Before the openings come the walls, the dust, the work and the first lights. Step behind the scenes of VIVANT Art Space, just a few weeks before opening.
A gallery doesn’t begin the day it opens its doors.
It starts long before that. With an empty space, plans, ideas, choices, sometimes changes, and the excitement of imagining what the place will become once the first artworks arrive.
VIVANT Art Space is now taking shape at Cour de Gare, in the heart of Sion.
The space
When I first discovered the space, it was still completely raw. 86 m², 4.30-metre-high ceilings, large glass surfaces and generous volumes: enough character to imagine something beyond a traditional gallery.
That potential is precisely what drew me to it.
A space to transform while preserving a sense of simplicity. Somewhere contemporary, bright and open, where the architecture doesn’t compete with the art, but gives it room to exist.
For this transformation, I am working with an architect who is also an artist himself. That dual perspective matters to me. We are not simply thinking about walls, lighting and circulation. We are also considering how an artwork will be experienced, how a space can create emotion, and the relationship between art, materials, light and architecture.
And then there is Cour de Gare itself. A new neighbourhood in the heart of Sion, just a few steps from the railway station, designed as a place for movement, everyday life and connection. For VIVANT, the location made sense: rooted in Valais, while remaining open and accessible to those coming from further away.
The light
In a gallery, light changes everything.
It can reveal a colour, accentuate the contours of a sculpture, bring out a texture or completely transform the way we experience an artwork.
That is why lighting is being considered as an integral part of VIVANT. It needs to adapt to very different artistic worlds (painting, sculpture, photography, digital art, design and installation) while respecting each work and the atmosphere envisioned by the artist.
The aim isn’t simply to add more light. It’s to get the light right.
The experience
We want to preserve open volumes, a natural flow and enough breathing room around the artworks.
Because sometimes, an artwork needs empty space around it to be truly seen.
Each exhibition will naturally transform VIVANT. Some works will be subtle, others monumental. Some will be experienced from a distance, others will draw you closer. Some may even completely change the way the space itself is perceived.
That is also what I love about this gallery: it isn’t designed as a fixed setting, but as a space that can evolve with the artists who inhabit it.
The first artists
While the physical space is taking shape, another part of the journey is beginning: the search for VIVANT’s first artists for 2026/27.
The applications will introduce us to emerging and established artists from Switzerland and beyond, with very different backgrounds, techniques and artistic worlds.
Every application will be considered with care. Beyond technique or experience, what we are really looking for is identity, emotion and individuality. That something that makes us stop in front of a work and want to know more.
These first artists will hold a special place in VIVANT’s story: their works will be the first to inhabit the gallery and bring life to the space we are creating today.
What comes next?
There is still dust. Decisions to make. Details to resolve. Walls to finish. Lights to position.
And that is exactly the moment we wanted to share.
Because soon, the empty space you see today will welcome its first artworks, its first artists, its first visitors and its first opening.
VIVANT is taking shape.
We look forward to welcoming you soon at Cour de Gare to discover what comes next.
