Arta Sperto, which means ‘artistic experience’ in Esperanto, is an innovative curator, producer, organiser and publisher of artistic projects, mainly multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary.
Arta Sperto aims to make the boundaries between artistic fields more porous, to arouse the curiosity of different types of audience and to offer hybrid artistic experiences in different types of context. With no fixed venue, Arta Sperto develops its projects on the move, in available spaces, in collaboration with cultural partners, or in the public space.
History
Created in 2019 by Olivier Kaeser, Arta Sperto is developing two biennial events that alternate with each other. Dance First Think Later (from 2020) is dedicated to the converging fields of dance, performance, visual arts and moving images, while KorSonoR (from 2023) is devoted to the sound and visual arts.
With these two events, Arta Sperto is laying the foundations for a ‘transdisciplinary art centre’, which would enable the visual, sound and performing arts to coexist in a single house, motivated by a cross-disciplinary mindset that is very different from a departmental approach. Such a house does not currently exist in Switzerland.
The performing, sound and visual arts have a great deal in common, in terms of intentions, aims, references and sensibilities, but function very differently in terms of preparation, production, dissemination, timing, teams and funding.
Arta Sperto supports the transversal practices that more and more artists are developing as a matter of course, whereas contemporary culture is still often organised by field, whether in terms of cultural policies, institutions, funding or the media. In its projects, Arta Sperto tries to bring together the functions of the visual, performing and sound arts, including art centres/museums, theatres, concert halls and cinemas.
The projects take the form of exhibitions, performances, shows, screenings, concerts and interventions of various kinds and duration. Critical and theoretical aspects and historical perspectives are addressed at conferences and symposia, and developed in printed and digital publications. This new website, to be launched in September-October 2024, will considerably enhance the range of resources – texts, photos, videos, sounds – that we hope to make available to our audiences.
Creation and production
In its projects, Arta Sperto seeks to contribute to the production of new works, particularly by Genevan and Swiss artists. This support for artists is part of a curatorial process that involves discussion, networking and working alongside artists from other countries who have little visibility in Geneva or Switzerland. This mix of nationalities, cultural backgrounds, genres, generations and notoriety is part of the DNA of Arta Sperto’s collective projects.
Collaborations and partnerships
Arta Sperto is developing collaborations and partnerships with cultural institutions and partners in Geneva, which will enable it to optimise its presence in the Geneva context, enrich its partners’ programming and multiply its communication channels to reach a wide range of audiences.
Between 2020 and 2023, Arta Sperto will be working with : Bains des Pâquis, Bâtiment d’art contemporain, Cave12, Cinéma du Grütli, Cinéma Spoutnik, Comédie de Genève, Ensemble Contrechamps, Festival Archipel, Festival de la Bâtie, Flux Laboratory, Grand Théâtre, MAMCO, Musée d’art et d’histoire, Pavillon ADC, les 6 Toits, as well as La Becque in La Tour-de-Peilz, Théâtre de Vidy and the Cima Norma Art Festival in Ticino.
Permanent team
Olivier Kaeser management, curation, programming
Marion Huyghues-Despointes general coordination
Completed projects
KorSonoR 2023
Dance First Think Later 2022
Dance First Think Later 2020
Arta Sperto is subsidised by the City of Geneva
