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Hetty Laycock (Cambridge, UK, 1997) is a sculptor originally from Yorkshire. She graduated from Falmouth University, Cornwall (UK, 2019) and the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice (IT, 2024). Her practice blends material transformation and collaboration with place. Responding to contemporary challenges of ecological fragility and material responsibility, her sculptures emphasize acts of weathering, growth, destruction, ageing and transformation. Employing concepts of weightlessness, negative space, and organic elements, her sculptures emulate—and at times integrate—natural phenomena and processes. Her work invites viewers to reconsider the possibilities of clay, transcending its conventional forms to create pieces that resonate with the rhythms of the natural world. She has taken part in exhibitions and artist residencies in the UK, Italy, Slovenia, Poland, Taiwan, and China. A key moment in her career was a three-month residency at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, culminating in her first solo exhibition. She is currently developing new sculptural projects in Japan, Belgium, and Italy, where she will continue to deepen her exploration of contemporary sculpture, coexistence, and proximity.
Ollomont is a small village of about 170 inhabitants, located on the border with Switzerland, in the Valpelline valley. Its territory extends through a constellation of typical mountain hamlets, where agriculture continues to play a central role.
Its history dates back to the time of the Salassi people, when Ollomont served as a transit point toward the Valais. Notable figures who crossed these paths include Giovanni Calvino, when seeking refuge in Switzerland, and Luigi Einaudi, President of the Italian Republic, during the Nazi-Fascist occupation.
From the eighteenth century until 1952, it was an important copper mining center, a legacy now enhanced by the MIMonve project, which promotes the area's historical and mining heritage through the creation of a dedicated park.
Immersed in unspoiled nature, Ollomont offers mountain enthusiasts trails for all levels: from easy walks to major alpine ascents, including Mont Vélan, Tête Blanche, and Grand Combin (4,314 m).
The village offers sporting activities all year round: rock and ice climbing, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and horseback riding along the Ru and Col Fenêtre trails. In the summer, the local riding school organizes courses for children. Younger visitors can also enjoy the beginner ski slope, the snowpark, and the new Adventure Park.
Although not among the most renowned tourist destinations in the area, Ollomont captivates those who take the time to discover it, thanks to its flora, fauna, history, and its ongoing commitment to promoting local culture and art.
Elena Graglia is an independent cultural practitioner based in Milan. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Conservation and Management of Cultural Activities from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and a Master's in Curatorial Practices from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Florence.
For her final Master's project, she curated Eco-existences: forms of the natural and the artificial, developed with the support of Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi. In 2023, she worked as gallery manager at Galleria Castiglioni in Milan, specializing in contemporary painting, and in 2024 she served as exhibition producer for the Kosovo Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.