Graphic Stories at Calanca Biennale in Switzerland

Grono / Calanca / Buseno, Switzerland | 23rd of August, 2025

In August 2025, Aggeliki Athanasiadi – Creative Director of Graphic Stories and Irene Karotsi – collaborator participated in the opening of the Calanca Biennale in Switzerland, upon invitation from the organizers. Representing Cyprus, they attended the exhibition opening on Saturday, 23 August, in the mountain area surrounding the village of Buseno, in the Calanca Valley (Val Calanca), canton of Graubünden, held in collaboration with the Giornate Grigionitaliane 2025 festival.

Situated within the natural landscape, with mountains extending 360 degrees around the site, the Biennale offered a profound connection to nature. During the opening, organizer Adria Bertossa (aka Nabekle) gave a live interview with Christian Vigne, discussing the communicative power of posters and illustrations around a theme of universal significance, both metaphorically and literally, TREE & ME. She also highlighted the importance of international collaboration, including Cyprus’s contribution.

It was an honor for the team to be invited as representatives from Cyprus, with their works included among those of the awarded posters. The exhibition stood out for its spatial presentation, as posters were displayed at various points across the mountain area around Buseno, as well as in other locations at the foothills in Grono, creating a multifaceted and site-specific experience that emphasized the relationship between design, environment, and audience engagement. This participation concluded with the perspective of continuing our collaboration in 2027.