Remo Rossi

Remo Rossi (born September 27, 1909 in Locarno , † December 30, 1982 in Bern ) was a Swiss sculptor .

The obverse of the 25-franc gold coin designed by Remo Rossi

Front of the 50-franc gold coin designed by Rossi in 1954

life and work

Remo Rossi came from a family of sculptors from Ticino in Arzo . He attended grammar school in Locarno and then in 1926 the arts and crafts school in Lucerne . From 1927 to 1931 he studied anatomy, design and architecture at the Milanese art academy Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera . In 1932 and 1933 he studied in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts and at the Académie Scandinave with the sculptor Charles Despiau ; he recognized his talent and prompted him to leave the academy and continue to work alone in his studio, where he regularly visited and advised him. One of his first bronze sculptures ( Adolescente , created in 1934) was exhibited in the Salon des Tuileries and reproduced in the art magazine Arts . As early as 1935 he was invited to exhibitions in Brussels and Amsterdam. In 1936 he returned to Locarno and made extensive trips through Europe. In 1943 he married Bianca Bernasconi. In 1945 he became a member of the Federal Commission for the Preservation of Monuments . Since 1962 he has been the permanent commissioner and representative of Switzerland at the Venice Biennale .

Remo Rossi's artistic work can be divided into the classical period (until 1962), the geometric period (until 1975) and the period of refinement. It includes sculptures, sculptures, reliefs, art in construction and drawings. Sacred art occupies an important area . For example, in 1951 he created the tabernacle for the parish church of Courfaivre , for which Fernand Léger created the stained glass windows and Jean Lurçat created the tapestry, and in 1974 a group of bronze sculptures for the Holy Cross Church in Langnau in the Emmental. Remo won numerous prizes, including first prize at the "International Sculpture Exhibition" in Madrid in 1973 and 1977, as well as competitions, such as in 1943 for the monument by Giuseppe Motta . Together with Battista Ratti , Remo won the competition for the 25 and 50 franc coins in 1954 .

Remo was u. a. friends with the Italian sculptor Lucio Fontana , as well as with Hans Arp and with Jakob Probst , with whom he worked temporarily in Locarno.

In 2009 the "Remo Rossi Foundation" (Fondazione Remo Rossi) was founded in Locarno. It offers young talents scholarships and work stays in the former studio space and promotes studies of Remo Rossi's work and person.

Exhibitions

1969: Szépművészeti Múzeum , Budapest
1968: Aargauer Kunsthaus , Aarau
1967: Palais Schwarzenberg on Schwarzenbergplatz , Vienna
1965: Kunstmuseum Bern
1963: Musée Rodin , Paris
1963: Kunsthaus Zurich
1961: Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro
1961: Lucerne Art Museum
1960: Kunsthaus Glarus
1960: Salzburg Cathedral

Works in public space

year	Location	Object or title	Type, height
1951	Courfaivre parish church	tabernacle	Bronze, 160 cm
1958	Revoltella Museum , Trieste	Bozzetto Cenacolo	Bronze, 115 cm
1958	Museum of Modern Art, Venice	Toro ferito	Bronze, 45 cm
1974	Heilig Kreuz Church (Langnau im Emmental)	Altar, crucifix, tabernacle, statue of the Virgin Mary and ambo	Bronze group, different heights

literature

Luigi Carluccio (Ed.): Remo Rossi. (German and Italian, texts: Piero Bianconi and Paul Erni). Edizioni Casagrande Bellinzona, ABC Verlag, Zurich 1978, ISBN 3-85504-051-6 .
Paul Erni: Days with Remo Rossi. Sketches and notes. Locarno publishing house: Carlo Speziali, Locarno 1975, ISBN 351838600X .
Matthias Oberli: Remo Rossi. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland . January 5, 2012 , accessed January 12, 2020 .
Diana Rizzi: Remo Rossi. (Swiss Art Guide, No. 909, Series 91). Ed. Society for Swiss Art History GSK. Bern 2012, ISBN 978-3-03797-060-7 .