Have Faith, 2023

01.09.2023 – 24.03.2024

Solo show in dialogue at Musée d’art et d’histoire MAHF. Museum für Kunst und Geschichte, Fribourg, Switzerland

In dialogue with the MAHF collection, I reveal the material and conceptual tensions between contemporary art and heritage / tradition around bronze, glass and neon. Inspired by medieval phylacteries “Have Faith” conveys a message of hope and trust.
The representations of saints, their posture and their expressions moves me. In medieval painting, the spoken word was written on painted speech ribbons. In dialogue with medieval painting and the sculptures of collection, my goal was to activate their gestures. Many of the sculptures have lost their hands. I wanted to make them more alive by making small hands out of glass. These allowed me to place poetry tapes or textiles related to my work in their hands. In this way, the sculptures become new messengers.

See below Text in German & French
Pictures by Stéphanie Baechler, Anja Schori Wille, Francesco Ragusa

Image - Neon, Have Faith, size: 150 x 20 x 10 cm — Neon, Have Faith, size: 150 x 20 x 10 cm

Image - Glas hand and woven Ribbons: Dear Clay — Glas hand and woven Ribbons: Dear Clay

Vidéo : Musée d’art et d’histoire Fribourg / Adrian Scherzinger

Image - Detail Glas hand with woven Ribbons — Detail Glas hand with woven Ribbons

Image - Lila, Ceramic, 2016 — Lila, Ceramic, 2016

Image - Ribbons Dear Clay, 2021 Cotton woven — Ribbons Dear Clay, 2021 Cotton woven

Image - Ribbons Made in Egypt, 2023 Cotton woven — Ribbons Made in Egypt, 2023 Cotton woven

Image - Show me, 2023, Glas — Show me, 2023, Glas

Image - Ceramic in aluminium collator — Ceramic in aluminium collator

Image - Glas in front of stained-glass windows — Glas in front of stained-glass windows

Image - Emoji emblem, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 20 x 21 x 0.5 cm — Emoji emblem, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 20 x 21 x 0.5 cm

Image - Care full, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 27 x 23 x 0.5 cm — Care full, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 27 x 23 x 0.5 cm

Image - “Les Arts du feu”. I am fascinated by the possibility of transforming materials through fire. I created glass pieces in dialogue with the stained-glass windows of the Ratzehof in the museum. My goal was to work with color and text and to create a contemporary interpretation. The stained glass allows light as an extra dimension. The impact of the partial transparency of the works and their intentional distance from the wall depends on the position of the viewer. — “Les Arts du feu”. I am fascinated by the possibility of transforming materials through fire. I created glass pieces in dialogue with the stained-glass windows of the Ratzehof in the museum. My goal was to work with color and text and to create a contemporary interpretation. The stained glass allows light as an extra dimension. The impact of the partial transparency of the works and their intentional distance from the wall depends on the position of the viewer.

Image - Socialise, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 29 x 23 x 0.5 cm — Socialise, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 29 x 23 x 0.5 cm

Have Faith, 2023

Image - Socialise, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 25x 21 x 0.5 cm — Socialise, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 25x 21 x 0.5 cm

Image - No title, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 31 x 20 x 0.5 cm — No title, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 31 x 20 x 0.5 cm

Image - Confirm humanity, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 47 x 35 x 0.5 cm — Confirm humanity, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 47 x 35 x 0.5 cm

Image - SB, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 23 x 22 x 0.5 cm — SB, 2023, Glas, SIZE: 23 x 22 x 0.5 cm

Die Ausstellung “Have Faith” des Museums für Kunst und Geschichte Freiburg präsentiert die Werke der Freiburger Künstlerin Stéphanie Baechler in einem engen und fruchtbaren Dialog mit der ständigen Sammlung des Museums. Die Künstlerin hat eine Auswahl an Räumen, Werken und Künstlern getroffen, um Resonanzen und Echos mit ihren eigenen, in situ installierten Werken zu erzeugen. Inspiriert von mittelalterlichen Phylakterien (Spruchbänder ) vermittelt die Ausstellung “Have Faith” eine Botschaft der Hoffnung und des Vertrauens, die sich innerhalb der permanenten Präsentation der Werke des MAHF entfaltet.

L’exposition « Have Faith » du Musée d’art et d’histoire de Fribourg présente les œuvres de l’artiste fribourgeoise Stéphanie Baechler en dialogue étroit et fructueux avec la collection permanente du musée. L’artiste a sélectionné un choix de salles, d’œuvres et d’artistes pour créer des résonnances et des échos avec ses propres œuvres, installées in situ. Inspirée par les phylactères médiévaux (banderoles), l’exposition « Have Faith » transmet un message d’espoir et de confiance qui se déploie au sein même de la présentation permanente des œuvres du MAHF.

Image - Fabric Project (Textile) in Art Nouveau cabinet — Fabric Project (Textile) in Art Nouveau cabinet

Image - Fabric Project on Marcellos (Adèle d’Affy) sculpture — Fabric Project on Marcellos (Adèle d’Affy) sculpture

Image - Ceramic Speechroll: Suddenly there is a crack and tells me — Ceramic Speechroll: Suddenly there is a crack and tells me

Image - Ceramic Ribbon with hands. When there is a crack the past leaks out — Ceramic Ribbon with hands. When there is a crack the past leaks out

Image - Ceramics: Everlasting likes — Ceramics: Everlasting likes

Image - Glas hand with embroidery 2018 — Glas hand with embroidery 2018

Image - Woven Ribbon with poem Dear Cracks, — Woven Ribbon with poem Dear Cracks,

Image - Cable embroidery, 2008, textile — Cable embroidery, 2008, textile

Image - Cable embroidery 2018 on wooden medieval sculpture — Cable embroidery 2018 on wooden medieval sculpture