Renata Schalcher - (May / October)

From May to October, the sculptor Renata Schalcher enchants the pleasure gardens of Palazzo Salis in Soglio (GR) with meditative installations made of metal and radiant mirrors. The interplay with light is constantly in motion—sometimes it appears as scattered reflections in the trees, other times as a fleeting streak of color on the ground. There is always something new to discover.

For decades, the foundation of her work has been Japanese calligraphy as a form of meditative painting. Concentration is combined with grinding ink, washing brushes, drinking tea, and engaging with Zen philosophy. The movement of the brush flows into free drawing with ink, graphite, charcoal, and oil sticks, and continues into the design of sculptures. The large-format works, the “color spaces,” suggest that they too are essentially objects. In three dimensions, the color pigments shining through the individual layers radiate an immense intensity. What spontaneous brush drawings, powerful metal sculptures, and richly colored painting always share is a profound sense of calm and aesthetic harmony.

“HOMAGE TO THE POET RAINER MARIA RILKE”

He advocated for the recognition of women in the history of Casa Battista and in the family history of the von Salis. Six women from the history of the von Salis family of Soglio are each honored with a meditative installation or sculpture in the pleasure garden of Casa Battista.

1. Mountain Angel, Crystal Monolith

Meta von Salis (1855–1925), advocate for women’s rights. The first woman from Graubünden to earn a doctoral degree.

2. Goddess of the Night, Starved Happiness

Barbara von Salis-von Meiss (c. 1574–1640), wife of Battista, mother of 11 children. During the fall of Chiavenna, she fled one November night across the mountains into Avers with her large family.

3. Double Dancer

nna von Salis-Samedan/Sils (d. 1738), wife of Commissari Battista von Salis, mother of 8 children. She played a key role in the reconstruction of Casa Battista.

4. Undines

Perpetua von Salis (1750–1798). She was the last matriarch of the Salis family in Casa Battista. Construction resumed under her. A cookbook with recipes in Italian, French, and German has been preserved from her.

5. Fireflies and Glowworms Beneath the Branches of Dreams

Winifred d’Anzers Willi devoted particular care to the garden. In the 19th century, she brought plants from England to Soglio.

6. Brocade Air Carpet

Marcella Meier (1921–2018), writer of “The Green Silk Scarf.”