Groupe Bélier, Peter Coffin, Fabiana de Barros, ECAL, Elgaland-Vargaland, Cao Fei, Robert Filliou, Claire Fontaine, Holger Friese & Mona Jas, Ryan Gander, Andreas Golinski, Fabrice Gygi, Carsten Höller, General Idea, Lang / Baumann, Jérôme Leuba, Lokal-Int, Matt Mullican, Neue Slovenische Kunst, ONS - die neue zeit, Mai-Thu Perret, Marco Poloni, Peter Regli, Didier Rittener, République du Saugeais, Katja Schenker, Kerim Seiler, L'école de Stéphanie, Nedko Solakov, State of Sabotage, Steiner & Lenzlinger, Superflex, Andrea Thal & Saskia Holmqvist, Tatiana Trouvé, United Transnational Republics, Clemens von Wedemeyer, W+W, René Zäch, Andrea Zittel, Zorro & Bernardo, Eurythmie Zuccoli, 360° and more than twenty micronations

The 11th Swiss Sculpture Exhibition is to celebrate its grand opening on the 29th of August, marking the entry of this new regular on Europe's cultural agenda. With its international participation list, it is expected to place itself in the international art field.

Lang/Baumann: Beautiful Steps #2, 2009

galvanisierter Stahl, Aluminium
Installiert am Hochhaus des Palais de Congrès, Biel/Bienne

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Under the artistic direction of Simon Lamunière, who also happens to be the curator of internationally acclaimed Art Basel Unlimited, Utopics has received a thorough make-over. Starting in 2009, the Swiss Sculpture Exhibition, which took place for the very first time in 1954, will now be held in regular 5 year intervals.

This year, the curatorship of Utopics is planning a novelty in the art circus: not merely artists will be showing their works - micro nations like Sealand or Kingdom of Talossa will be presenting their pieces next to rather freaky individuals. It will be quite the trick to determine whether a specific project finds its origin in an artist's mind or not. But most importantly, Utopics redefines art in the public space. Armed with guides that have been specially conceived for the exhibition, visitors will be directed on a two-hour tour around the city, which will make the spectator enter a hotelroom, allow him to sip a cup of coffee in La Rotonde whilst contemplating the work of a group of artists that go by the name of General Idea. One will then be led to Biel/Bienne's harbour to view national flags of non-existent countries and visit an optrician where Carsten Höller's "Upside Down Goggles" will turn the visitors world topsy-turvy, simply to finally stumble over some loose change on one of Biel/Bienne's squares.

Mat Mullican: Educational Toolbox, 2008-9

Ardeis Editions, Genève

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Utopics has devoted itself to exploring and opening new territories and substantial utopias. The exhibition is a must, not only for national and international art lovers, but also for families and cannot be missed.