First of all a MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my blog readers
A notable avant-garde artist-run space ahead of its time, Aurora’s direction was nevertheless less radical than the Ecart gallery, which would open in Geneva a few years later in 1973. From the outset, Aurora was organized as a cooperative, with the aim of avoiding a boss figure, diminishing the demand for profitability, and promoting the spontaneity of initiatives through bartering and volunteer work.
The gallery showcased a wide variety of artistic orientations, including numerous avant-garde and contemporary art movements, as well as outsider art and naive art. It also exhibited works by many German-speaking Swiss artists whose pieces did not always cross the Sarine river. Local artists such as Dominique Appia, Dominique Cornaglia, and Jacqueline Fromenteau were frequent collaborators, along with Joseph Heeb, Claude Hermann, Blaise Perret, and Luc Michel Schüpfer.
Aurora welcomed internationally renowned artists such as H.R. Giger, Alina Szapocznikow, Bruno Munari, Le Corbusier, Markus Raetz, Annette Messager, Herbert Distel, Asger Jorn, Roman Cieslewicz, Anselme Boix-Vives, Walter Wegmüller, Roland Topor, Karel Appel, Jean-Frédéric Schnyder, Olivier O. Olivier, Hans Schärer, Christian Boltanski, and Grisélidis Réal.
Despite its modest structure, Aurora frequently organized large-scale events, such as the first exhibition of Pierre Klossowski’s paintings outside of France or a lithograph exhibition of Max Bill in collaboration with the artist.
The gallery also hosted concerts, featuring classical and contemporary music, folk music, free-jazz, and more, as well as film screenings and lectures, including one on Ella Maillart.
Aurora’s willingness to showcase such a broad spectrum of artists, from local Swiss talents to internationally recognized figures like H.R. Giger, really reflects its commitment to diversity in contemporary art. It’s amazing to think about the cultural exchange that must have taken place in that space.