Casa Gstaad is an interior design studio and showroom founded by Antonia Crespí that brings together an Alpine way of life with sophisticated, modern design. Hosting selected galleries, designers and artists to showcase their projects in the chalet, Casa Gstaad acts as a platform for art and design in the Swiss Alps. In a new collaboration with Hauser & Wirth – helmed by James Koch, partner and director at Hauser & Wirth – an eclectic hanging of works by the gallery’s artists is presented this Summer at Casa Gstaad alongside an immersive installation by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist.

Creative Collaboration
Antonia found what was to become the Casa Gstaad chalet when it was still the brocante of Gstaad village. Set over three storeys, this historical building was meticulously restored in 2019 with oxidized black oak wooden floors, resulting in a minimalist Alpine aesthetic from which to showcase rotating exhibitions.

While the chalet itself presents a home-style setting with living area, bedroom and cosy reading nook, an eclectic mix of furniture and fabrics come together to create a contemporary vision for Alpine interiors.

Internationally sourced design pieces meet made-to-order furniture created for Casa Gstaad, alongside smaller pieces including ceramics and silverware. Envisioned as a site for creative collaboration, Casa Gstaad will host both solo and group presentations by gallery artists, creating intimate and unexpected encounters with art and design in the mountains.

Summer 2021
The first of these is a dream collaboration with Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist and gallery Hauser & Wirth. Rist fills the fairy tale Casa Gstaad chalet with colour through her site-specific light installation ‘Seelenlichter’ (soul lights).

Natural light flows through tinted windows, transforming the mountain chalet into a universe of its own. The artist perceives each window as both an eye to the soul and to the outside world, offering a moment of reflection and contemplation in joyful multicolour.

Rist has used this kind of intervention for museum exhibitions for over 20 years, explaining that “the window becomes one big pixel and is no longer a dark hole.”

Additionally, a pink neon sign proclaiming “Lieber Schmusen” (rather smooching), written in the artist’s own handwriting, is installed on the roof gable. Taken as an emotional exclamation or invitation, the neon sign is reminiscent of the illuminated skyscrapers in major cities, contrasting with the mountainous, natural landscape of Gstaad. It’s a sight to behold.

ANNA CHARLES