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René Mayer reinvents contemporary art through his unique vision

How did an artist who remained in the shadows for almost 50 years emerge, in the space of just a few exhibitions, as a leading figure in Swiss and European contemporary art? The answer lies in one name: René Mayer. This Swiss artist, born in 1956, produced for decades without ever exhibiting. No gallery, no website, no communication. Just a silent studio, a continuous practice, a personal demand. Until, in 2023, he decided to open his world to the public. Since then, each exhibition has revealed a different aspect of his abundant body of work, at the crossroads of abstraction, sculpture and existential reflection. What René Mayer offers cannot be summed up as an aesthetic: it is a language. A language in which forms whisper, colours vibrate, and each piece seems to come from a world that is both interior and universal. Through a series of landmark exhibitions in Switzerland, Italy and Turkey, René Mayer has reinvented contemporary art through his unique vision, which is at once intuitive, structured, radical and profoundly human. René Mayer did not follow the classic route taken by contemporary artists. He didn't come out of a fashionable art school, he didn't seek institutional recognition, he didn't attend residencies or art fairs. For almost half a century, he worked alone, in the privacy of his studio, exploring his own personal paths, far from the trends. It wasn't until 2023 that he agreed to exhibit publicly for the first time. What struck critics and visitors at the time was not just the formal quality of his works, but their coherence, depth and maturity. We discovered an artist whose vision was already fully formed, whose pictorial and sculptural cycles followed one another with an almost musical logic. Since then, each exhibition has confirmed this singularity. René Mayer does not belong to any school, nor does he allow himself to be confined by any style. He develops his own artistic grammar, between allusive figuration and gestural abstraction, between raw material and delicate symbolism. A series of landmark exhibitions: from Piedmont to Central Switzerland 1. Schleichende Veränderung - Bubbio, Italy (summer 2024) This is perhaps his most emblematic exhibition to date. Presented at the SAB - Spazio Arte Bubbio, and curated by Luca Beatrice, President of Rome's Quadriennale, "Schleichende Veränderung" (Stealthy Change) revealed 30 powerful and meditative recent abstract works to the Italian public. The display, sober and immersive, gave way to the slow inner transformation that these paintings provoke. The title itself evokes René Mayer's central theme: everything changes, slowly, imperceptibly - to the point of irreversibility. The exhibition was hailed by Italian critics as a "belated but momentous revelation". The artist, invited to talk about his work, remained true to himself: discreet, precise, deeply committed to his process. 2. Solidarity exhibition - Galerie Fresa y Chocolate, Vevey (December 2024) At the end of 2024, René Mayer is taking part in a group exhibition in aid of the NGO What Water, which finances water infrastructure in Africa. Curated by Alicia Pestalozzi, this exhibition has a strong humanitarian dimension, with 25% of sales going to the NGO. René Mayer is presenting several original works, including some from the Finitude series, in a more intimate, narrative version. The artist's humanist commitment, rarely expressed verbally, shines through in his choice of works and in their silent power. 3 Istanbul - Intercultural encounter (2025) The following year, René Mayer was invited to exhibit in Turkey, as part of a cultural dialogue between Swiss and Turkish artists. In Istanbul, his works resonated with the city's thousand-year-old history, its rich symbolism and its contemporary energy. For the first time, more graphic works on paper are on show alongside granite sculptures and acrylic paintings. The public will be able to discover another side of Mayer: that of an artist traversed by civilisations, but faithful to an inner quest. 4 "What the eye does not see" - Galerie Zimmermannhaus, Baar (March 2025) In March 2025, the exhibition "What the eye does not see" marks René Mayer's entry into a leading Swiss gallery. At the Zimmermannhaus in Baar, he exhibited works from the Augen (Eyes) series, alongside stylised sculptures in black stone. The exhibition questions the gaze, wilful blindness and the invisible truth. One of the major pieces, a sculpture of a head with a single eye on the back of its neck, quickly became emblematic of his work. The German-speaking Swiss public discovered an artist who was both demanding and accessible. 5. Hergiswil - Matter as language (May 2025) More recently, René Mayer exhibited in Hergiswil, on the shores of Lake Lucerne. The space, bathed in light, lends itself ideally to the exploration of matter as a vector of emotion. The exhibition features sculptures in pumice, granite and marble from the Marble & Granite cycle, all derived from initial models in terracotta. These works reflect the tension between the organic and the mineral, between immediate gesture and eternal solidity. A body of work that crosses materials but remains unified What makes René Mayer's exhibitions so coherent, despite the diversity of media - canvas, paper, terracotta, stone, installation - is the constancy of his approach. Each work is an attempt to capture the invisible, to materialise an intuition, a feeling, a silence. His pictorial series (Mutation furtive, Finitude, Terre en émoi, Protégé ou enfermé?) engage in a non-hierarchical dialogue with his sculptures (Viva Viva, Marbre & Granit, Augen). They are never decorative, but always essential. René Mayer never explains his works. He rejects unambiguous interpretations. What he seeks is to provoke a resonance in the viewer. A disturbance. A question. An emotion. His approach, profoundly free, draws on a variety of influences: traditional African art (for its symbolic power), minimalism (for its formal sobriety), gestural painting (for its spontaneity), and classical sculpture (for its quest for balance). But in the end, he develops his own language. A unique vision, where each form is chosen, each void is inhabited, each material has a reason for being. René Mayer reinvents contemporary art through his unique vision, not by breaking with tradition, but by inscribing a singular voice. His exhibitions are not social events: they are experiments in concentration, presence and slowness. It takes time to get into his work. But once you're in, you'll never forget it. Today, as his name begins to circulate in contemporary art circles, René Mayer continues to work with the same exacting standards. With little media coverage and a low profile on the networks, he is building a body of work that is outside the codes, but at the heart of our times.

