JazzAscona will celebrate its 40th edition with “Jazz Off The Wall”, a street art event featuring more than 40 giant-size photographic oeuvres by Yuri Catania. A preview in New Orleans.

The first details about the 40th anniversary edition of JazzAscona scheduled for June 20–29, 2024 are seeping through. The festival in Ticino will celebrate its 40th edition with a street art event that will feature more than 40 large- and medium-sized photographic oeuvres curated by Yuri Catania. The Swiss–Italian artist is known for his extra-large artwork created on public and private buildings. The exhibition to be held in Ascona will be the largest open-air art display dedicated to Jazz with special paste-up techniques. Entitled “Jazz Off The Wall” it will involve the entire old town of Ascona during the upcoming festival and will include not only portraits taken by Yuri Catania but also by other photographers who have worked at the festival in the past.

Just a few weeks ago Yuri Catania traveled to New Orleans where he made a series of videos and photographs of the musicians and various personalities that masterfully capture the city’s unique spirit.  It is precisely in New Orleans (with which, let’s remember, Ascona is officially twinned since 2022) where the first paste-up oeuvre will be created. In late January–early February it will be installed on the west facade of the historic Jazz Market, the iconic venue where the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra performs. The Grammy Award winning ensemble, conducted by Adonis Rose, has been working closely with JazzAscona for several years.

Like all the other paste-ups that will be created in Ascona, the installation in New Orleans will be ephemeral and will cover an area of 40 square meters. Made with mixed media, printed on paper and applied to the wall of the Jazz Market, the artwork will depict the charming village of Ascona with a glimpse of Lake Maggiore and its bell tower. The composition also includes images of a piano, some members of the band The Ragtime Nightmare, and a parade of musicians of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, creating a surreal atmosphere where different cultures and environments converge, linked together by the unmistakable rhythm of music.

Similar to the artwork to be seen in Ascona, the installation at the Jazz Market will also be enhanced by augmented reality through the ArtiVive app, offering visitors an immersive experience with extra content, such as live musical performances and special messages.

Yuri Catania’s “Jazz Off The Wall” exhibition aims to celebrate JazzAscona’s 40th anniversary through a series of stunning black-and-white portraits of artists who have contributed to the festival’s history. His artwork will bring to light an entire cultural universe of photographs and videos of live performances, parades, costumes and culinary traditions.