An Echo from Within. Lika Nüssli

On Saturday, November 22, at 5:00 p.m., the exhibition An Echo from Within will open — a project by Lika Nüssli (Flawil, 1973).

The event is part of the third edition of A occhi aperti, the international comics and illustration festival curated by Hamelin, scheduled to take place in Bologna from November 19 to 23, 2025, at the International Museum and Library of Music.

The work of Lika Nüssli — a multifaceted Swiss artist, storyteller, and illustrator — moves fluidly between illustration and comics, but also large-scale painting and live performance, conceived specifically for the spaces in which she works.

A occhi aperti presents her first solo exhibition in Italy, coinciding with the release of her first book published by Sigaretten, Cosa forte. In this work, Nüssli retraces, with both brutality and tenderness, her father’s harsh childhood in the Swiss mountains, where he was entrusted by his parents to a farming family.

Alongside the original comic boards, the temporary exhibition spaces of the International Museum of Music — with a few references within the permanent collection — explore the connection between the artist’s work and the realm of sound. Drawing on her background as a textile designer, Nüssli works with large canvases painted in vivid, saturated colors, following the flow generated by various soundscapes, often performed live by musicians.

During the opening, visitors will be able to attend the live performance As Soon as Darkness Falls, featuring live music by Elliptic3: Luca Bernard (double bass), Federico Eterno (alto and baritone saxophone), and Filippo Giuffrè (guitar and electronics).

Music therefore plays a central role in the exhibition design, which unites the artist’s comic-inspired and performative dimensions through a site-specific action with live musicians.

Curated by Hamelin in collaboration with the Municipality of Bologna | Bologna Civic Museums Department | International Museum and Library of Music, and Sigaretten Edizioni Grafiche. With the support of Pro Helvetia.

The exhibition will run until January 6, 2026.