Marisa Cornejo Studio

Research artist in the fields of memory, identity and migration

  • Me vuelvo un Guñelve

    Helmhaus, Zürich
    22.05.2025, 6.30 pm 

    Title: Me vuelvo un Guñelve
    By: Marisa Cornejo
    Curated by: Nathalie Killias and Cristiana Contu
    Exhibition: Passato Presente
    Venue: Helmhaus, Limmatquai 31, 8001 Zürich
    Date: 22.05.2025, 6.30 pm  

    This performance by the artist Marisa Cornejo is based on a dream in
    which she metamorphoses into a Guñelve. The Guñelve is an eight-
    pointed star that symbolises the dawn. As the morning star, it is
    generally associated with the planet Venus. It also plays an
    important role in Mapuche culture. In Marisa Cornejo’s dream, her
    own body has metamorphosed into a Guñelve, behind which several men
    are gathering, among them her own grandfather. Dreams provide the
    starting point for many works by this artist, who by transforming
    dreams into art is able to visualise what has been suppressed and
    record even deeply buried traumas.

    Webpage

    Booklet
    Invitation card
    Passato Presente

  • Passato Presente

    Helmhaus, Zürich
    11.04–09.06.2025 

    Title: Passato Presente
    With: Marisa Cornejo, Pascale Eiberle, Esther Ernst,
    Mark Formanek, Michel Gilgen, Johanna Müller,
    Jos Näpflin, Lea Schaffner, Jonathan Steiger, Sabine Troendle,
    Franz Wanner, Olivia Wiederkehr, Uwe Wittwer
    Curated by: Nathalie Killias and Cristiana Contu
    Venue: Helmhaus, Limmatquai 31, 8001 Zürich
    Dates: 11.04–09.06.2025 

    An exhibition that seeks the past in the present

    The past cleaves to the present, as the title of this exhibition describes: [il] passato [è] presente.As Augustine of Hippo remarked 1500 years ago, there is no past as such, only ‘a present of things past’ as perceived by the mind. The past accompanies us as memory, because according to Novalis ‘all remembrance is the present’.

    Memories can be vivid or fleeting, enduring or ephemeral, painful or imagined. Our lives are shaped by personal experience, but also by events that have entered the collective memory. The works by thirteen artists exhibited here sound out both the scope and the limits of remembrance. They address those traumatic experiences that sear our souls like sheets of paper. They define the whiff of suffering that surrounds us like an invisible veil, or they visualise the simultaneity of absence and presence. Even the yearning for the ‘good old days’ and for nostalgia itself is here reworked as art.

    The exhibition is an invitation to ponder the many different ways in which we preserve the past – or detach ourselves from it.

    Webpage

    Press release
    Invitation card
    Room sheet

  • Home is where we start from

    Maison Tavel, MAH, Genève
    20.02.– 31.08.2025 

    Title: Home is where we start from
    With: Marina Abramović, Clara Alloing, Anna Barseghian, Marie José Burki, Marisa Cornejo, Fabiana de Barros, Anjesa Dellova, Silvina Der-Meguerditchian, Elena El Asmar, Ekene Emeka-Maduka, Kantarama Gahigiri, Margherita Giust i & Selinna Ajamikoko, Mona Hatoum, Vanna Karamaounas, Varduhi Khachatryan, Kimsooja, Elisabeth Llach, Keiko Machida, Shirin Neshat, Rosana Palazyan, Maria-Carmen Perlingeiro, Mai-Thu Perret, Carmen Perrin, Alexandra Roussopoulos, Davide-Christ elle Sanvee, Iris Sara Schiller, Zineb Sedira, Maria Tsagkari, Vivianne van Singer.
    Curated by: Adelina von Füstenberg
    Venue: Maison Tavel, MAH, Genève
    Dates: 20.02.– 31.08.2025 

    Home is where we start from is a contemporary art project that begins in the Canton of Geneva to celebrate the voices of women artists when they are confronted with intercultural priorities and the impact of migration. The project aims to highlight the inherent singularities in the artistic creation of women, shaped by their identity and culture, inherited from the first, second, and sometimes even the third generation of immigrants.

    The project will delve into the memories of lost, abandoned, or reshaped identities, exploring notions of separation, displacement, survival, and rebirth, themes deeply rooted in the experiences of female immigrant artists as they find a new home. This newfound home becomes the space where creativity can once again express itself. The question of place holds fundamental importance in the transmission of culture, encompassing both the spiritual dimension, ideas, daydreams, and the physical locations that facilitate these cultural exchanges.

    Overall, Home is where we start from not only celebrates women artists’ resilience and creativity but also underscores the continuous interconnection and influence of diverse cultures in each other. It addresses significant societal themes, such as the impacts of migration on development and the importance of cultural exchange, making it a timely and relevant exhibition that prompts reflection and understanding.

