In the summer of 2023, Tessa Perutz returned to Verbier for her second residency with the Verbier 3-D Foundation, building on a relationship that began in 2018. Known for her vibrant, site-responsive practice, Perutz uses painting to explore themes such as perception, time, scale, awe, sublimity, escape, and the intrinsic connection between art and nature.

Her first residency in 2018 culminated in the creation of Sans Souci, a series of oil paintings that reflects the tranquility of the Swiss Alps and takes its name from the French phrase meaning “no worries.” Transformed into a large-scale sign, one of the works from the Sans Souci series now welcomes visitors at the entrance of the Verbier 3-D Sculpture Park, along the trail between Les Ruinettes and La Chaux left stations. The work merges visual poetics with function, setting a precedent for Perutz’s unique approach to art-making within natural landscapes.

The 2023 residency marked a more focused and intentional period of research and creation. Perutz returned to further examine the alpine landscape, immersing herself in the environment and developing new work that seeks to translate this experience into visual form. Central to this next phase is the creation of a new mural—an expansive, site-specific work inspired by and situated within the very landscape that informs it. By placing the mural within nature, Perutz celebrates the harmonious coexistence of artistic expression and ecological presence. The project invites viewers to consider their own relationship to the environment, offering a moment of reflection, wonder, and connection.

In alignment with the Foundation’s commitment to experimentation and site-specific engagement, the mural will be installed atop a repurposed piece of ski lift infrastructure—the highest point within the Sculpture Park. This bold placement speaks to the Foundation’s interest in the psychological impact of high-altitude environments, and how they can evoke a heightened emotional and cognitive response. The artwork will serve not only as a visual landmark but also as a conceptual portal, bridging physical elevation with emotional resonance.

The mural is slated for installation in the summer of 2025 and will stand as both a tribute to the alpine landscape and a testament to the evolving dialogue between art and nature that defines the Verbier 3-D Foundation’s mission.

Tessa Perutz is an artist based in New York and Paris. She received her BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and also studied at The Slade School of Fine Art, UCL in London, UK.

Her first solo institutional exhibition How to Map the Infinite was presented by Casino – Forum d’art contemporain, Luxembourg in 2023 – 2024. Her first major publication consisting of a selection of her journals will be published by Casino Luxembourg in Autumn 2025.

Recent solo exhibitions include R;68, Cologne (2024); ATM Gallery, New York (2023); Art Brussels with Baronian (2023); Baronian, Knokke (2022); Avee Gallery, Kortrijk (2021); Baronian Xippas, Brussels (2020); Ballon Rouge, Brussels (2020); Stems Gallery, Brussels (2019); Marie-Laure Fleisch, Brussels (2019); Verbier 3-D Foundation, CH (2018); Pablo’s Birthday, New York (2018, 2016).

Notable group institutional exhibitions include The Drawing Center, New York (2020); Verbier 3-D Foundation, CH (2020); M KHA Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (2019); MOCAD Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (2017); Atlanta Contemporary (2017).

Select group gallery exhibitions include Valerius Gallery, Luxembourg (2025); Phillips, Los Angeles (2024); Studio Underground, New York (2024); Baronian, Brussels & Knokke (2024, 2023, 2022); Pablo’s Birthday, New York & Verbier (2024, 2023, 2021, 2019); PLUS-ONE / Sofie Van de Velde, Antwerp (2024, 2019); Super Super Markt, Cologne (2023); Ruttkowski;68, New York & Paris (2023, 2021); basis, Frankfurt (2022); Taymour Grahne Projects, London (2022); WOAW Gallery, Hong Kong (2022); Romero Paprocki, Paris (2022); Magenta Plains, New York (2021); Baronian Xippas, Brussels & Knokke (2021, 2020); Avee Gallery, Kortrijk (2021, 2020); Milk Studios, New York (2018); September Gallery, Hudson, NY (2017); Jack Hanley Gallery, New York (2016); Motel, Brooklyn (2016).

Perutz has participated in residencies including Verbier 3-D Foundation, CH (2023, 2018); Fondation CAB, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, FR (2022); The Macedonia Institute, Chatham, NY (2019); SÍM, Berlin & Reykjavik (2018, 2016); The Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco (2017).

Her work is included in the public collections of the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Fondation CAB, Brussels & Saint-Paul-de-Vence, FR; and Verbier 3-D Foundation, CH.

Watch her Model Painting Master Class here.