"MIGROS TO THE MOON": Yuri Catania’s Interactive Street Art Tour Inside Swiss Supermarkets
- Apr 12
- 3 min read
Breaking the Boundaries of Traditional Museums
Visual artist Yuri Catania is radically redefining how we experience art.
Supported by the Migros Ticino Cultural Percentage (Percento culturale Migros Ticino), his groundbreaking new exhibition, "MIGROS TO THE MOON", transforms the everyday supermarket aisles of Switzerland into an interactive, globally unique contemporary art gallery.
Through a 12-stop tour across the Ticino canton, Catania brings the first "Space Man in a Supermarket," tearing down museum walls and placing monumental, participatory art directly into the heart of daily life.
The "Shopping Cart Installation": Customers as Co-Protagonists
The true innovation of this project lies in the transformation of the humble shopping cart into a mobile artistic pedestal. Over 20 life-size, hand-painted silhouettes, featuring astronauts, the Moon, and satellites, are mounted directly onto supermarket carts.
This creates a dynamic, relational artwork: the installation relies on the physical movement of the customers to come alive. Shoppers step out of their passive roles to become active co-protagonists, taking the art "for a walk" through the aisles in an unpredictable, participatory choreography.
Pop Provocations: A Surreal Treasure Hunt Catania’s immersive experience extends to the supermarket shelves, using irony to create visual "short circuits" among everyday consumer goods. Hidden among regular groceries, customers can discover surreal, artist-designed packaging such as:
Luna Passata (Lunar Tomato Purée)
Lunar Soup
Space Cereals
Moon Cheese
This playful treasure hunt contrasts the high-tech, gravity-free life of an astronaut with the grounded, essential value of fresh, local food—luxuries that are impossible to replicate in outer space.
Eco-Friendly Technique & Monumental Outdoor Murals
The mobile silhouettes are crafted using Catania's signature sustainable paste-up technique, featuring printed paper, eco-friendly glues, hand-painted details, and his iconic floral constellations. Furthermore, the physical pieces are enhanced by Augmented Reality (AR), unlocking exclusive digital content via smartphone.
In addition to the ephemeral indoor exhibition, the project will leave a permanent mark on the Swiss territory with two monumental outdoor street art murals:
On the facade of the Casa Comunale in Melano (housing the Migros branch on the ground floor).
On the back of the Migros Campagna Adorna in Mendrisio, strategically visible from the A2 highway.
The Vision: Art that Connects the Community
“The partnership with Yuri Catania represents the highest expression of our philosophy,” states Luca Corti, Head of Communication and Culture at Migros Ticino. “Through the Cultural Percentage, we consider culture a mission: connecting people and offering them experiences of discovery. This unique project brings culture directly inside a supermarket, acting as a tangible symbol of our commitment to uniting and enhancing the local community.”
"To The Moon" Ticino Tour Dates (2026)
The exhibition will travel across the Ticino territory. Mark your calendars to experience the interactive art at your local Migros:
April 19: Migros Melano (Opening & Mural Inauguration)
May 5: Migros Campagna Adorna, Mendrisio (Mural Inauguration)
May 18: Migros Lugano Centro
June 8: Migros Tesserete
June 22: Migros Taverne
July 6: Migros Agno
July 20: Migros Bellinzona Centro
August 3: Migros Locarno
August 26: Migros Maggia
September 7: Migros Bellinzona Nord
September 21: Migros Faido
October 5: Migros S. Antonino
"MIGROS TO THE MOON" in the Press
The groundbreaking concept of bringing contemporary art into supermarket aisles has already captured the attention of the Swiss cultural media.