Incoming activity: William Wegman exhibition and cheese fondue lunch

The last activity of this semester for our incoming students included a guided visit of the William Wegman exhibition at MASI followed by lunch with cheese fondue.

William Wegman is a multi-faceted contemporary American artist who moves freely among different art techniques such as painting, drawing, photography, film, video, books and performances. This exhibition offers a great variety of photographs picturing his beloved Weimaraner dogs.

Wegman started this series in the 70ies, after meeting his first Weimaraner, named after the famous visual artist Man Ray. He “has made dogs of this breed the main focus of his photographs, using this rather unusual muse to portray characters, comment on fashion trends and address movements in art history with great perspicacity and irony.”

“Being Human”, the title of the exhibition, “looks back over the evolution of this unusual artistic partnership that has lasted thirty years, serving as a kind of mirror of human nature.

The guided tour presented more insights into the life of the artist, how he developed the idea of picturing his dogs and what the concepts around the series of pictures are. The pictures should be appreciated with irony, for portraying subjects we can all relate to, yet recognizing the artist’s photography techniques and his great ability in mastering Polaroid.  

More about the MASI and the William Wegman Exhibition: https://www.luganolac.ch/en/1886/william-wegman.

After the visit, incoming students enjoyed lunch with cheese fondue, the typical Swiss speciality where you dip bread or potatoes into the traditional “caquelon” (pot) of melted cheese. This initiative was promoted by the City of Lugano and took place in the cosy atmosphere of a warm pavilion in the plaza facing the MASI, on the occasion of the public event “Piazza La Fondue”. The group also had the chance to take a picture with the Major of Lugano, Marco Borradori. 

More about the “Piazza la Fondue” event: https://www.piazzalafondue.ch/ (in Italian only)