The relationship between art and science returns to the centre of Lugano's cultural programming with three SciArt events, the project promoted by IBSA Foundation for scientific research and developed in collaboration with LAC Lugano Art and Culture and MASI LuganoBetween November 2026 and February 2027, the program offers three different experiences, united by an interest in how technology, environment, body, and perception influence the relationship between humans and their surroundings.
The exhibition unfolds through various media: an audiovisual installation, a sound and light performance based on the observation of an ecosystem, and a talk dedicated to Romeo Castellucci's theatrical research. This is not a series built around a single form of expression, but rather a succession of proposals that address contemporary issues from different perspectives.
The collaboration between IBSA Foundation, LAC, and MASI is part of a broader project launched in recent years. SciArt was born in 2021 with the aim of connecting artistic practices and scientific research, using events and digital content to bring the public closer to experiences developed at the intersection of different disciplines.
Digital memory in Riccardo Benassi's installation
The first appointment is dedicated to Morestalgia (2019) by Riccardo Benassi, an audiovisual and multi-sensory installation that will be presented in the LAC Hall from 1 to 6 November 2026.
The work is built around a physically walk-through LED screen. Visitors aren't simply observing an image from the outside, but rather entering the installation space, becoming part of the experience along with others present. Text, images, and sound combine to create an environment in which the digital dimension and physical presence overlap.
The work's title comes from a neologism coined by Benassi himself to describe a particular form of nostalgia associated with the post-Internet experience. It refers to the feeling of loss that can emerge from the constant comparison with the experiences of others, made visible and accessible through online sharing.
The theme of memory thus takes on a dimension that goes beyond simply remembering the past. The issue also concerns how digital technologies alter our perception of the present, our relationships with others, and the construction of a sense of belonging.
On Tuesday, November 3, at 6:30 pm, Benassi will also host a 45-minute public meeting with curator Chiara Nuzzi. The conversation will begin with Morestalgia and explore several aspects of the artist's research: the relationship between body and technology, physical and digital presence, language, and the transformations in how individuals experience and interpret the present.
Benassi, born in Cremona in 1982 and active between Berlin, Bergamo, and online, works through environmental installations, video essays, performances, and spatial interventions. His research focuses specifically on the relationship between the individual and technology, through text and sound.
When ecosystem data becomes sound
The second event shifts perspective and shifts focus from the digital dimension to the natural environment. On Thursday, December 3, 2026, the Teatrostudio at LAC will host Triton , a cross-media project by the Invernomuto duo, consisting of Simone Bertuzzi and Simone Trabucchi.
The program includes two listening sessions, at 19 pm and 21 pm, with an aperitif between the two sessions.
Triton is based on the observation of a real colony of salamanders living in two ancient rock-cut pools in Pietra Perduca, in the Trebbia Valley. The device developed by Invernomuto collects environmental information, including water levels, light conditions, and the animals' movements, transforming them into a sound and light composition that changes over time.
The project thus challenges the separation between observer and observed object. Ecosystem data is not presented as simple information, but becomes the material for a sensory experience. Sound and light convey environmental changes and animal activity, translating into an artistic language phenomena that normally remain distant from the public's direct experience.
The participatory component further expands the project. Through the Invernomuto website, users can send a sound recorded with a smartphone or computer and receive an audio file generated by the project.
Invernomuto has been working together since 2003, developing research projects that explore image, sound, performance, and material culture. Their work explores themes of identity, vernacular cultures, and the transformation of contemporary languages through works and interventions that evolve over time and space.
Theatre as a shared experience
The third event takes SciArt towards theater and a reflection on perception. At the center is Romeo Castellucci, author of Credere alle Maschere , a performance scheduled for January 29–31, 2027, at MASI Lugano, LAC venue. The next public meeting will be held on Sunday, February 14, at 11:00 a.m. in the LAC Hall, with Castellucci in conversation with Piersandra Di Matteo.
Believing in Masks stems from Castellucci's research on masks and the relationship between identity, gaze, and participation. In the performance, the mask isn't simply conceived as something that hides a face: on the contrary, it becomes a tool through which identity is exposed to the gaze of others.
The role of the spectator takes center stage. The audience's body is directly involved in the construction of the experience, while the ensemble of faces and presences contributes to forming a collective figure. The theatrical space thus also becomes a space for relationships, in which looking and being looked at are inseparable.
The February 14th meeting will offer a deeper insight into the creative process of the work and some of the recurring themes in the director's research: the relationship between image and word, the role of the body in the stage space, the juxtaposition of tradition and experimentation, and the relationships between art, science, and perception.
Castellucci, director and designer of sets, lights, and costumes, has developed a theatrical language based on the relationship between different art forms and a particular attention to perception. His productions have been presented in numerous theaters and festivals around the world. He has already brought Democracy in America , Bros , and Bérénice to Lugano.
Three perspectives on the relationship between man and technology
Although they start from different premises, the three events share some common elements. Morestalgia observes the relationship between the individual and the digital environment; Triton uses data from a living ecosystem to construct a sound and light form; Credere alle Maschere focuses on physical presence, the gaze, and the relationship between spectators.
What emerges is a path in which technology is not considered merely as a tool, but rather as an element capable of transforming the way we perceive time, memory, the environment, and others.
This is also one of the distinguishing aspects of SciArt: the project does not simply aim to present scientific content through art, but to create situations in which the artistic experience can raise questions about contemporary phenomena and transformations.
The collaboration between cultural institutions and scientific research is part of a long-standing activity of the IBSA Foundation. The SciArt project has been developed through various formats and collaborations, including initiatives with MASI dedicated to the relationship between art and science and, more recently, the Fluid Boundaries project , which brought together art, science, and indigenous community knowledge around the theme of water.
Information and reservations
The three SciArt events are free, but reservations are required. Morestalgia will be open from November 1 to 6, 2026, in the LAC Hall; the talk with Riccardo Benassi is scheduled for November 3 at 6:30 pm.
Triton will be presented on December 3rd at the Teatrostudio del LAC with two sessions, at 19 pm and 21 pm. Credere alle Maschere will be performed from January 29th to 31st, 2027, at MASI Lugano, LAC headquarters, while the meeting with Romeo Castellucci is scheduled for February 14th at 11 am in the Hall of the LAC.
Tickets for the performance Credere alle Maschere cost CHF 25. Advance tickets, as indicated in the program, open on December 8th, with priority for LAC+ members from December 1st.
The complete program and booking information are available on the IBSA Foundation, LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, and MASI Lugano websites.
