Book 2: “What if? Letters to the future” was officially launched in the frame of the Futurological Congress (Nov 29/30) at Löwenbräukunst Zürich with a performative reading by Ishita Chakraborty.
In December, another book presentation and reading took place at the Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK, together with a lecture on art in the periphery.
PREVIEW 2025:
As of 1 January 2025, the sponsorship of Art Safiental Biennale and Alps Art Academy will be handed over from the Beverin Nature Park (in cooperation with the municipality of Safiental and Safiental Tourism) to the newly founded association (Verein) “Art Safiental”. Johannes M. Hedinger, director of both, the Biennale and the Academy for around 10 years, will leave the two initiatives he founded at the end of 2024. From 2025 he will focus on leading the ILEA (Institute for Land and Environmental Art) research center, which is moving to Zurich after 5 years based in Tenna. Both the ILEA Institute and the new Art Safiental association will realign themselves in the coming months and provide information when the time comes. Official communiqué: https://ilea.art/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/offizielles-communique-AS-ILEA-8.24.pdf
What is already lined up:
On Jan 24 6pm there will be another book launch for the ILEA Book2 (What if? Letters to the future) with readings at Vexer Publisher in Berlin.
In February ILEA is attending with the research project “River Landscape” att a conference at the Science Gallery in Bengaluru in India.
And for early summer and fall ILEA is planning two symposia.
Details will be shared in the next newsletter, on our website www.ilea.art and on our instagram channel.
Here’s to new ideas, shared moments, and exciting collaborations in 2025! We are looking forward to reconnect and wishing you a hopeful start to the New Year.
