Perched in the Engadin valley, two works by Alicja Kwade and Nancy Baker Cahill reflect on the Alps, their surroundings, and the solitude that feels omnipresent in mountainous terrains. The works are exhibited simultaneously in Saint-Moritz and Gstaad, and appear almost identical. In each location, Kwade has placed two rocks opposite each other, separated by a mirror. In the Engadin iteration, one rock was imported from Gstaad and the other was cast in aluminum; in the Saanenland iteration, the imported rock is from Saint-Moritz. “I wanted to reach out with the work, and somehow connect us to geographical places,” Kwade explains, “and I thought of a body of work of mine called ‘Big Be-Hide.’” In conjuction with Kwade’s installation, Cahill’s augmented reality video installation sees snow falling in reverse, represented by crystalline, abstract marks. Both works reflect on a world that is going awry, not only in terms of the climate crisis but in the existential confusion that goes with it. —Elena Clavarino
The Arts Intel Report
Elevation 1049/1822: Echoes

Alicja Kwade, “Big Be-Hide,” 2022. Saint-Moritz, Stazersee. Photo: Andrea Furger.