A breath and a breath and a breath and its outlines

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About the curator:

Katrin Sperry born in St. Gallen (CH) is a cultural scholar, curator, and writer based in Bern, Switzerland. Her work examines the role of storytelling in shaping social and cultural understandings of the world, with a particular interest in how artistic practices can generate new forms of knowledge, reflection, and collective imagination. Through exhibitions, writing, and curatorial research, she seeks to create accessible points of engagement with contemporary art while foregrounding critical dialogue and interdisciplinary exchange. Sperry holds a BA in Popular Cultures and Photography from the University of Zurich and an MA in World Arts and Gender Studies from the University of Bern. From 2022 to 2025, she served as Artistic Director and Curator of Benzeholz – Raum für zeitgenössische Kunst in Meggen, where she developed a program focused on contemporary artistic positions and public engagement. In addition to her independent curatorial work, she serves on the Cultural Commission of the City of Bern, is President of the Jury of the Aeschlimann Corti Scholarship, Co-Curator of the offspace Vitrine. Across these roles, her practice reflects a sustained commitment to supporting contemporary artistic production and cultural discourse.

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About the artist:

Olivia Abächerli was born in Nidwalden (CH). Drawing, on flat surfaces, on walls, or as animation layered with video, is the core of her work. Abächerli’s practice consists of 3 dimensions: drawing as a bodily thinking process, political research that is being drawn through, and the meta-questions of how we contextualize ourselves in relation to others and the world, and how we could deal with the outer mess and inner tensions. Abächerli graduated from the Dutch Art Institute (NL, MA Art Practice), Hochschule der Künste Bern (CH, BA Fine Arts with distinction) and was a fellow at the Sommerakademie im Zentrum Paul Klee, curated by Tirdad Zolghadr. She has received grants including the Aeschlimann Corti-Stipendium (Main Prize 2024, Promotion Prize 2022), and was nominated for the Swiss Art Award (2025). Abächerli has participated in residencies in New York and Berlin (DE). Her work has been presented internationally, including in solo exhibitions at M8 Art Space in Helsinki, Finland (2019), Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland (2024), and the Greenpeace UK headquarters, United Kingdom (2025). Her publications include “Tools for collective being” (2025, unvague, Bern), “Ibu Silla” (2024, Edition Fink, Zurich) or “Jelly Sunday Zine” (2023-2024, online zine, monthly, curated by Égle Šalkauskyte).

Andrea Fortmann was born in Bern (CH). Her work follows conceptual and poetic approaches that emerge from an engagement with the dynamics of specific places. Her starting points are situational findings - fragments of conversations, relationships, social spaces, and objects -which she explores through their ambiguities and multiple layers of meaning. Fortmann studied at the Schule für Gestaltung Bern (CH, Ceramic Design) and graduated from the Hochschule der Künste Luzern (CH, BA Fine Arts). Alongside her artistic practice, Fortmann also works as a curator as well as a mentor in Art Mediation at the Hochschule für Künste Luzern. She has received the award in visual arts and architecture Solothurn (2022) and participated in residencies in Dornach (CH), Marseille (FR), Berlin (DE) and Belgrad (RS). Selected exhibitions in Switzerland include HAMLET, Zurich, (2025), Viewer Solothurn and Alte Fabrik Rapperswil (2024), Photobastei, Zürich and Kunstmuseum Luzern (2023), kunstkasten Winterthur and Kunsthalle Luzern (2021). Her publication “Die Sollbruchstelle” was released in 2022 alongside the exhibition “we already miss how close we used to be” at S11 in Solothurn (CH). 

Katrin Keller was born in Herisau (CH). Her artistic practice explores states of transformation, fragility, and perception. Based on specific places, materials, and situations, she develops interdisciplinary works in which geological, social, and poetic processes enter into dialogue with one another. Keller graduated from the Hochschule Luzern – Design Film Kunst (CH, MA in Fine Arts) and completed an exchange year at the Facultad de Bellas Artes, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES). She has received the publication prize “spot on” from the city of Luzern (2025), as well as grants from the Ausserrhodische Kulturstiftung (2024), Canton of Lucerne (2022) and Albert Köchlin Foundation (2020). Keller has participated in residencies in Paris (F), Alpenhof Oberegg (CH), Belgrade (RS), Skagaströnd (IS) and Reykjavik (IS). Selected solo exhibitions in Switzerland include tilde space, Chur (2025), Benzeholz – Raum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Meggen (2024), Zeughaus Teufen (2021), as well as at footnote centre for image and text, Belgrade (RS) and SIM Gallery, Reykjavik (IS). In 2028, Keller will have a solo exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Luzern (CH), accompanied by an extensive publication.

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