Artist Fabrice Gygi cultivates an aesthetic of escape, seeking off-the-grid territories in Central Asia

Artist Fabrice Gygi is currently on a journey across Central Asia, traveling by van towards the potentially off-the-grid Turkic-speaking regions of Kazakhstan. His expedition, which began two months ago, aims to explore areas between the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. However, reaching him for an interview has proven challenging, with mobile connections frequently dropping, leading Gygi to express skepticism about the feasibility of such communication.

Gygi, a Geneva-based artist, is embarking on this journey partly as a response to being awarded the Meret Oppenheim Prize 2026. This national distinction, Switzerland's highest official artistic honor, comes with a 40,000 franc award. Despite the recognition, Gygi seems disinclined to dwell on his nearly four-decade career, preferring to focus on his current explorations.

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I feel an incomprehensible nostalgia for places I've never been.

The artist's current location in the vast Kazakh steppe underscores his pursuit of remote and less-connected environments. His journey reflects an aesthetic of escape and a deliberate move away from constant connectivity, making traditional journalistic interviews difficult to conduct. The challenges in reaching him highlight his commitment to experiencing these less-traveled paths firsthand.

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it shouldn't work