Astro Forest: a new work of art at Palazzo dei Congressi

Explain the street art concept of Paste-Up...

Paste-Up is a street art technique that allows me to paste images and photographs I have created, printed on paper, which I then cut out and apply directly onto urban surfaces. But in my work this gesture becomes an interpretation of the urban context on an epic scale: it is not just a matter of decorating a wall, but of transforming a public space into a symbolic, poetic place, capable of telling a collective story.

Each installation is designed to be participatory: I actively involve the local population, who help me cut out the paper elements - often flowers, natural symbols, details that dialogue with the territory - and glue them during the assembly phase. This creates a sense of belonging and community, where the work is not just mine, but becomes everyone's.

The concept of ephemeral is central: the works are designed to be temporary, biodegradable, sustainable, made of natural materials that transform over time without leaving permanent traces. It is an art that lives and transforms: it is born, grows old and dies, remaining in the memory of the city.

The work has gone from ‘Astro Flower’ to ‘Astro Lake’ and now comes ‘Astro Forest’: tell us what unites them and what is new.

The ‘fil rouge’ uniting the three works - ‘Astro Flower’, ‘Astro Lake’ and now ‘Astro Forest’ - is an evolving dialogue between nature and the city. The installations overlap, keeping the previous elements visible where space permits: the flowers in the park, the fish in the lake and now the nature of the forest ideally cohabit with us in the City of Lugano, reminding us that there is no real separation between the urban and natural landscape.

The other central element is the figure of the Astronaut. From the very first work, this character was conceived as a tribute to our only Swiss astronaut, Claude Nicollier, a symbol of human genius, curiosity and technological ability. But in my works, the astronaut is never just technology: he is an explorer who, despite his space equipment, chooses to immerse himself in the nature of our territory in order to remain part of it.

This figure becomes the symbolic bridge between our scientific and technological future and our human and natural present. It is a reminder not to lose the link with the physical world, with trees, flowers, water, the forest. Because especially today, at a time when digital life threatens to replace the direct relationship with reality, we must remember - to ourselves and to the new generations - that we are nature, even before technology.

With ‘Astro Forest’, the 2025 installation, I wanted to bring attention to an often neglected aspect of Lugano: its extraordinary wealth of forests. Many are familiar with its parks, gardens and lakeside promenade, but few know that more than 60 per cent of the municipal territory is covered by forests. These green spaces not only offer beauty and tranquillity, but are also fundamental for biodiversity and the health of the urban ecosystem. This project is an invitation to rediscover and enhance the city's forests, recognising them as an integral part of our identity and sustainable future.

The motto ‘Art will save the world’ is visible in the works: what is the wish behind this message?

The motto ‘Art Will Save the World’ is at the heart of everything. It is not just a slogan: it is a hope, a wish, a responsibility. For Lugano and for the world of congress tourism, it means believing that art is not an ornament, but an engine of change, of dialogue, of shared beauty. My wish is that every person who passes through this space - for a congress, an event, a trade fair - takes home not only information or contacts, but also an emotion, a food for thought, a seed of wonder.

How does it feel to give new life to the opera and in such a special year (the 50th anniversary of the Palazzo dei Congressi)?

Giving new life to the opera, for the third year running and on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, is an honour and a challenge. It is like restarting a dialogue that has already begun, but with new words. Every year the context changes, the audience changes, my outlook also changes: that is why the opera is never the same. In such a special year, I want to celebrate not only the past of this place, but also its future: to transform the walls of this house that hosts the world in Lugano into a symbol of continuity, transformation and rebirth, where technological innovation and environmental and civil sustainability can coexist in harmony.