Thanks to la Mobiliare, with whom the Locarno Film Festival is celebrating a five-year partnership, the joint commitment to inventiveness and creativity strengthens with the Rotonda by la Mobiliare project. The Locarno Film Festival and la Mobiliare convinced that bold, sustainable, creative, and innovative visions make the difference. The curatorial concept, developed by artist Kerim Seiler and Dorothea Strauss, Head of Societal Engagement at la Mobiliare, under the slogan "Come together," encapsulates the philosophy of this operation: to allow people to rediscover community and the pleasure of being together, thanks to art, culture, music, quality food and, of course, cinema.
Raphaël Brunschwig, Chief Operating Officer of the Locarno Film Festival: "The Rotonda allows us to entice people of all generations to discover our work, connect them with other festivalgoers, and introduce them to the Festival's artistic and cultural offerings. We are convinced that the local, national and international public will appreciate and enjoy the new Rotonda, and we hope that we can return, together and safely, to the moments of joy and sharing that we have missed so much in recent months."
A place of gathering, curiosity, and creation of the future
From July 30 to August 14, the Rotonda will offer a unique environment, designed, like the film program of the Locarno Film Festival, to arouse curiosity, stimulate reflection and, above all, provide fun experiences. A meeting place that will also be a model for shaping the future together, as suggested by the slogan "Come together ". This common thread runs through the entire realization of this year's partnership: the Rotonda itself, the three short films, and the Locarno Talks.
Dorothea Strauss, Head of Societal Engagement at la Mobiliare: "Our goal was to work with the Festival to stage a magical place that would create synergies between the Rotonda, the Festival program, and our way of engaging the community. Our collaborative corporate culture is based on trusting people. With this idea in mind, we developed this year's motto, "Come together". La Mobiliare is again reinforcing its commitment to the Festival and taking forward what has been built up over the past few years through the Locarno Garden."
Film, art, music, culinary arts, and science as a harmonious combination
La Rotonda by la Mobiliare will also be an art venue. The entire infrastructure – bars, stages, forums, and a viewing platform – has been developed by Swiss artist Kerim Seiler.
A meeting place like a walking sculpture, which will come to life and be colored thanks to the people who will respond to the invitation of the "Come together ". Maya Rochat from Lausanne will present a light installation of 100 square meters, while the Swiss artist Julian Charrière will show some of his extraordinary sculptures. Finally, beanbags have been specially designed for the Rotonda by Turkish artist Ekrem Yalçındağ and will be available to visitors.
In this new setting, there will be a musical program curated mainly by the cultural association Turba, as well as a unique carte blanche by RSI Radiotelevisione Svizzera, which will exclusively host Swiss DJs, bands, and singer-songwriters, with the support of Stiftung Phonoproduzierende and Swissperform. The full line-up will be revealed soon.
La Rotonda by la Mobiliare will also be a refreshment point where one can taste the best of local production while relaxing between events during the Festival. And it will be an arrow pointing towards the future, thanks to the space among the trees dedicated to Locarno Kids and families, also designed by Kerim Seiler. The "Space Explorers: The ISS Experience" by Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël, a virtual reality project offered in collaboration with the Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF), combines tradition and modernity: in the former projection booth from the Piazza Grande, restored for the occasion by BONALUMI Engineering SA, visitors will be able to experience a documentary series in two episodes produced in virtual reality, which will take viewers on an expedition to the International Space Station.
The new discussion venue at the Locarno Film Festival
Lastly, la Rotonda by la Mobiliare will also be the new home for the Forum: this will be the venue for all meetings with guests and award-winners, panel conversations with the audience, round tables, and the fourth edition of Locarno Talks la Mobiliare.
Locarno74 will bring back in-person discussions and debates around ideas, projects, new perspectives both within and beyond the world of cinema, which will take place with the guests of Locarno Talks la Mobiliare from August 12 to 14. Under the slogan "Come together: Now – the best place to change the future", the new cycle of Talks will explore new forms of experience and community, and will examine some salient questions of our present: What current trends do we perceive? How has the pandemic changed the way we think? And what effects do we expect?
Artist and researcher Monica Ursina Jäger and environmental consultant Doris Abt discuss sustainability and ecology with Dorothea Strauss. Writer Rachel Kushner will meet musician, writer, and visual artist Kim Gordon, moderated by journalist Eric Facon. Finally, two of Switzerland's most exciting new film talents, directors Florine and Kim Nüesch, aka the Nüesch Sisters, will converse with Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, moderated by Dorothea Strauss.
La Rotonda by la Mobiliare will be open from 30 July to 14 August 2021. The Festival team is currently working, in full compliance with official health and sanitary guidelines, towards putting on a physical event in 2021. Because of the global health situation, the projects, structures, visitor capacity, and program of la Rotonda by la Mobiliare could be subject to change or cancellation after the date of publication of this press release. For the latest information, please visit locarnofestival.ch or follow us on social media.
