A collective work by Yuri Catania to tell the story of the USI world

In anticipation of the UniVerso open day scheduled for Saturday, 10 May 2025, artist Yuri Catania, already known in Ticino for several significant artistic works created in the region, including those displayed at Palazzo dei Congressi in Lugano, Jazz Ascona, and the Credinvest Bank Building in Lugano, will create a large artwork representing the entire USI world.

The paste-up artwork, which consists of printed paper cutouts applied to a wall with vinyl glue, will be a vast collage of faces: the faces of Università della Svizzera italiana (USI). The university thrives because of its community: the faculty, employees, and students. To create the work, USI needs the contribution of as many individuals as possible to fully represent the reality of the university. The artist aims to photograph at least 1,000 people, including teachers, students and employees, but the hope is to reach an even higher number.

The work will reference the "Play your future" communication campaign created by Catania himself. The same flowers, in the colours of the different faculties, will be featured alongside black and white portraits of individuals from USI. The subjects will be photographed individually. Each photo will be cropped, printed in black and white, and cut out. There is no risk of accidentally being included in the artwork. Yuri Catania will be present on the USI Campuses in the coming days. If you are interested, he can quickly take a photo of you to be included in this significant project that will, as already mentioned, represent USI and is expected to be displayed on the designated surface for at least a year.

Participation in this project is voluntary. If you choose to have your photo taken, you will be asked to fill out and sign a release form granting permission for your image to be used in the artwork. It is essential to sign a written consent for your photograph to be used. After the paste-up is created, the photo files will be destroyed, making them unusable for any other purpose.

The upcoming dates are:

Tuesday, 25 February 2025, West Campus from 8:45 am to 3:30 pm (Main Building Atrium)

Thursday, 27 February 2025, East Campus from 8:45 am to 3:30 pm (Sector C first floor)

Friday, 28 February 2025, West Campus from 8:45 am to 12 pm (Main Building Atrium)

Friday, 28 February 2025, East Campus from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm (Sector C first floor)

In April and early May, anyone interested can participate in the cutting and pasting activities. Yuri Catania's art is participatory, allowing everyone to contribute to the realisation of this great work. More information will be provided in the coming weeks.

For further information on this project, please contact the Head of the Study Advisory and Promotion Service, Erika Lovisotto Vismara.