    Adelina von Fürstenberg, ART for The World, Geneva

    Webpage

    Press release
    Invitation card
    Room sheet

  • Des seins à dessein

    Espace Arlaud, Lausanne
    07.09.–10.11.2024

    Title: Des seins à dessein
    Curator: Marie-Christine Gailloud Matthieu
    Artistes: Alfredo Aceto, Elie Autin, Sophie Ballmer et Tarik Hayward, Yel. K Banto, Amina Belkasmi, Garance Bonard, Selim Boubaker, Collectif and then…, Marisa Cornejo, Karine Dahouindji, Anaïs Defago, Anjesa Dellova, Natacha Donzé, Lucas Erin, Gilles Furtwängler, Fredéric Gaboud, Charlotte Herzig, Andreas Hochuli, Camille Kaiser, Philomène Le Baron, Emma Lucy Linford, Nastasia Meyrat, Giancarlo Mino, Nayansaku Mufwankolo, Zanele Muholi, Frida Orupabo, Zion Perrin, Gina Proenza, Laurence Rasti, RM, Stéphanie Rosianu, Dorian Sari, Vanessa Schindler, Ser Serpas, Francine Simonin, Niels Trannois, Helena Uambembe, Léonie Vanay, Caroline Ventura, Gaïa Vincensini, Baker Wardlaw, Manon Wertenbroek, Shirin Yousefi, Myriam Ziehli
    Venue: Espace Arlaud, Lausanne
    Dates: 07.09.–10.11.2024

    5e édition – du 7 septembre au 10 novembre 2024.

    L’exposition Des Seins à Dessein est une exposition d’art contemporain organisée par la Fondation Francine Delacrétaz en faveur des personnes touchées par le cancer du sein en Suisse romande. L’institution réunit ainsi le monde de la santé et de l’art dans une volonté de parler du cancer autrement tout en mettant à l’honneur la production contemporaine locale et internationale.

    Listing
    Invitation card
    Room sheet
    © Olivier Christinat

  • Sintiendo las dos lunas (Feminist community relations)

    Swiss Arts Awards, Messe Basel
    11–16.06.2024 

    Title: Sintiendo las dos lunas (Feminist community relations)
    Curated by: Danniel Tostes
    Special thanks to: Stéphane Fretz, Nora Gatica Krug, Léa Fluck, Sabine Leuthold, Sara Mayenfisch, Selma Meuli, Leandra Zumbühl
    Jury SAA 2024: Raffael Dörig, Victoria Easton, Tobias Kaspar, Roman Kurzmeyer, Mai-Thu Perret, Nicole Schweizer and Una Szeemann 
    Venue: Swiss Arts Awards, Messe Basel, Halle 1.1, Basel
    Dates: 11–16.06.2024 

    swissartawards.ch

    The Swiss Art Competition, held annually since 1899, is the world’s oldest art award. The accompanying Swiss Art Awards exhibition, which is organised by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, offers an insight into current art and architecture in Switzerland and is a valuable reference for art professionals and art lovers. The jury of the Swiss Art Awards consists of seven members of the Federal Art Commission, selected by the Federal Council, as well as five invited experts.

    Swiss Art Awards 2024
    Team: Léa Fluck, Sabine Leuthold, Sara Mayenfisch, Selma Meuli, Leandra Zumbühl 
    Special thanks to : Danniel Tostes, Stéphane Fretz, Nora Gatica Krug and MCStudio

    Catalog
    Invitation card
    Room sheet

  • High and Fragile

    Lovay Fine Arts, Geneva
    05.04.–25.05.2024 

    Title: High and Fragile
    Curator: Danniel Tostes
    Venue: Lovay Fine Arts, Geneva
    Dates: 05.04.–25.05.2024 

    We are happy to invite you to the opening of High and Fragile  by Marisa Cornejo. Guest curator Danniel Tostes has selected a series of paintings on paper depicting the artist’s highly detailed dreams. Surrealist landscapes show us various migration experiences, as well as her own physical, mental, and emotional trajectory.  For over 30 years, Cornejo has been giving form to her nocturnal visions, as a personal diary. She is inspired by the Mapuche and Mexican indigenous traditions in which remembering  one’s dreams can become a guide for our daily life. From then onwards, she has modified her feminist practice using oneiric storytelling as the very core of her artistic creation, interrogating and giving voice to her body as an archive.

    Website
    Invitation flyer
    Performance
    © Claude Cortinovis

  • « Oh dear feelings […] »

    HiFlow, Plan-Les-Ouates
    16.11.2023–31.01.2024 

    Title: « Oh dear feelings […] »
    Les artistes: Bruno Botella, Anne Golaz , Lauren Huret et Maria Guta, Steeve Iuncker, Viola Leddi, Luc Mattenberger, Virgile Novarina et Walid Breidi, CorneliaParker, Sabrina Röthlisberger Belkacem, Caroline Schattling Villeval, Jeanne Susplugas, Galaxia Wang 
    Artistes de la collection des HUG: Fabiana de Barros et Michel Favre, Georg Baselitz, Marisa Cornejo, Maëlle Cornut, Victor Feodorov, Luisa Figini, Tony Morgan
    Curators: Séverine Cattin, Sara Petrucci
    Venue: HiFlow, ch. du Champ-des-Filles 36A, Plan-Les-Ouates
    In collaboration with: artHUG
    Dates: 16.11.2023–31.01.2024 

