Yuri Catania has bestowed the Office of Cultural Economy with an extraordinary gift in the form of a captivating portrait entitled "New Orleans Floral Ballade".
This remarkable artwork serves as a multifaceted celebration of the city's rich heritage, intricately weaving together depictions of cultural bearers, the roots of music, and the architectural gems that define New Orleans. At its core, the portrait is a testament to the enduring legacy of the city, encapsulating the profound power embedded in its cultural tapestry. Through Catania's artistic lens, the portrait becomes a visual narrative, elucidating the unique and influential heritage that continues to shape the soul of New Orleans.
Artwork is now on exhibit at Gallier Hall in New Orleans, marking the commencement of a new artistic journey for the artist.
Read the Mayor's Office of Cultural Economy: News & Information
Updated: Dec 16, 2023
Yuri Catania in New Orleans for JazzAscona
JazzAscona will celebrate its 40th anniversary with "Jazz Off The Wall", a street art event featuring over 40 giant photographic works by Yuri Catania. Preview in New Orleans.
The first previews of the 40th edition of JazzAscona, scheduled from June 20 to 29, 2024, are unveiling. The festival in Ticino will celebrate, among other things, its 40 years of history with a street art event that will present about forty photographic works of large and medium sizes curated by Yuri Catania, an Italian-Swiss artist known for his extra-large works created on public and private buildings. The event planned in Ascona will be the largest open-air exhibition dedicated to jazz through the paste-up technique. It will involve the entire historic center of Ascona during the next festival and will include, in addition to portraits made by Yuri Catania, works by other photographers who have worked at the Ascona festival in the past.
In recent weeks, Yuri Catania went to New Orleans where he made a series of films and photographs with musicians and various characters, masterfully capturing the unique spirit of the city. In New Orleans – with which, let us remember, Ascona has been officially twinned since 2022 – the first work of the exhibition will also be created, which at the end of January-beginning of February will be installed on the west facade of the historic Jazz Market, an iconic place where the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra performs. The band, led by maestro Adonis Rose and already a Grammy Award winner, has been closely collaborating with JazzAscona for several years.
Ephemeral like all the works that will be created in Ascona, the installation in New Orleans will cover an area of 40 square meters. Made with a mixed technique, printed on paper and applied to the wall of the Jazz Market, the work will depict the picturesque village of Ascona with a view of Lake Maggiore and its bell tower. The composition also includes images of a piano, some members of The Ragtime Nightmare band, and a parade of musicians from the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, creating a surreal atmosphere where different cultures and environments converge, united by the unmistakable rhythm of music.
Similar to all the works that can be admired in Ascona, the installation at the Jazz Market will be enriched with augmented reality through the ArtiVive app, offering visitors an immersive experience with extra content, such as live musical performances and special messages.
The "Jazz Off The Wall" exhibition by Yuri Catania aims not only to celebrate the 40 years of JazzAscona through a series of stunning black and white portraits of artists who have marked the history of the festival but also to bring to light an entire cultural universe made of photographs and videos of live performances, parades, costumes, culinary traditions, to give visitors an authentic and engaging vibe.
Yuri Catania in New Orleans for JazzAscona has beeb featured on:
Corriere del Ticino
L'Informatore
More info:
Press Office JazzAscona - Luca Martinelli: +41 78 673 45 05 press@jazzascona.ch
Yuri Catania Studio - Silvia Torricelli: +41 79 137 3111 silvia@yuricatania.art
Read the Mayor's Office of Cultural Economy: News & Information
Updated: Dec 16, 2023
New Orleans Flowers Legacy Artworks by Yuri Catania for the Sister Cities New Orleans & Ascona Switzerland
Catania has just completed his first session of the artist residency in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the photographic project JAZZ OFF THE WALL for JazzAscona. His intense work period, closely interacting with some of the most prominent musicians and artists in the global jazz scene, led him to create a new series of surrealist paintings through his photography and collage titled: New Orleans Flowers Legacy Artworks by Yuri Catania for the Sister Cities New Orleans & Ascona Switzerland.
The works, bursting with bright colors, characters, and tropical flowers, represent the unique culture of New Orleans. This culture is a blend of values and traditions, from the royal French influence to the vibrant Creole culture and ancient African traditions. This multiethnic experience has sparked Catania's imagination towards surreal worlds where beauty, honor, and the values of traditions stand out strongly, defending a city that rejects conformity in favor of preserving and passing down its popular traditions through parades, costumes, music, and gospel.
