Milan, at the Istituto Svizzero here is NYX, a two-person show by Maude Léonard-Contant and Monia Ben Hamouda

TheIstituto Svizzero di Milano is hosting from May 16 to May 29 the NYX two-person exhibition featuring the works of Maude Léonard-Contant and Monia Ben Hamouda. This collaboration between the two artists is driven by their shared interest in materials and exploration of languages.

Scented spices, modeling sand, ceramics or metal are woven into their installations, each material carrying narratives that unfold unexpectedly over time. Language is their medium, delving into processes of translation, ephemeral phrases and cultural reinterpretations, inviting reflection on multilingualism and the untranslatable. The title, NYX, alludes to the Greek goddess and the embodiment of night, born of chaos and which accompanied the two artists in their work for the exhibition.

Maude Léonard-Contant (Joliette, 1979) originally from the Lanaudière region(Canada/Turtle Island), formerly Atikamekw territory, has lived in Switzerland since 2013. Her chosen places since relocating are central Switzerland, Poschiavo and Basel, where she works and raises a family. His artwork is fueled by a continuous exchange between language and matter, as well as by reminiscences of a time when the greater beings of humanity ruled his life. She studied in Montreal(UQAM, Concordia University) and Glasgow(Glasgow School of Art). She has been the recipient of several awards, including the Frey-Näpflin Foundation’s year of work and the UBS Foundation’s award, the Spot on award, the Christina Spoerri award and the Lucerne Kunstgesellschaft award. His works have been exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts Chur, Switzerland; Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland; Mayday, Basel; Swiss Art Awards, Basel; Darling Foundry, Montreal; theAbrons Art Center, NYC; and Tramway, Glasgow. Her recent solo exhibitions include Kunstmuseum Luzern (2023) and at Kunsthaus Baselland (2022).

Monia Ben Hamouda (Milan, 1991) is an Italian-Tunisian visual artist living between Milan and al-Qayrawan. She holds a BFA from theBrera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. Her works have been exhibited at Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna; MAXXI, Rome; MUDEC, Milan; FRAC Bretagne, Rennes; MUSEION, Bolzano; MACRO, Rome; La Casa Encendida, Madrid; ChertLüdde, Berlin; Kunsthalle Mainz, Mainz; Ar/ge Kunst, Bolzano. She is currently a finalist for the Maxxi Bvlgari Prize 2024. She was the winner of the Vordemberge-Gildewart Foundation Grant (2024), theItalian Council for Contemporary Art (2023), the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (2022), theArt Business Accelerator Grant (2020), and the Ducato Contemporary Art Prize (special prize, 2021); she was also a finalist for the Club Gamec Prize VI (2022). Her works are featured in public collections such as: MAXXI, Rome; FRAC Bretagne, Rennes; MACRO, Rome; FRAC Corsica, Corsica.

For all information, you can visit the official website of the Swiss Institute.

Pictured: Maude Léonard-Contant, Digs (2022). Photo: Moritz Schermbach

Milan, at the Istituto Svizzero here is NYX, a two-person show by Maude Léonard-Contant and Monia Ben Hamouda

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