A peek at NOMAD St. Moritz 2024, where art and design fuse into a poetry of spaces

NOMAD St. Moritz is a renowned contemporary art and design fair taking place in St. Moritz, Switzerland, from February 22 - 25, 2024. This is the 13th edition of the travelling fair, which is being hosted at the historic Hotel Eden St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps, a 19th-century landmark which is currently being renovated. With a diverse line-up of gallery presentations, talks, and commissions with designers, as well as with curators and brands regarded as trailblazers in their field, NOMAD offers a unique experience that highlights its dedication to sharing path-breaking contemporary designs. "Here, established galleries and cutting-edge artists and designers from around the world will converge to create a poetry of space," NOMAD relays.

This year's art fair features 25 art galleries and nine special projects, including a collaboration with Cabana Magazine and well-known Italian architect Giuliano dell'Uva. The show comprises a new welcome area and eatery conceptualised by dell'Uva inspired by the Engadin region, while the venue provides the exhibition with a unique, picturesque backdrop, with sweeping views of the lake and the Swiss alpine mountain range.

A concept created for the vibrant and ever-changing world we live in today, NOMAD is a space to discover contemporary design and art. NOMAD St. Moritz 2024 provides an excellent opportunity for design aficionados to meet the artists and designers whose work is on display.

“Back in St. Moritz for its 13th edition this winter, NOMAD brings together some of the world’s most influential players in the fields of contemporary art and design to propel a multifaceted and invigorating program through the walls of former Hotel Eden. A highlight at this edition is the special collaboration with esteemed architect Giuliano dell’Uva, who has drawn inspiration from Engadin to design both the NOMAD welcome area and the NOMAD Stüva restaurant, located inside the former Hotel Eden venue. Dell’Uva is known for his highly distinctive style, which focuses on the specificity of place, tradition, and context, and we are delighted to have him on board at this edition,” mention Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte and Giorgio Pace, co-founders of NOMAD.

A unique setting

Since 2017, NOMAD has held several editions in various locations around Europe. From St. Moritz to Monaco, Cannes, Venice, and Capri, each experience has been one-of-a-kind. “The former Hotel Eden's raw site offers visitors unique situations to see gallery line-ups that are ever-expanding in their exclusive variety, geographical richness, and sense of wonder. Once again, established galleries and cutting-edge creatives from around the world converge to work with the ideas of flux and transformation, constructing a unique ambience, writing a new narrative, and creating a poetry of space,” remark Bellavance-Lecompte and Pace.

The Galleries

NOMAD St. Moritz 2024 boasts a curated selection of contemporary art and design galleries from around the world, each bringing its unique artistic and design sensibilities. Established names such as Angela Weber Möbel, Brun Fine Art, Chahan Gallery, Galleria Luisa Delle Piane, Galleria Rossana Orlandi, Nilufar Gallery, Tristan Hoare Gallery, and Volumnia are exhibiting celebrated artists alongside exciting emerging talents. Modern art and design from various regions are represented by Larken Erdmann, Galerie Negropontes, Secci Gallery, Shåk Gallery, and Sofia Zevi Gallery, while platforms such as Sorry We're Closed and Spazio Nobile are showcasing curated selections of vintage and emerging Italian design. Additionally, functional and bespoke furniture designs take centre stage at Thestable, while The Gallery of Everything is presenting a quirky mix of art, design, and objects. Completing the line-up are Galleria Antonio Verolino, Galleria Antonella Villanova, and Von Bartha, which are displaying unorthodox contemporary art.

A Decade by Cabana

NOMAD St. Moritz 2024 goes beyond the gallery booths with a set of special projects, including installations, performances, exhibitions, as well as talks. Cabana, the fair's media partner as well as an exhibitor, has crafted exclusive print and digital content capturing the essence of the art and design event. Designed by creative director Christoph Radl, Cabana’s exhibit is a celebration of its 10th anniversary and the bridging of its worlds—the printed page and tangible, everyday elegance. The exhibition space is wrapped in life-size photographs of antique textiles from the artist and decorator Soledad Twombly’s personal collection, captured by photographer Antonio Monfreda.

“Cabana conceives custom print and digital content that pays tribute to the collaboration. Sharing a passion for design, the arts, and travel, Cabana and NOMAD speak a language that overlaps and intersects: one that seeks to explore the very personal relationships between art, architecture, design, and culture resonating with collectors, cultural institutions, and creatives alike,” NOMAD's founders continue.

Chandigarh Series by Rajan Bijlani

In addition, Rajan Bijlani, a London-based collector and curator of intriguing design pieces is presenting a limited-edition series of furniture by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret with Loro Piana Interiors fabrics. This furniture was designed between 1954 and 1966 for the city of Chandigarh in India. The pieces on show include rare timber tables and seating. Bijlani selected the finest raw cashmere, alpaca and baby camel hair from Loro Piana Interiors to restore the chairs and sofas. These fabrics make for exquisite pairings, showcasing a natural, earthy palette while lending soft textures and a sublime tactility.

Furthermore, architect dell'Uva has designed a delightful welcome area and restaurant, drawing inspiration from the surrounding Engadin region. “I designed the reception desk for NOMAD guests with local stone architecture in mind. On one side, a solid monolith, and [on] the other, the lightness of a balanced slab. It is a small reference to the architecture of Engadin houses where solid buildings coexist side-by-side with light volumes intended for stables. I embedded objects made from coloured marble monoblocks inside the stone. For the restaurant, I thought of warm, woollen brush strokes [which], like curtains, frame the windows and define the different areas of the space. I have used warm colours as in Engadin village houses, but also lamps designed by Perriand, furniture by Eames and Gio Ponti to mark the relationship between the place and historical design, the essence of NOMAD,” concludes dell’Uva.