Initially perceived as illegal and subversive, urban art has gradually established itself as a major art form that can be found on every continent, from small villages to major capitals.

Citing a desire to move away from museums and private spaces and address street audiences, contemporary urban artists cultivate popular themes and styles, often linked to social concerns. The spectacular growth of this free, spontaneous art form is due to its many advantages.

The frescoes are created on existing, usually concrete, surfaces. Street art doesn’t require any special construction, so installation costs are kept to a minimum.

In the age of new technologies and social networks, urban art is undoubtedly the most viral and widely-shared artistic movement. Breaking down boundaries, it offers unparalleled visibility and accessibility to audiences of all ages.

The growing interest shown by museums, galleries and major corporations in the work of urban artists shows that street art has become one of the major artistic movements of the 21st century.

Many capital cities are already offering urban itineraries and guided tours to discover these works of art, which visitors love to contemplate because they are integrated into their environment while offering an often poetic and always different view.

In 1578, for the first time in Switzerland, the life of the Swiss hero William Tell was depicted on the façade of an inn in Ernen (Upper Valais). Like the frescoes at Château de Vaas (Lens) or the painted house in Ayent, these works remind us that urban paintings are an integral part of Switzerland’s and the Valais’ historical heritage.

Popularized in Switzerland in the 18th century by Charles Victor de Bonstetten after a trip to Norway, the “Open Air Museum” or “Musée à Ciel Ouvert” today encompasses a wide range of concepts on all five continents. However, these museums, most of which are historical, are often limited to a single estate or village. The ambition of the Art Valais Wallis (AVW) association is quite different: to create a canton-wide museum!

Today, AVW perpetuates this pictorial tradition to enhance and enrich the canton’s heritage. By 2021, thirteen new frescoes had been created, from Zermatt to Monthey, via Vétroz, Fully and Sion. Other major projects are scheduled for 2022, 2023 and beyond.
These works already form thematic itineraries that raise public awareness of the value of our natural and cultural resources.

From Obergoms to St-Gingolph, this project is designed to enrich the canton’s tourism offering, revitalize the regions and enhance its heritage. It’s a dream come true, thanks to the dozens of communes and towns in the Valais that have offered urban artists creative space.

This new virtual museum, without roofs or walls, is also very real, as it allows visitors to follow themed trails linking the hundred or so frescoes scattered across the towns and villages of the Valais. This living exhibition, free of charge and on view all year round, covers an Alpine territory of 5,224 km2, almost 50 times the size of Paris.

The open-air museum aims to appeal to new generations. While young people have a hard time finding their way into museums and galleries, they do have a real interest in urban art. But this museum is not just for young people, it’s accessible to everyone – all you need is a cell phone.

Of course, visitors won’t need any technological aids to discover the works on offer at the Open Air Museum, whether they’re around a bend in the road, on a street corner or on the facade of a building. But the experience will be even better if you can access all the works in a single, free mobile application. It will enable you to geo-locate on an interactive map the frescoes proposed by the different thematic itineraries.

This interactive guide offers an immersive experience for users, who can view multimedia content, fi lms and slide shows, presenting the themes addressed by the frescoes. Certain works or installations could be used to support content using augmented reality.

New, fun and free, the Open Air Museum app is now available for iOS and Android. This new concept of a free, open museum that can be visited 24/7 all year round using a simple smartphone is now a reality.

A first tour, on the theme of water and the importance of our natural resources, already features dozens of frescoes. It will soon be complemented by other tours featuring new works on such essential themes as energy, mobility and food.

In recent years, a large number of walls have been entrusted to Swiss and international artists, most of whom are now highly regarded. This strategy of developing museum-quality works is at the very heart of the project. The aim, of course, is to enhance the thematic itineraries, as well as enriching the cultural and tourist imprint of the sites hosting these frescoes by established and up-and-coming artists.

The Open Air Museum’s various routes are of course accessible from any point in the canton, as they can be taken freely and in any order the visitor chooses. The Martigny, Visp and Sion regions, which are already home to numerous works of art, are all important stages from which visitors can follow local routes.

The town of Sion and AVW have a long history of trust and fruitful collaboration. The Valais capital was the first city in Switzerland to experiment with an “authorized” graffiti network in 2007. Sion is therefore the natural center of gravity for the new Open Air Museum, with its exceptional location, the Résidence.

In 2020, Domaine Mont d’Or became a partner of the Art Valais Wallis association to support artists, culture and the development of a local, sustainable heritage. Thanks to this collaboration, AVW is now able to offer artists from all over the world a unique place to live, create and exhibit their work.

Starting this year, AVW plans to develop an original residency program, based on short and long stays, for Swiss and international artists, graffiti artists, painters and photographers. These guests, chosen by a curation committee, will stay at the Résidence while they create the works that will enrich the museum’s collection.

The Residence is the starting point for the open-air museum. It’s also a place for cultural interaction, with year-round exhibitions, discovery workshops and publications featuring guest artists. User-friendly
and flexible, the Résidence can offer programs for the general public, targeted events or VIP experiences.

Visitors to the Résidence will find an exceptional venue, including an exhibition area, creative workshops, an information center on the various routes and the museum store.

128 works have been produced in the Valais since 2002, and many projects are planned for the coming years. The fruit of collaboration and trust between Art Valais and the municipalities, these paintings are now the pride of the residents and local residents who see them every day.

At any time, in any season, you can freely discover the walks offered by the Open Air Museum by downloading the free app. Simply activate it to be geo-located and instantly receive information on the nearest route and the urban artworks visible in the area.

Visitors to the museum can enjoy guided tours organized by the Art Valais Wallis association. They’ll be able to discover the frescoes under privileged conditions, exploring the canton on unforgettable walks.

Visitors to the Résidence will find an exceptional venue, including an exhibition area, creative workshops, an information center on the various routes and the museum store.