With the arrival of the new cultural season, the Villa dei Cedri Museum inaugurates a double exhibition itinerary that marks one of the central moments among the exhibitions in Bellinzona of 2026. From March 14 to August 2, 2026, the rooms of the ancient residence host two parallel projects dedicated to two leading figures of contemporary Swiss art: My home di Zilla Leutenegger e Human Nature di Alex Hanimann.
The two exhibitions, while developing independently, share a common reflection on human beings and how they inhabit the world. On the one hand, the domestic space, with its memories and social transformations; on the other, the natural landscape, increasingly marked by human intervention.
A house transformed into a visual story
The exhibition My home offers a poetic and ironic reinterpretation of post-World War II domestic environments. Zurich-based artist Zilla Leutenegger creates a site-specific exhibition that engages directly with the villa's historic spaces, transforming them into everyday environments: bathroom, bedroom, study, living room, and kitchen.
Through mural drawings, video projections, and three-dimensional objects, the artist recreates a domestic universe spanning the 1950s to the present day. Visitors wander through seemingly familiar rooms, yet charged with symbolic meaning, where the private sphere becomes a mirror of social and cultural transformations.
The project draws inspiration from the villa's history, built as a private residence and later transformed into a museum. In this context, the artist imagines the presence of a "lady of the house" who inhabits and animates the spaces, contrasting with the historical figure of the owner, Arrigo Stoffel, who embodied a more traditional vision of family and society.
Drawing becomes the underlying theme of the entire project. In Leutenegger's work, this technique takes on various forms: from lines on paper to animations projected onto walls, to the transformation of the graphic sign into a three-dimensional object. The result is an environment suspended between scenography and memory, where each visitor is invited to construct their own interpretation.
The landscape as a construction of memory
Se My home explores the intimacy of domestic life, the exhibition Human Nature focuses on the relationship between humans and the natural environment.
Alex Hanimann's project revolves primarily around photography, a central medium in his artistic research. The images on display are inspired by photographs taken during travels and journeys—by car, train, or bicycle—and subsequently reworked through a process of editing, cropping, and recomposition.
The result is landscapes that appear familiar yet enigmatic. Unkempt vegetation, branches, undergrowth, and marginal places become symbolic settings where nature and human presence intertwine.
In the series Driving as far as I can see, for example, photographs are made in motion, capturing partially blurred images that evoke the fleeting nature of the visual experience. In contrast, in the series Wilderness The artist uses a professional camera to create sharper and more detailed images, emphasizing the contrast between spontaneity and construction.
Through these works, Hanimann reflects on how visual memory is formed and transformed over time. The images, in fact, never represent a real landscape in its original form: they are always the result of selection, manipulation, and an interpretative process.
A dialogue between nature and society
The dialogue between the two exhibitions clearly emerges in the central theme they both address: the relationship between human beings and the world around them.
In the rooms dedicated to Hanimann, nature often appears crisscrossed by signs of human activity—fences, buildings, infrastructure—that interrupt the idyllic landscape. At the same time, these traces suggest that every image of nature is, ultimately, a cultural construction.
Inside Villa dei Cedri, Leutenegger demonstrates how domestic spaces are places where identities and social roles are formed and transformed over time. The home thus becomes a microcosm capable of narrating the evolution of society.
Art, history and collections
Alongside the two main exhibitions, the season's programming also includes the project New works from the warehouse, a selection of works from the museum's collections.
This presentation stems from the desire to bring rarely exhibited works into dialogue with contemporary historical and cultural issues. In an international context marked by political tensions and conflicts, the museum offers a reflection on the role of memory and history in building collective consciousness.
Events, guided tours and activities for the public
The cultural program linked to the exhibitions in Bellinzona It is enriched with numerous collateral initiatives. These include guided tours, themed meetings, and activities dedicated to families.
Exhibition tours take place on various dates throughout the season, with separate itineraries for each exhibit and special events that delve into themes such as the museum's architecture and the history of the city's gardens.
There's no shortage of more informal events, such as interactive evenings, nature festivals, and musical performances in the villa's park. Furthermore, on International Museum Day, admission will be free for all visitors.
Detailed information on opening hours, reservations and events is available on official website of the museum.
Information about the two exhibitions in Bellinzona
Exhibition period
March 14 – August 2, 2026
Opening time
Wednesday – Thursday: 14.00pm – 18.00pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 10.00 – 18.00
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Tickets
Full price: CHF 12 / € 12
Reduced: CHF 8 / € 8
Contact us
Villa dei Cedri Museum
Piazza San Biagio 9
6500 Bellinzona
Tel. + 41 (0) 58 203 17 30
Email: museo@villacedri.ch
Cézanne in Basel: The Post-Impressionist Master's Mature Works at the Fondation Beyeler
