Through Labyrinths to Acclaim
Paulo Wirz at the Kunsthalle Arbon and the Swiss Art Awards

Featuring

Paulo Wirz
Early-Career Fellow 2023–2024

Details

Dormitórios
Kunsthalle Arbon, June 1–July 13, 2025

Parafernália
Material, Zurich, June 13–18, 2025

Umbral
Swiss Art Awards, June 17–22

Paulo Wirz’s work is currently on view at Kunsthalle Arbon, where the artist has transformed the exhibition space into a labyrinth-like dreamscape. The show explores themes of mortality, myth, and ritual—hallmarks of Paulo’s evolving practice—and comes at a pivotal moment in his career. In addition to the exhibition in Arbon, Paulo is further participating in the prestigious Swiss Art Awards during the Art Basel and presenting new work at the art space Material in Zurich. These milestones mark a significant phase in his artistic journey shaped by cross-disciplinary experimentation.

Over the years, Paulo has developed a singular visual language rooted in symbolic materiality and conceptual depth. His work frequently engages with the rituals and myths through which humans attempt to comprehend the incomprehensible which are always present, such as death or transformation. By fusing durable materials like glass, stone, and bronze with ephemeral elements such as wax and organic matter, Paulo constructs environments that evoke both the sacred and the mundane. They challenge the viewer’s sense of stability and purity, mirroring the fragility and decay of life itself.

Many of these themes formed an integral part of Paulo’s artistic explorations during his early-career fellowship at the Collegium from 2023 until 2024. As Paulo reflects, his primary motivation for becoming a fellow at the Collegium was, “the opportunity to step out of my ‘art bubble’ and immerse myself in an interdisciplinary environment that would challenge and expand my way of thinking and working.” The Collegium’s emphasis on experimental, boundary-pushing projects presented Paulo with the ideal opportunity to explore filmmaking—an ambition he had long held but had not yet pursued. This shift proved to be transformative, opening up new dimensions within his practice. During his time at the Collegium, Paulo developed his first moving-image project, which not only marked a new medium for him but also deepened his exploration of life’s transitory nature. This experience laid the groundwork for his continued engagement with film, culminating in the nomination of his latest film project, Umbral, for the Swiss Art Awards in 2025.

While at the Collegium, Paulo’s network expanded significantly to include scholars in fields such as computer science, evolutionary ecology, and neuroscience. “These encounters profoundly influenced my conceptual focus—particularly my ongoing interest in systems of meaning like codes, keys, enigmas, and labyrinths,” elaborates Paulo. “By engaging with these different fields at the Collegium, I gained fresh perspectives and explored new ways of thinking, creating, and expressing ideas. I want to continue this way of working.” That continuation will take shape at Iméra, the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) of Aix-Marseille University, where Paulo will soon embark on the next chapter of his journey.