Elevation 1049: global energy through artistic lenses

Elevation 1049 returns to Gstaad for its sixth edition, titled Energies, running from February 2nd to March 16th, 2025. Organized by the Luma Foundation and guest-curated by Stefanie Hessler, Director of the Swiss Institute in New York, the exhibition explores global energy systems through artistic interventions. Spanning two indoor venues—the Carpentry in Schönried and the Station in Saanen—alongside outdoor installations, the show presents newly commissioned works by 14 artists and collectives.

With climate change visibly altering the Swiss Alps, Energies addresses the social, political, and ecological dimensions of energy production and consumption. Nikita Gale’s installation interrogates the politics of power and infrastructure, while Haroon Mirza’s sound-based work examines energy transfer through light and electricity. Meanwhile, Ximena Garrido-Lecca reflects on ancestral knowledge and its relevance in contemporary energy debates.

Through a mix of critical, poetic, and speculative perspectives, Energies imagines alternative, community-driven energy futures. By engaging with shifting landscapes, sustainable technologies, and the entanglement of natural and man-made systems, the exhibition prompts a reconsideration of how energy shapes our world.