Syl Gelewski (he/they) is an artist and curator who graduated in Contemporary Art Practices from HEAD–Geneva, Switzerland, in 2019. Their work encompasses curating, painting, installation, writing, and performance. They are interested in lists, colours, political events, neurodivergence, queer spaces, and the value of work, through a play between norms and their most superfluous details. From 2019 to 2022, they fought in groups for artists’ rights. From 2020 to 2023, they curated exhibitions at the Soul2Soul space. From 2021 to 2023, they co-founded a transdisciplinary project called Doppelganger Collective. From 2023 to 2025, they co-curated the Spielact festival. They are currently pursuing a Master of Research degree at the Royal College of Art in London. In short, if their various practices were to be arranged into one single form, it would probably be a bento.
Recent curatorial projects: Spielact, Geneva, CH (2024-25); Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH (2020-23); Cheminée Nord, Geneva, CH (2019/24); Sculpture Garden, Geneva, CH (2020). Recent solo shows and residencies: Neuer Kunstverein, Giessen, DE; Hangar CIA, Lisbon, PT (2025); Sihl Delta, Zurich, CH (2024); Backbeatbolaget, Sandviken, SE (2023); Cité internationale des arts, Paris, FR; Dogo Residenz, Lichtensteig, CH (2021); E-Werk, Freiburg i.B., DE (2020). Recent group shows: Kunsthalle, Trier, DE; Gowen Contemporary, Geneva, CH (2024); Ausstellungsraum Klingental, Basel, CH; Raum für Sichtbarkeit, Berlin, DE (2023); Flux Laboratory, Geneva, CH; der TANK, Basel, CH (2022); Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva, CH; Fabienne Levy Gallery, Lausanne, CH; Centre d’Art Contemporain, Yverdon, CH (2020); Archivio Conz, Berlin, DE (2019).
*1991 Nyon, CH
Lives & works between London, UK & Geneva, CH
Education
2025-26 Postgraduate Master of Research, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2017-19 MFA, Work.Master, Contemporary Art Practices, University of Art & Design (HEAD), Geneva, CH
2018 Exchange Semester, Painting Class of Sophia Schama, Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule, Halle, DE
2014-17 BFA, Painting, University of Art & Design (HEAD), Geneva, CH
2012-13 Art History, University of Geneva, CH & Film History and Aesthetics, University of Lausanne, CH
Curating
2025
Collections d’Artistes, Spielact, Le Commun, Geneva, CH (duo w. Amir El May)
w. Yann Stéphane Bisso, Nicolle Bussien, Salomé Engel, Judith Kakon, Emmanuelle Lainé, Thomas Moor, Anita Muçolli, Aramis Navarro, Aurélie Pétrel, Valentina Pini, Nina Rieben, Anja Ripoll, Jeanne Tara, Paulo Wirz
2024
The Neighbours, Carla da Silva (solo), Cheminée Nord, Geneva, CH
Zahltag, Spielact, Le Commun, Geneva, CH (duo w. Amir El May)
w. Yvan Alvarez, Ismaël Bazri, Sophie Conus, Cécile Cornet, Manuela Morales Délano, Victor Delétraz, Karine Deluz, Bastien Gachet, Nicola Genovese, Sophie Jung, Matheline Marmy, Julie Monot, mountaincutters, Elias Njima, Anissa Nussbaumer, Victoria Palacios, Augustin Rebetez, Alexandra Sheherazade Salem, Dorian Sari, Anaïs Wenger
2023
K5, Julie Sas (solo), BIG Biennale, Geneva, CH
In Nocens, Razab (solo), Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
2022
Making mistakes is human, Renen (solo), Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
Pleure-moi une rivière, Eva Zornio (solo), Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
Muta, Viola Poli (solo), Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
