Exhibition: Paths from Above
Montagn’art: Demècre Cabin (2361m), Hauts de Fully
Marie-Hélène Perruchoud and Olivier Taramarcaz come from a country they inhabit from within. They met in a hair salon, and for twenty years have nurtured a wonderful artistic friendship. Each in their own way tells the story of their roots in the Alpine landscape. The Via Alpina celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025.
25 years + 1: the two artists give a nod to the long-distance hiking trail that links the eight Alpine countries: Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France, Monaco. The Demècre Cabin lies at the heart of the long-distance trail and celebrates the Via Alpina’s 25 years + 1 with two Valais artists.
Life in paper cut-outs
Marie-Hélène Perruchoud, a hair and makeup artist, spent her whole life handling scissors in her hair salon in Vevey. Originally from Chalais, passionate about singing and the mountains, she loves cutting out the Alpine landscape, turning it into stories to tell with paper. She now lives in Champex d’Alesse in Valais. From 2014 onwards, she became passionate about paper cut-outs, took courses in L’Etivaz, joined the Swiss Association of Paper Cut-Outs, and took part in several exhibitions in Château d’Oex. Today, she has moved « from cutting hair to cutting paper ». She draws and cuts out Alpine flowers: gentian, soldanella, lady’s slipper…, as well as mountain wildlife: deer, ibex, roe deer, ermine… Observation, listening, and a taste for detail are chiselled into the paper in a series of lines offered like paths.
The great crossing of the Alps
Discovering the great Alpine rainbow on foot—Olivier Taramarcaz sums up the adventure in his own words: « a huge surge of slowness ». Over three months, he crossed the Alps, from Mount Triglav in Slovenia to Menton by the sea in France: 2,500 km, 100,000 m of elevation gain. « What moves me is placing my footsteps in the landscape’s handwriting. » He marvels at the heart of this « Word made earth ». Olivier reached the ridgelines with a New Testament in his pocket, along with a sketchbook and a poetry notebook in his backpack. In the heart of the mountains, his promised land, he drew and wrote, in step with his pace.
Practical info:
Montagn’art Exhibition: “Paths from Above”
Marie-Hélène Perruchoud, cut paper
Olivier Taramarcaz, engravings
Demècre Hut (2361m), Hauts de Fully, Valais
Dates: July 12 – September 27, 2026
Opening: Sunday, July 12 from 1:00 PM
Hut contact: 027 746 35 37
Organization: Club Les Trotteurs, Demècre Hut www.demecre.ch
Artists contact: montagn.art@bluewin.ch