From July 12 to September 14, 2025, Val Badia will be transformed into an open-air museum with the 7th edition of SMACH - Constellation of art, culture & history in the Dolomites, the International Biennial of Public Art in the Dolomites. An event that for more than a decade has promoted an encounter between contemporary artistic expression and pristine landscapes, enhancing the natural and cultural heritage of the Alpine area. This year the event will also be enlivened by the opening of Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Third Paradise, scheduled for July 11 in Colfosco (Bolzano).
The winning works of the 2025 edition, created during the residencies held between June 1 and June 8, are distributed along a loop hiking trail that passes through some of the most striking places in the Ladin Dolomites. The program officially opens on Saturday, July 12, in Piccolino, in the meadow in front of the Ćiasa dl Maier, where, after institutional greetings and presentation of the artists, the evening will continue with live music, DJ sets and tastings of local products.
Each edition of SMACH is based on a theme proposed to the artists as a conceptual key to investigate the present, the past and the future. In 2025, the chosen theme is the "cu "-a Ladino term for the stone used to sharpen the scythe. A simple yet universal object, the cu represents a starting point for exploring issues related to the technical and mental evolution of humanity, the dialogue between tradition and innovation, the transmission of knowledge and collective memory.
The cu, a symbol of transformation and sharpening of thought, inspired more than 300 proposals that came from 47 different countries. Eleven projects were selected by a dual artistic and technical jury composed of Zasha Colah, Jasmine Deporta, Emanuele Masi, Peter Senoner, Stefan Sagmeister, Isidoro Clara, Loris Clara, Walther Ferdigg, Gottlieb Moling and Astrid Wiedenhofer. The works are conceived as site-specific interventions and are located in extraordinarily beautiful locations between 1,316 and 2,465 meters above sea level.
The SMACH 2025 trail passes through ten symbolic places in Val Badia, each hosting a selected work: from .arexport by Carmine Auricchio, Jonathan Coen and Moritz Knopp (Italy/Germany) in Medalghes, to CU X Mission by Luca Rossi (Italy) in La Lunch; from Entanglement by Alex Xiaotan Yang and Wentao Guo (China) in Fanes, to iCÙ by Matteo Simondi (Italy) with the Prometheus Association and Officina Fabre in Pares.
Completing the track are Langsam Slow by Theresa Hattinger (Austria) in Pra de Putia, Morph Module by Elias Jocher (Italy) in Monte Muro, Stone Age by Hama Lohrmann (Germany) in Sant Antone, Sway by Lola Giuffré (Australia) at Armentara, Trace of Land by ELSE (Fei Xu Zimo Zhang, China/France) at La Crusc, and With Every Step by Hans De Backer, aka Drukdoenerij (Belgium), at Tamersc. These are joined by the satellite project Hortus Pictus by Riccardo Buonafede (Italy), installed at Plan de Corones in collaboration with Kronplatz and the Lumen Museum.
Anticipation is also high for the opening of the work The Third Paradise by Michelangelo Pistoletto, one of the protagonists of arte povera and among the most internationally known Italian artists. After passing through symbolic places such as the Louvre in Paris, the UN Palace in New York, the Imperial Forums in Rome and the archaeological site of Karkemish in Turkey, the installation lands in Colfosco, at Plans.
The Third Paradise, a universal symbol composed of three circles representing nature, artifice, and an unprecedented possible harmony, was made with wood from fir trees felled by storm Vaia. The work occupies an area of 52x24 meters in a meadow provided by the Mersa family at the foot of the Gardena Pass and the Sella massif. Visible from the Plans Frara chairlift and the Ferrata Tridentina, it can be reached on foot or by bike.
The project, curated by Sandro Orlandi Stagl and Phil Mer, was made possible by the support of the SMACH Cultural Hub, Fondazione Pistoletto - Cittadellarte, sponsor Stiftung Südtiroler Sparkasse - Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio, and technical partner Impianti Colfosco.
The SMACH trail covers more than 60 kilometers, in an area of about 120 square kilometers from 1,316 to 2,465 meters above sea level, with a total of about 20 hours of walking, divided into stages ranging from a few minutes to two hours of hiking. Visitors can explore the installations independently or join the organized four-day tour offered by the Holimites agency, which includes three overnight stays and logistical assistance. Details and reservations are available on the event’s official website.
Rounding out the cultural offerings is the SMACH Val dl’Ert Park, or the “Valley of Art,” a permanent space that collects works acquired in previous editions of the Biennale. The park, located in San Martino in Badia a few meters from the Museum Ladin, now houses 27 works in an area of 25 hectares, creating a meeting point between local history and the artistic avant-garde.
Born in 2012 from an idea of Michael Moling, SMACH wants to be today much more than just an exhibition: a cultural ecosystem involving artists, institutions, local communities and tourists in a constant dialogue. Since 2018, the Biennale has been joined by a cultural association of the same name that promotes projects related to the material and intangible heritage of the Dolomites, in line with the 2020 FARO Convention.
The selection process of the works is carried out exclusively on the basis of the quality and conceptual coherence of the projects with the proposed theme, without any evaluation of the curriculum of the participants. A radical choice that has transformed SMACH into an inclusive and experimental creative laboratory, capable of attracting dozens of artists, designers, architects, musicians and researchers from all over the world each year.
Today, the SMACH Biennial aims to represent a virtuous model of cultural and sustainable tourism, capable of combining art, nature and ethical reflection. An invitation, addressed to all, to slow down the pace, open the gaze and rediscover the landscape with new eyes. All information can be found on the official website.
|
|
| SMACH returns: contemporary art meets the Dolomites |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