Encore heureux, Victor Delétraz & Annabelle Galland (duo), Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
Click bait title, Finsterbusch Collective, Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
I want you so bad, Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
w. Miriam Beichert, Yann Stéphane Bisso, Simon Boixader, Karine Deluz, Anna Diehl, Abigail Janjic, Damien Juillard, Aramis Navarro, Claire Megumi Masset, Elias Njima, Gabriel Nunige, Noemi Pfister, Arnaud Sancosme, Sarah Valérie Steiner, Ismael Taha, Jeanne Tara, Niels Trannois, Elektra Tzamouranis, Caroline Ventura, Shannon Zwicker
2021
Tout ce qui couvrait une vie humaine déjà scintillait, Dorine Aguerre & Rémi Dufay (duo), Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
Warm tales for a dead fire, Collective Disgrace, Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
w. Sophie Conus, Pablo Rezzonico Bongcam, Ilana Winderickx
2020
Pourquoi les boîtes de pizzas sont-elles carrées ?, Yvan Alvarez & Paul Hutzli (duo), Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
Sans chemise, sans pantalon, Sculpture Garden, Geneva, CH (w. Brigida Bocini)
w. Basile Dinbergs, Agathe Frasson-Cochet, Paul Hutzli, MACACO Press, Trystan Matthey, collectif La Soupe
Sealed for your protection, Juli Sando & Vanessa Urben (duo), Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
2019
Sammelsurium, Cheminée Nord, Geneva, CH
w. Vesna Bilanovic, Bianca Maria Guala, Luca Kasper, Julie Marmet, Diane Rivoire, David Sentkar, Antoine Siron
Pratiques de la distraction, group show, Live In Your Head, Geneva, CH (for Christophe Kihm)
Nothing is something (to an observer), group show, Live In Your Head, Geneva, CH (for Christophe Kihm)
Grants, Residencies & Collections
2025-2026 Scholarship, Swiss Benevolent Society, London, UK
2025 RCA President and Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship, London, UK
Residency, Hangar CIA, Lisbon, PT
2024 Research Grant, The Court Jester, Cantonal Contemporary Art Fund (FCAC), Geneva, CH
Art Fund Collection, City of Plan-les-Ouates, CH
Grant, The Court Jester, Oertli Stiftung, Zurich, CH
Residency, Sihl Delta, Zurich, CH
2023 Public Art Collection, Region Gävleborg, SE
Residency, Optic, Sandviken, SE
2022-23 Residency, Picto, Geneva, CH *
2022 Residency, Looming, Flux Laboratory, Geneva, CH *
2021 Residency, Simon I. Patino Foundation,Cité internationale desarts, Paris, FR
Research Grant, Doppelganger, Canton of Geneva, CH
Residency, Dogo Residenz, Lichtensteig, CH
2020 Residency, E-Werk, Freiburg i.B., DE
2014- Private collections
Solo Exhibitions
2025 Confidante, Neuer Kunstverein, Giessen, DE
2024 A Home Is A Home, Peripherie 8, Basel, CH
Spieglein, Spieglein, Sihl Delta, Zurich, CH
2023 Tempus Fugit, Backbeatbolaget, Sandviken, SE
2021 Le Mur_01, cur. Bianca Maria Guala, Le Grain, Geneva, CH
Dwarfs, Unicorn, Glasses, Dogo Residenz, Lichtensteig, CH
2020 Acrobatic Painting, E-Werk, Freiburg i.B., DE
2019 DALTON(S), La Fonte, Geneva, CH
2017 Osmose, Usine à Gaz, Nyon, CH (duo w. Collectif Ceres)
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 A Letter from a Friend, Bacio, Bern, CH
Salutation, Gowen Contemporary, Geneva, CH
THIRTIES: Colour Codes, cur. Sabina Oroshi, Kunsthalle, Trier, DE
Un silence qui en dit long, cur. Amir El May, Fonds d’art de Plan-les-Ouates, CH
2023 aMás, Ausstellungsraum Klingental, Basel, CH *
Aparté 3, Espace Topic, Geneva, CH *
