Season’s Greetings

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 .