How did an artist who remained in the shadows for almost 50 years emerge, in the space of just a few exhibitions, as a leading figure in Swiss and European contemporary art?The answer lies in one name: René Mayer. This Swiss artist, born in 1956, produced for decades without ever exhibiting. No gallery, no website, […]

Clay at the heart of René Mayer’s sculptures

René Mayer's creative process

Before becoming monumental, René Mayer’s sculptures are born in the palm of his hand. It’s not in marble or granite that he first shapes his forms, but in a supple, warm, organic material: terracotta. It is clay that captures the first breath of the work, the first movement, the first impetus. In his studio, Mayer […]

Discover the artistic materials used by René Mayer

discover-the-artistic-materials-used-by-Rene-Mayer

René Mayer works with a wide variety of materials, chosen not for their spectacular value, but for their ability to convey an idea, a feeling, a movement. Yet it all starts in the same way: with a raw cotton canvas, stretched by hand using a personal technique that he has refined over time. Once the […]

Discover the modern abstract works of René Mayer

discover-rene-mayer's-modern-abstract-works

Do you know why some modern abstract works sell for millions of euros today, even though they may seem incomprehensible at first glance? Behind their intriguing shapes and bold colours, these artistic creations challenge traditional codes and invite everyone to explore their own emotions and perceptions. Whether you’re an experienced art lover or simply curious, […]

Abstract art and emotions: René Mayer in the spotlight

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Do you know why some abstract works fascinate you, while others leave you totally indifferent? The answer often lies in an invisible but powerful ingredient: the emotions involved in abstract art. Far beyond simple shapes and colours, abstract art has the unique gift of touching your senses directly, evoking feelings that are sometimes unsuspected or […]

History of abstract art: René Mayer and his inspirations

histoire-de-l-art-abstrait-rene-mayer-et-ses-inspirations

Do you know which work of art in the 20th century turned the traditional codes of art upside down and caused both admiration and controversy? The historyof abstract painting is full of captivating stories, visionary artists and amazing masterpieces that have revolutionised our understanding of art. Whether you are interested in contemporary art or simply […]

Cultural calendar: René Mayer’s forthcoming exhibitions

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Do you know which European country has the most museums per capita? Against all odds, it’s Switzerland! And yet, despite this exceptional cultural wealth,Swiss art on the international stage is still often overlooked by the general public. In a world where culture is a gateway to exchange and dialogue, effectively promoting Swiss art beyond national […]

Contemporary Swiss art inspired by nature: René Mayer

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Do you know what a sculpture made from plastic waste, a painting using natural pigments and graffiti depicting nature in an urban environment have in common? All these examples perfectly illustrate the growing popularity of ecological themes in art, an artistic phenomenon that challenges, raises awareness and prompts reflection on our relationship with the environment. […]

Abstract sculpture: feelings at the heart of René Mayer’s art

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Do you know why some works of art move you immediately, while others leave you completely indifferent? Today’ s evocative modern sculptures are powerful creations capable of inspiring, moving and provoking thought in a wide audience. Much more than just decorative objects, these modern sculptures embody a unique artistic language, capable of expressing complex emotions […]

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