As part of the Kunsttage Basel and the international group exhibition *Tempesta*, the Fernet-Branca Foundation will present *the wizard is not real* by performer and choreographer Lisa Laurent on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
Lisa Laurent is one of the most distinctive voices of a new generation of performance artists. Pushing the boundaries of performance, she has developed a unique choreographic language that brings together body, voice, and emotion in unexpected ways. Both poetic and grotesque, *the wizard is not real* explores grief, melancholy, and disorientation, placing tears at the heart of the piece as an expressive and physical element. Here, emotion is transformed into sound, gesture, and rhythm.
For this exceptional work, Lisa Laurent received the Performance Award Switzerland in 2025.
The performance will be preceded by an introductory text by Pauline Coquart, presented in French.
The Artist:
Lisa Laurent is an artist based in Geneva (CH).
Lisa’s primary medium is choreography. Her work explores the representation of her own body through a lens of reflexivity and self-deprecation. With a particular interest in the tension between control and exposure, Lisa engages in a continuous deconstruction of form—physical, emotional, and spatial.
Her performances present fluid situations that challenge perception, heighten sensory experience, and foster deeper awareness and connection through the most intense emotions and vulnerability.
Alongside her choreographic practice, Lisa has worked with Cindy Van Acker and was a member of the Ribot Ensemble, where she participated in both new creations and the artist’s repertoire. From 2024 to 2026, Lisa is an associate artist at Sévelin 36.
Lisa Laurent is one of the most distinctive voices of a new generation of performance artists. Pushing the boundaries of performance, she has developed a unique choreographic language that brings together body, voice, and emotion in unexpected ways. Both poetic and grotesque, *the wizard is not real* explores grief, melancholy, and disorientation, placing tears at the heart of the piece as an expressive and physical element. Here, emotion is transformed into sound, gesture, and rhythm.
For this exceptional work, Lisa Laurent received the Performance Award Switzerland in 2025.
The performance will be preceded by an introductory text by Pauline Coquart, presented in French.
The Artist:
Lisa Laurent is an artist based in Geneva (CH).
Lisa’s primary medium is choreography. Her work explores the representation of her own body through a lens of reflexivity and self-deprecation. With a particular interest in the tension between control and exposure, Lisa engages in a continuous deconstruction of form—physical, emotional, and spatial.
Her performances present fluid situations that challenge perception, heighten sensory experience, and foster deeper awareness and connection through the most intense emotions and vulnerability.
Alongside her choreographic practice, Lisa has worked with Cindy Van Acker and was a member of the Ribot Ensemble, where she participated in both new creations and the artist’s repertoire. From 2024 to 2026, Lisa is an associate artist at Sévelin 36.
This text was translated by an AI.
