Barbara Stauffacher Solomon unveils St. Moritz artwork
The municipality of St. Moritz and Serpentine are delighted to unveil a new large-scale graphic installation by American artist Barbara "Bobbie" Stauffacher Solomon (b. 1928, USA) on the shores of Lake St. Moritz. The project has been realised by St. Moritz Tourism, Serpentine and Elena Foster, in collaboration with and with support from von Bartha gallery and with the support of the Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation. Entitled Welcome, the installation marks one of the first public artworks to be displayed in St. Moritz and will be on view until April 2023.
Standing at almost four metres high and 29 metres wide, Welcome is located at the entry point to the alpine town, close to the train station and the lake, acting as a symbol for the town’s hospitality and forward-thinking attitude. Incorporating Solomon’s self-created alphabet and typeface – the ‘BSS alphabet’, which the artist has designed and developed over the years, the installation has been crafted in a way that encourages the viewer to engage with each individual letter. This ‘supergraphic’ is neither lettering nor architecture but a hybrid form that has an astonishing spatial effect. The original idea for the piece came from a project with the artist initiated by Benedikt Wechsler, at the time Consul General of Switzerland in San Francisco, and it has since found its ideal location in the town of St. Moritz.