Opening of "Am Berg" - Solo exhibition by Clau Riilievo

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., the vernissage for the exhibition "Am Berg", a solo exhibition by Clau Riilievo, will take place at the Antonio Wehrli Art Space in Schwanden GL, Switzerland.

The exhibition will feature wooden sculptures by the artist that hang on the wall by just one or two ropes, like mountain climbers, or rest on a pillar for a break.

The challenges presented in his sculptures are stories of human ambition:

Like mountaineers shaping the mountain, artist Clau Riilievo carves his wooden figures of men and women struggling against and competing with nature. With each chisel stroke and each sanding, the artist reveals the inner strength and dedication that inspires those who face the summits.

Like trees growing high above, these rope climbers live on the wall, suspended in an eternal moment of challenge, their gaze fixed on the immensity. They embody the metaphor of life and carry the message of renewal. With its grain and knots, the wood tells millennia-old stories of pain, stubbornness, fatigue, and hope.

By imagining such stories, the artist creates works that reconnect people with nature, its power, and its beauty. He draws inspiration from climbing at high altitudes and infuses it into the soul of natural wood. Wood becomes a trace of the mountaineer's inner journey, a symbol of the search for the unknown and the absolute, for struggle and life.

Every light that falls on the sculptures creates interplays of shadow and contrast, emphasizing the depth and complexity of their faceless bodies, as well as the power of their intention in contrast to the empty space. Figures that seem to float in the void, as if they were about to detach themselves from the wall at any moment, either to continue their ascent or plunge disastrously.

They strive for expanse, yet they keep their ambitions and fears to themselves. We can only observe and imagine the struggle:

Those who love the mountains will not be left unmoved by these works of art.

I look forward to your visit,

Best wishes,

Antonio