Romane de Watteville: "I’ll miss you when I scroll away" — solo

Romane de Watteville: "I’ll miss you when I scroll away" — solo exhibition at Istituto Svizzero, Milan

The Istituto Svizzero in Milan hosts a solo exhibition by Swiss-French artist Romane de Watteville. The presentation brings together painting, photographic collages, drawing and scenographic elements to investigate contemporary portraiture and the construction of identity.

De Watteville's work often fragments perspective and uses visual artifice—echoing trompe-l’œil—so that faces appear partial or obscured, bodies are cropped, and mirrors or screens complicate the relationship between viewer and subject. Fashion and costume recur as devices for identity-making, while references to cinema and art history enrich the interplay between paint and photographic imagery.

• Dates: 15 April – 4 July 2026
• Venue: Istituto Svizzero, Via del Vecchio Politecnico 3, Milan
• Media: figurative painting, photographic collages, drawing, murals and scenography
• Main themes: identity, public vs intimate representation, the role of fashion in portraiture

The exhibition invites careful looking: portraits avoid a single biography and instead offer multiple possible identities, prompting visitors to become active interpreters. The installation emphasizes the encounter between works and space, turning the act of viewing into part of the artwork.

Practical tips

• Check opening hours and any temporary closures on the Istituto Svizzero website before your visit.
• Allow 45–60 minutes to fully explore the exhibition.
• This show is particularly relevant for those interested in contemporary painting, image critique and scenographic practice.

Why go: if you follow contemporary approaches to portraiture that blend painterly technique with reflection on digital and social identity, this solo exhibition presents richly composed works that encourage critical reading of images.