At this year’s Gstaad Art Week, Alexandre de Betak presents a new installation that treats light as a material in its own right—an element that conquers space and perception rather than illuminating it. Known internationally for his work across fashion, design, and architecture, de Betak has built a career developing environments that merge immersive experience with spatial precision.
Installed in a traditional barn in the Bernese Oberland, the project continues his long‑running inquiry into ephemeral and immaterial forms of architecture. Following his presentation at Frieze London in 2025, this new iteration situates his exploration within a rural context, contrasting the barn’s historical utility with the installation’s contemplative emphasis on seeing and sensing.
De Betak’s connection to the region is long‑standing. Since first visiting the Swiss Alps several years ago, he has been deeply influenced by their vernacular architecture. This installation expands that admiration into practice, establishing a connection between inherited craft and more contemporary design.
From the outside, a modest Alpine shed, or Swiss schürli, stands solemnly among the snow. But what lies inside is a complete transformation. Spread across two levels, mirrors and natural light reshape the barn’s geometry, altering both its depth and orientation. Floors and walls are warped by floor‑to‑ceiling mirrors, refracting light and bringing the bright surrounding exterior inside.
The project also examines the Japanese chashitsu, the ceremonial tea room. While both structures share precision and respect for material integrity, the artist has chosen not to quote either form directly. Instead, de Betak translates their shared logic into an abstract language of light, proportion, and reflection.
De Betak continues to transform spatial and structural awareness into an active form of contemplation, and visitors will be fortunate to immerse themselves in his illuminating productions.
