Nomad 2024: a snowy 13th edition in St Moritz

In the stunning snowy setting of St. Moritz, where over a meter of snow has blanketed the area this year, the 13th edition of Nomad has wrapped up its latest chapter. This time, the event took place at the historic Hotel Eden, a gem from the 19th century nestled in the heart of St. Moritz, between the iconic San Maurizio Tower and the Veglia Church. With breathtaking views of the lake and the majestic Swiss Alpine mountains, Hotel Eden provided the perfect backdrop for the occasion. Throughout the event, thirty-four exhibitors, including 25 galleries and 9 special projects, brought the three floors of the hotel to life. The hotel, currently undergoing redefinition and restoration, boasted a captivating skylight on its top floor.

Nomad, the brainchild of visionary duo Nicolas Bellavance Lecompte and Giorgio Pace, welcomed back its steadfast exhibitors like Von Bartha, Angela Weber Möbel, The Gallery of Everything, and Volumnia, while also embracing new and esteemed participants. Among them, Florian Daguet-Bresson curated an amazing selection of contemporary ceramics, and my dear Claire Linder stood out with a very prominent piece priced at 16,000 Euros. Notably, some exhibitors pooled resources to cover participation costs, fostering a collaborative spirit among galleries like Chahan Gallery (Paris), Sorry, We’re Closed (Brussels), and Foreign Agent (Lausanne).

Stealing the spotlight were the design mavens: Rossana Orlandi, occupying the central floor, showcased “NOTITLE 02,” an eclectic exhibition celebrating the fusion of Art and Design in a structure-free environment. Zoltan Tombor’s solemn portraits defined the exhibition space, where beds (like that of Draga & Aurel at €54,000) alternated with gaming and billiard tables. Two pieces particularly captivated my attention: Jacopo Gonzato’s polygon-shaped wooden sound device, reminiscent of a tuning polygon, and the exquisite halo lamp by Madalaki, casting a sunset-like glow on the wall, born out of the artistic-experimental endeavors of the Halo Expedition project.

Continuing on the central floor, a series of smaller installations, some even inside showers, reminded us that this was a functioning hotel, with plenty of post-card windows. Here we encountered the special project by Cabana “A decade,” specifically conceived for Nomad Circle by creative director Christoph Radl, as a celebration of its 10th Anniversary and the bridging of its worlds: the printed page and tangible, everyday elegance. The room was wrapped in life-size photographs of antique textiles from the artist and decorator Soledad Twombly’s personal collection, captured by photographer Antonio Monfreda for Issue 11 of Cabana Magazine. Presented alongside were also an elegantly dressed collection of artisanal objets d’arts, tabletop, and lifestyle pieces from Cabana’s curated shop, Casa Cabana, inspired by the brand’s globetrotting narrative.

While this edition showcased a modest number of artworks, Eduardo Secci made a splash with his inaugural appearance, featuring both historicized works like Pistoletto’s “Venus with the Pipe” from 1973, and striking pieces by emerging artists like Anisha Payne, a wonderful sculptress who explores the human pursuit of spirituality in object form, as a mode of cultural expression distinct from religious symbolism. While stopping for a chat with Eduardo, he admitted how much he liked the fair; as the first edition, he was very happy with the environment, the location, and collectors.

One of the highlights comes from the long-time allure of Nina Yashar, aka Nilufar, who presented vintage treasures by Italian designer Gabriella Crespi from the 1950s, with the most expensive piece being a beautiful “tavolino scultura” priced at €100,000, along with armchairs by B.B.P.R. and nature-inspired pieces from Lebanese designer Khaled El Mays’ Flora collection.

Special mention to the beautiful works by Malù dalla Piccola produced this winter during her residency at the St. Moritz Art Academy and presented by Bunberg. In this new body of work, Malù dalla Piccola has worked with mythological forms, placing them in the world, exploring its boundaries, both physical and philosophical. This particular painting Let purple Phoebus lie in umber harvest is inspired by Cecil Beaton portraits.

To sum it up

Established in 2017 and never stopped since then, more than a traveling concept for collectibles objects and art, what has made Nomad special is the idea of feeling comfortable while buying pieces, as most of the time collecting is a personal passion and interest and needs the right frame for it.

As expected, the trendy decadent charm of the venue, this edition’s location was widely applauded. The central location undoubtedly contributed to the event’s success. However, there’s room for improvement, particularly in the layout and differentiation of pieces selected (lots of vases!), and the quality of displays, which at times appeared a bit too casual or dark. Also, not a very large amount of masterpieces, or big pieces (probably due to the precarious walls) that would have certainly appealed the notable attendance. Anyway, the atmosphere of coziness and luxury is never taken for granted, so we hope Nomad keeps doing his good job.