Spotlight: Wilde Inaugurates Its New Flagship Space With Striking Exhibitions of Omar Ba and Sylvain Corci-Torti

The new gallery is located in the heart of Geneva.

Installation view of "Omar Ba: Engrenages" (2023). Photo: Eric Bergoend. Courtesy of Wilde, Geneva.

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What You Need to Know: Swiss gallery Wilde has announced the relocation of its flagship location, opening this month in a historic building within the heart of Geneva—adding to the city’s dynamic cultural fabric. The new space encompasses two floors comprised of 1,000 square meters offering the gallery new opportunities to stage ambitious projects and exhibitions, and further Wilde’s curatorial program. In addition to the main gallery space, Wilde has created the Project Room, crafted specifically to showcase innovative new work and operate as a platform for experimentation and collaboration. Contributing to the gallery’s commitment to cultural experience, the new space also houses La Petite Librarie, dedicated to artists books and limited editions. The two inaugural exhibitions for the new flagship location are “Omar Ba: Engrenages” and “Sylvain Croci-Torti: So You Wanna Play With Magic?” Both exhibitions are on view through March 7, 2024.

Why We Like It: Since its founding in 2015, Wilde has established its eminence within both the Swiss and international art world. With locations in Geneva—where the new flagship has opened—Basel, and Zurich, the gallery has developed a vibrant roster and exhibition program spotlighting emerging and established artists alike. Significant to Wilde’s mission, the production of exhibition catalogues and artist monographs contribute to its cultural significance, and the allocation of part of the new space to La Petite Librarie is an apropos venue for its publishing endeavors. Senegalese artist Omar Ba’s solo is an intriguing inaugural presentation for the gallery; known for engaging with pervasive current issues, such as wealth and power, immigration, and the environment, “Engrenages,” or “Gears” offers insight into the myriad ways our current reality operates through artistic means. The smaller exhibition of work by French artist Sylvain Corci-Torti gives a snapshot into their experiments with color and shape, and the new Project Room’s ability to frame new bodies of work.

According to the Gallery: “For this pivotal stage, the inaugural exhibitions will be ‘Omar Ba: Engrenages’ in the main gallery and ‘Sylvain Croci-Torti: So You Wanna Play With Magic?’ in the Project Room. Ba’s exploration of identity, environment, and history seamlessly merges into symbolic, interconnected elements, while Croci-Torti blurs the boundaries between the realms of reality and imagination.

We are delighted to unveil an exciting program across our locations throughout 2024. In Geneva, Wilde is set to present a diverse array of compelling presentations in the main galleries, featuring Andrea Mastrovito, Charlotte Herzig, Valentin Carron, Mat Collishaw, and Adel Abdessemed. The Project Room will host a curated collection of cutting-edge artistic exploration, showcasing works by Linus Bill + Adrien Horni, Joachim Perez, Delphine Renault, Laura Thiong-Toye, and Akiyoshi Deschenaux. Simultaneously, an enriching selection of emerging and accomplished artists will be presented in our Basel gallery with captivating solo shows by Léopold Rabus, Seline Burn, Kendell Geers, Yann Gross, and Rachel Lumsden.”

See inside the gallery and featured works below.

La Petit Librairie. Courtesy of Wilde, Geneva.

Installation view of “Sylvain Croci-Torti: So You Wanna Play With Magic?” (2023). Photo: Eric Bergoend. Courtesy of Wilde, Geneva.

Installation view of “Omar Ba: Engrenages” (2023. Photo: Eric Bergoend. Courtesy of Wilde, Geneva.

Installation view of “Omar Ba: Engrenages” (2023. Photo: Eric Bergoend. Courtesy of Wilde, Geneva.

Installation view of “Omar Ba: Engrenages” (2023. Photo: Eric Bergoend. Courtesy of Wilde, Geneva.

Omar Ba: Engrenages” is on view through March 7, 2023.


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