What remains of the Giacometti artists in the Bregaglia Valley today?
The artists of this renowned family created hundreds of works in Stampa and Capolago between 1890 and 1965. Today, these works can be found around the world, serving as ambassadors of the Bregaglia Valley.
Yet in the valley itself, only a few memories remain, gradually fading with time. The younger generations have largely lost their connection to these artists, who passed away decades ago. Without efforts to tell their stories, preserve their memory, and share their legacy, future generations of Bregaglia residents may come to know their artists only through exhibitions in distant cities.
And perhaps they will one day ask: Why did no one ever tell us about them at home or in school?
"The Centro Giacometti is a suitcase full of stories set within their original landscape."
Marco Giacometti
While the Fondazione Ciäsa Granda e Atelier Giacometti preserves a number of works that remain in the valley and opens the Giacometti Atelier to the public on selected occasions, the Centro Giacometti seeks to document and interpret what is invisible, anonymous, and unexpected: photographs, writings, stories, people, and both real and painted places and landscapes.
It places these elements within the context of the artists’ native valley and reveals the deeper motivations and sources of inspiration behind their work.
A mission: preserving and enhancing an intangible heritage
This may seem uninteresting or unattractive at first. Yet this is precisely the challenge facing the Centro Giacometti: to keep memories alive, to tell the story of the Giacometti family and its individual personalities within the context of the Bregaglia Valley, and to offer visitors authentic tours and thematic exhibitions.
To achieve this goal, the Centro Giacometti collects information and documents, maintains an archive and library, transcribes and contextualizes written sources, publishes research, creates exhibitions, and works to preserve the cultural landscape and ensure access to buildings of cultural significance.
The Centro Giacometti is therefore not merely an organizer of events, but also an archive and a center for research and cultural interpretation.
