ILEA – INSTITUTE FOR LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL ART
The ILEA Institute is a competence and research center in art & ecology in Tenna, Safiental (Graubünden, Switzerland). It is a place for art and creative industries, research and education – a think + do tank. Many of the projects are transdisciplinary, process-oriented, participatory and collaborative. In the field of art, ILEA organizes the Art Safiental Biennale, exhibitions in the ILEA Gallery and a residency program for artists and researchers. In the field of education, ILEA hosts the Alps Art Academy summer school, the ILEA Talks symposium and organizes courses for partner institutions. In the field of research, ILEA initiates its own research projects or cooperates with other educational and research institutions such as the ZHdK, ZHAW, WSL/ETH, etc. In the field of Art & Ecology, ILEA Press publishes two of its own series (ILEA Books, Landscape).
ILEA’s profile is currently being expanded into a regional creative hub, a real laboratory in the periphery and an experimental laboratory for socio-ecological transformation. ILEA has been organized as an association since 2023 and will take over full responsibility for all projects and initiatives from the former sponsorship of Naturparks Beverin and the municipality of Safiental at the end of 2024. Institute founder and managing director is Johannes M. Hedinger.
Current research projects:
– Oral History Archive: Safiental Talks
– Ecoacoustic long-term research: ACLA
Current Publications:
– What if? Letters to the Future (Fall 2024)
– Learning from the Earth (2023) order
– Landscape #1 (2020) order
ART SAFIENTAL – BIENNALE FOR LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL ART
Every two years, an international outdoor exhibition on the latest trends in Land and Environmental Art with a changing focus takes place in the Safiental GR. After New Land Art (2016), Horizontal – Vertical (2018) and Analog – Digital (2020), the theme for 2022 is: Learning from the Earth. Around 15 national and international artists will create temporary works related to the theme, installed in dialogue with the landscape and mostly in outdoor spaces. They are distributed throughout the entire Safiental (25km in length, 150km2 in area) and can be visited for free and without charge for about four months a year. A short guide with a map is published for each exhibition. In addition, a broad program of events and mediation is offered. Among the more than 50 art positions of the previous editions are Lita Albuquerque, Atelier für Sonderaufgaben, James Bridle, Bob Gramsma, Ingeborg Lüscher, Melodie Mousset, Raumlabor, Analia Saban, Roman Signer and many others. The last two editions of the Biennale attracted around 10,000 visitors each time. The festival center is the Berghotel Alpenblick in Tenna, which also houses the ILEA Institute for Land and Environmental Art. The sponsorship of ART SAFIENTAL will remain with the Beverin Nature Park and the municipality of Safiental until the end of 2024, before the takes over. The founder and artistic director is Johannes M. Hedinger, who will be supported by three co-curators in the 2024 edition. The 2024 Biennale is entitled «What if? Songs from Tomorrowlands» (July 6 – October 20, 2024).
www.artsafiental.ch
ALPS ART ACADEMY – SUMMER SCHOOL FOR LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL ART
The ALPS ART ACADEMY summer academy takes place in parallel to the Art Safiental Biennale on the same theme. 20 to 30 international participants research, debate and produce in a ten-day workshop on topics of Art & Ecology and Land and Environmental Art, the output of which is presented to the public at the end. Components of the academy are a public, two-day symposium (ILEA Talks), field trips, site visits and artist talks. The academy center is located in the Berghotel Alpenblick in Tenna, which also houses the ILEA Institute for Land and Environmental Art.
A local opening and regional networking with institutions in two neighboring valleys is planned for 2024. The ALPS ART ACADEMY will be run by the Beverin Nature Park and the municipality of Safiental until the end of 2024 before the ILEA association takes over. The founder and director is Johannes M. Hedinger, co-director 2018-22 was Mirja Busch. The 2024 edition is co-curated by Damian Christinger and will take place from 30.8. – 2.9. 2024 under the title «What if? Transformations in Art and Ecology».
www.alpsartacademy.ch
Berghotel Alpenblick, Mitte 28, 7106 Tenna, Safiental, Schweiz
info@ilea.art