07/10/2026
โ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ง๐ฉ-๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฏ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐ฉโ โ ๐ผ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ง๐ฬ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง, ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐๐จ
As part of the programme accompanying The Unfinished Business of Living Together at the Swiss Pavilion at Biennale Arte 2026, Palazzo Trevisan degli Ulivi hosts a one-off concert on Friday 9 October celebrating Swiss pianist and composer Irรจne Schweizer (1941โ2024), a key figure in European jazz and free improvisation.
Sarah Chaksad, Hamid Drake and Maggie Nicols will join Swiss Pavilion artist Nina Wakeford for an evening of live improvisation, weaving together music, spoken word and archival material from the Swiss Social Archive.
Alongside her acclaimed international musical career, Schweizer was part of Zurichโs Homosexuelle Frauengruppe (HFG), which played an important role in developing le***an culture in Switzerland. Her musical and political histories resonate closely with The Unfinished Business of Living Together, which explores division, coexistence and LGBTQ+ history through archival material, including the 1978 Telearena and 1984 Agora broadcasts that debated homosexuality live on air. Schweizerโs story has been a particular point of departure for the contributions to the Pavilion.
Performing:
Sarah Chaksad - Swiss saxophonist, composer and bandleader who played with Schweizer towards the end of her life.
Hamid Drake - renowned drummer and percussionist who collaborated and recorded extensively with Schweizer.
Maggie Nicols - pioneering free improviser who worked with Schweizer in the Feminist Improvising Group and Les Diaboliques.
Nina Wakeford - Swiss Pavilion artist, performing as vocalist and narrator.
๐ Palazzo Trevisan degli Ulivi, Venice
๐
Friday 9 October 2026
๐ฃ 8:30 pm
๐๏ธ Free admission, until full capacity is reached
The Unfinished Business of Living Together is curated by Gianmaria Andreetta and Luca Beeler with artist Nina Wakeford, and developed in collaboration with Miriam Laura Leonardi, Lithic Alliance and Yul Tomatala and runs until 22 November 2026.
The event is made possible through the kind support of Goldsmiths, University of London (School of Art) and The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia is responsible for the contributions in the Swiss Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
ph. 2 Laura Pleifer
ph. 3 Ziga Koritnik
ph. 4 Emile Holba
ph. 5 Del LaGrace Volcano