Page 51 - DIVA 1 2025_web

culture

it had to be opened without him. (Many
diplomats know the painter Anker best for
his celebrated work “Kappelle Milschuppe”.
A symbol of diplomacy, mediation and
negotiation, the painting was reproduced in
our magazine Diva International Diplomat
no.1/2023, p.36). And the very last exhibition
– which has just closed – the unusual
Cézanne-Renoir, showed us how he saw these
two painters through his regards croisés” as a
kind of anti-these – total opposites. During
each of these last two exhibitions, there was
a touching tribute to Léonard Gianadda, one
inside the Foundation building and the other
in the wonderful sculpture garden, which
made both exhibitions special. In our hearts,
we join this tribute to this outstanding man.

We planned to invite Mr Gianadda for an interview
as we are so passionate about his work. We have
artists on our editorial board, and we know there
are artists among the United Nations staff, as
well as talented painters among the diplomatic
community (diplomats themselves and their
spouses), who paint and exhibit. We intended to
discuss a joint project or a potential exhibition
of ‘the internationals’ at his Foundation. The idea
originated after several significant exhibitions by
our close colleagues, both in Geneva and in New
York. Unfortunately, our interview will not take
place because Mr Gianadda left us in December
2023. The Foundation, knowing that we would
be writing a tribute to Léonard Gianadda, kindly
provided us with several portraits of him for our
publication, several of which accompany this
article.

And recently, in December 2024, on the first
anniversary of the death of Léonard Gianadda,
the Pierre Gianadda Foundation got a new
address: rue Léonard Gianadda. This symbolic
gesture of renaming the street running past front
of the Foundation honours Léonard Gianadda
and pays tribute to the immense contribution of
this patron of the arts to Maratigny and his giant
influence on Martigny’s cultural heritage.

The Foundation is now in the hands of his son
François Gianadda. This means that the family
story of Gianadda and the arts will continue
through another generation, and we wish long
years and lots of success to this wonderful place
– a true palace of arts, conceived, created and
nurtured by Léonard Gianadda.
Editorial Board

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