Inclinação Para O Proibido, comıtė, Lisbon, PT
Naked in the woods, cur. Cora Lou Gercke, Raum für Sichtbarkeit, Berlin, DE
2022 Bang Bang, Tinguely Museum, Basel, CH *
2021 Dogo Totale, Dogo Residenz, Lichtensteig, CH
2020 #Artisted’ici, FMAC, Geneva, CH
Wie zu Hause, wo ich nicht bin, cur. Niels Trannois, Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva, CH
XXaf, art&fiction, Lausanne, CH
Space Invasion, Fabienne Levy Gallery, Lausanne, CH
2019 Fridges are not frigid, cur. Niels Trannois, Archivio Conz, Berlin, DE
Selected Performances
2023 aMás, BIG Biennale, Geneva, CH *
2022 aMás, Flux Laboratory, Geneva, CH *
Jack of all Trades, der TANK, Basel, CH *
2021 Who’s Afraid Of?, Cité internationale des arts, Paris, FR *
Service Trois Pièces, Vélodrome, Geneva, CH
2020 Rock Me Baby, cur. Sébastien Mettraux, Centre d’Art Contemporain, Yverdon-les-Bains, CH
2019 Service Trois Pièces, Théâtre Pitoëff, Geneva, CH
The Blazing World, Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, DE (for Maï-Thu Perret)
The Blazing World, Spike Island, Bristol, UK (for Maï-Thu Perret)
2016 Controlled Unpredictability, Théâtre de l’Usine, Geneva, CH (w. Antoine Siron)
Publications, Press & Texts
2025 Sylvain Gelewski zeigt Installation “Confidante” beim Kunstverein, Giessener Anzeiger
Les Bêtes, Le Grain (text for Esteban Chanez)
Collections d’Artistes, Contemporary Art Switzerland
Collections d’Artistes, Contemporary Art Pool
Spielact, l’art sous toutes ses facettes, Le Courrier
Le Grand Moulin, Le Grain (text for Nicolas Fournier)
2024 A Home Is A Home, Contemporary Art Pool
Spielact s’intéresse au travail des artistes, Tribune de Genève
Zahltag, Contemporary Art Pool
Spieglein, Spieglein, KubaParis
Sylvain Gelewski at Sihl Delta, Zurich, Daily Lazy
Sylvain Gelewski at Sihl Delta, Contemporary Art Switzerland
Spieglein, Spieglein, An exhibition by Sylvain Gelewski, Contemporary Art Pool
Quand l’art décode nos interactions avec le monde, Tribune de Genève
Quelques heures en compagnie d’Akiyoshi, (text for Akiyoshi Deschenaux)
2023 Doppelmoral, Visarte
Happy Hours – Meisterschüler*innen der HfK Bremen, Gesellschaft für Aktuelle Kunst (text for Renen)
Sylvain Gelewski, up & coming
Capsule 1.84, Halle Nord (text for Valentin Merle)
Rafistolages, Rundgang
In Nocens, Soul2Soul/RU (text for Razab)
2022 Making Mistakes Is Human, Soul2Soul/RU (text for Renen)
Looming – Doppelganger Collective, Flux Laboratory *
Muta, Soul2Soul/RU (text for Viola Poli)
Encore Heureux, KubaParis
Encore Heureux, Soul2Soul/RU (text for Victor Delétraz & Annabelle Galland)
Soul2Soul, la musique et l’art contemporain dans l’âme, Le Temps
2021 Tout ce qui couvrait une vie humaine déjà scintillait, Soul2Soul/RU (text for Dorine Aguerre & Rémi Dufay)
No risk, no fun, Dogo Residenz (ISBN 978-3-033-08868-9)
Sylvain Gelewski, Dogo Archive
Pour argent comptant, Le Courrier
2020 Service Trois Pièces, self-publication (ISBN 978-2-940510-57-3)
Why do pizza boxes have a square shape?, Contemporary Art Switzerland
Invasion non agressive chez Fabienne Levy, Tribune de Genève
Commitments
2026- Founder, DivergenX, Geneva, CH/London, UK
2023-25 Co-curator, Spielact, Geneva, CH
2021-23 Co-founder, Doppelganger Collective, Geneva, CH
2020-23 Curator, Soul2Soul/RU, Geneva, CH
2019-22 Committee Member, G.A.R.A.Ge, Geneva, CH
Committee Member, Visarte.Genève, Geneva, CH
2014-17 Co-founder, EICA Records, Geneva, CH
*as Doppelganger Collective
SYLVAIN GELEWSKI 