Vernissage opening, Tradition and Materiality Reflected: Mater (Casa Museo in Barcelona)

A cultural exchange connecting Catalonia and Engadin through art, exploring traditional techniques, collective memory, and dialogue between local identities through multiple artistic disciplines.

Tradition and Materiality Reflected is a cultural exchange between Catalonia and the Engadin that brings together 12 artists and poets to explore heritage, memory, and identity through art. First proposed by Mater, Casa Museo in Barcelona, the project highlights the parallels between the two regions, from language to sgraffito, and opens a dialogue through diverse artistic disciplines. The exhibition celebrates local traditions while inviting us to reflect on the role of indigenous techniques and materials in shaping our collective memory. Sculpture, painting, photography, poetry, drawing, engraving, installation, video, origami, and sgraffito all come together in a multidimensional space of exchange.

The participating artists include Laura Bott, Not Vital, Luis Schmidlin, Mazina Schmidlin-Könz,Clay Hernández, from the Engadin, alongside Alícia Casadesús, Antoni Clapés, Robert Llimós, Manel Rovira, Isidre Mateo, and Rosa Vives from Catalonia. Their works, conceived as tributes to local identities, create a bridge between the Alps and the Mediterranean—two regions separated by distance yet united by cultural traditions. By focusing on techniques such as sgraffito and drawing from architecture, materials, and craft, the exhibition emphasizes how art can preserve traditions, spark dialogue, and connect communities across borders.