Esther Mathis (b. 1985 in Winterthur, Switzerland; lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland)

Blinds (2021/2026)
Shifting Structures (2025)
Mirror pink (2012)

Esther Mathis’s scientifically informed yet poetically expressive works navigate the interplay between natural and artificial light, incorporating architectural elements and alchemical processes. Mathis’s attention to the subtleties of light and use of materials such as glass and metal oxides create experiences that challenge notions of sensory perception.

Mathis’s installation brings together three works that reflect different stages of her sustained investigation into light, perception, and the transformation of space. At the heart of the presentation is Blinds (2021/2026), a motorized slat curtain that redirects and modulates natural light within the architectural setting. Its continuous movement responds to changing conditions, transforming the atmosphere of the space as sunlight enters or disappears behind clouds. The work introduces an element of unpredictability, making light itself an active and constantly changing component of the installation. At OFFSCREEN, Blinds has been adapted to engage with the specific architecture of La Chapelle La Salpêtrière. Shifting Structures (2025) deepens this investigation through reflective aluminum sculptures inspired by photographic filters and industrial window grids. Their mirrored surfaces reflect and distort the surrounding architecture, creating an almost fluid perception of space. Their flexible structures suggest a balance between stability and adaptability. The video work Mirror pink (2012), one of Mathis’ early explorations of light refraction, traces the movement of the sun through a small mirror placed in the Dead Sea, making the rotation of the earth visible through a simple physical phenomenon.

Mathis studied photography in Milan and New York and completed her MFA at Zurich University of the Arts, followed by a PhD on “Directing Light”. Her work has been presented in solo exhibitions at Kunsthalle Arbon and Kunstverein Friedrichshafen (both 2017), and in group exhibitions at Helmhaus Zürich (2024), Kunst Museum Winterthur (2018–2024), and Kunsthalle Arbon (2018). Her works are held in permanent collections including Kunst Museum Winterthur, Kanton Zürich, Stadt Winterthur, Zürcher Kantonalbank and the Mobiliar collection. Numerous of her art-in-architecture commissions are permanently on view in public spaces across Switzerland.

Livie Gallery shows a wide range of practices within contemporary art, while striving for a non-hierarchical approach towards artistic backgrounds.

The gallery was founded by Marie and Caspar Livie in 2019, with the intention to provide a platform for international artists to present their work in Switzerland, and to develop a program of emerging Swiss-based artists. Livie Gallery participates in international and Swiss art fairs such as Liste Basel, ARCO Madrid, ArtGenève, Art Cologne and the Armory Show in New York.

The gallery aims to provide an open platform for all and to facilitate a dialogue across backgrounds and generations to foster engagement for the arts.