    Dans le cadre de son cycle de programmation 2023 – HUMAIN(S), HiFlow choisit de questionner notre rapport aux soins et invite les commissaires d’exposition Séverine Cattin et Sara Petrucci à concevoir une exposition collective d’art contemporain, en collaboration avec ArtHUG. 
    Qu’est-ce qui nous définit en tant qu’entité sentant et percevant au sein des macrocosmes que nous habitons ? L’exposition collective “Oh dear feelings” explore les dialogues entre l’humain et le soin, développe des thématiques liées à une éthique et à une esthétique du ”care”.
 Penser l’humain porte à questionner les relations que nous entretenons non seulement avec notre corps et notre intériorité mais aussi avec le vivant, avec le collectif, son environnement, animé ou non animé.
    L’exposition, sous forme de parcours, propose des stations exploratoires au sujet de l’humain, du non-humain et du post humain. Elle se présente sous la forme d’un dialogue entre des artistes contemporains et contemporaines, avec des pièces de la collection des HUG. 
    Vernissage Jeudi 16 novembre 2023 à 18h

    Website
    Invitation flyer
    Press release

  • Todavía somos el tiempo

    Centro Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo, Santiago, Chile
    04.11.2023–24.03.2024 

    Title: Todavía somos el tiempo: arte y resistencia a 50 años del golpe
    Curators: Florencia San Martín y Claudia del Fierro
    Curatorial assistant: Carolina Arévalo
    Design: Pedro Chavarriz
    Venue: Centro Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo, CNAC,
    Av. Pedro Aguirre Cerda 6100, Cerrillos, Santiago, Chile
    Dates: 04.11.2023–24.03.2024 

    Todavía somos el tiempo: arte y resistencia a 50 años del golpe es el nombre de la muestra que se inaugura el próximo 4 de noviembre y que se podrá ver hasta marzo de 2024 en el Centro Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo (CNAC). Bajo la curatoría de Florencia San Martín y Claudia del Fierro, la muestra toma su nombre de un verso del poema Aniversario de la Premio Nobel de Literatura, Gabriela Mistral, incluido en su libro Lagar.

    La muestra forma parte de una serie de actividades y exposiciones que, desde fines de 2022, ha realizado el CNAC como parte de la conmemoración de los 50 años del golpe de Estado.

    “Esta exposición condensa parte importante y significativa de la labor que hemos estado proponiendo en los últimos años desde el CNAC. Ella responde no solo a la necesidad de conmemoración de los 50 años del golpe de Estado, sino que también permite activar dos de sus ejes de trabajo, denominados ‘Territorios y memorias’ y ‘Feminismos y activismos’; asimismo, permite exhibir y poner en valor las obras de arte contemporáneo que forman parte del patrimonio en artes visuales perteneciente al Ministerio de las Culturas”, señala la directora del Centro Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo, Soledad Novoa Donoso.

    Educational program
    Invitation card
    Web page

  • Sonar & co 2023

    Musée Alexis Forel, Morges
    01.–03.09.2023

    Title: Sonar & co
    Curated by: Philippe Fretz, art&fiction
    Artists: Ainoha Cayuso,Louis Loup Collet,Frédéric Cordier,
    Marisa Cornejo, Cristina Da Silva, Naomi Del Vecchio,
    Christoffer Ellegaard, Fred Fivaz, Nicolas Fournier,
    Philippe Fretz, Leyla Goormaghtigh, Florian Javet,
    Alexandre Loye, Keiko Machida, Lika Nüssli, Helge Reumann,
    Jérôme Stettler, Laura Thiong-Toye, Caroline Tschumi
    Venue: Musée Alexis Forel, Grand-Rue 54 1110 Morges
    Dates: 1 – 3 septembre 2023

    Website

  • Embrace

    Espace Forde, Geneva
    07–28.09.2023 

    Title: Embrace
    Curated by: Danniel Tostes and Lari Medawar. Un projet conçu pour l’espace Forde dans le cadre du Fesses-tival.
    Artists: Brutus Labiche, Juri Bizzotto, Marisa Cornejo, Sahara Azzeg, Wallace Ferreira, Élie Autin, Jamal Nxedlana, Valeska Romero Curiqueo, Pascale Isidora et Kairaan Kika
    Venue: Espace Forde, Geneva
    Dates: 07–28.09.2023 

    Le projet d’exposition Embrace présenté dans l’espace Forde à Genève explore la relation entre le corps, l’espace et ses chorégraphies, en se concentrant principalement sur différents moyens de créer une communauté. Le projet présente des œuvres de 10 artistes de différentes générations, cultures et contextes qui explorent leurs relations avec le corps et sa complexité, mais également sa représentation et sa propre place en tant qu’unité au milieu d’un groupe.

    Website
    Poster