TIMES PARALLAX

Séverin Guelpa is an contemporary visual artist based in Geneva (born 1974).

Drawing inspiration from the regions he explores and their natural resources, his work engages with themes of identity, culture, time, and emancipation. His architectural structures, sculptures, videos, and photographs are deeply rooted in raw materials—stone, construction elements, and salvaged objects—which he extracts, assembles, or puts under tension to reflect on our relationship with the world and the resources we depend on. He primarily works in threatened landscapes, often in desert regions, seeking in their uniqueness and in the knowledge of local communities the driving forces behind his artistic practice.

In 2014, he founded MATZA, a platform which brings together artists, experts, architects, and local residents in extreme environments and emblematic urban areas worldwide. These immersive experiences explore human adaptability and the forms of collective intelligence that emerge in such territories. His past projects have included the Mojave Desert (2014-2017), the Aletsch Glacier (2016-2018), the Kerkennah Islands (2017), and several Swiss cities. From 2021 to 2023, he co-directed MATZA Edgelands, a project spanning four cities across the globe.

Séverin Guelpa holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Geneva and a Master’s in Visual Arts from HEAD – Geneva (Haute École d’Art et de Design).

While Séverin Guelpa has previously created several video works, often integrating them into his exhibitions (Rumbling Waters, 2022, or De Profundis Terrae, 2023), Times Parallax marks his first standalone short film.

Regularly invited to speak about his work and exhibited internationally, Séverin Guelpa collaborates with galleries, museums, independent exhibitions, and art centers.

He is represented by Espace L in Geneva and Stephan Witschi Gallery in Zurich.