From Cupcakes to Papercuts BY JANUARIA PIROMALLO
As I settled in the beautiful Saanenland 26 years ago, I came just in time to savour Michael Villiger’s sensational chocolate truffle cakes and relish his 90 different types of pralinés–letting them melt on my tongue like Proust’s madeleines, mingled with some long-lost memories.
Photo: Paola Villiger
Michael Villiger and His Newfound Art
Like me, many of you may remember his confiserie just opposite the Rialto. Like me, many of you may have wondered why such a talent stopped baking. Sometimes the unexpected brings a twist to one’s life, and what first seems to be a loss can transform to bliss. In 1997, asthma–caused by flours and baking powders– threatened Michael’s lungs. He was forced to find a new way to express his creative talent and artistic attitude. Recently, I met Michael at Charly’s TeaRoom and we sat right under one of his monumental decoupages (roughly 70cm by 70cm). He told me how his new art began, thanks to his mother Anneliese, a talented photographer who already loved to cut out alpine scenes. In 2004, Michael took over the family tradition, indeed as a heritage but nonetheless in a very personal, original manner. Reserved and humble, Michael’s uncompromising attitude about decoupage is shown in his mania for the most accurate detail possible. His love and understanding of nature, a deep felt respect for local traditions, and an uncanny talent of observation enable him to transform a simple piece of black paper into a scene full of life and movement. From his delicate works of art, stories unfold. And it is for this same reason that his production is kept limited. For some of his larger decoupage, for example a piece of 100cm x 80cm, he devotes five to seven months of time. “When I work, it’s like falling in trance,” Michael explains. “I am in a flow, totally unaware of what goes on around me.” Since 2009 Michael has participated in a few chosen expositions:
Michael Villiger at work on his celebrated paper cuts.
Exposition suisse de papiers découpés, at the Musée Bellerive in Zürich, and in 2011 at Pinakothek Bad Ragaz at the Kulturstiftung Altes Rathaus. In November 2015 the exposition moved to the Musée du découpage in Château-d’Oex, and in January 2016 another exposition will take place at the Restaurant Hüsy in Blankenburg. Often Michael is asked to create a découpage on special request, whether for a wedding or anniversary, which he accepts only if enough time and a maximum of free expression are granted. For him, the creative process excludes deadlines and the traditional confines of business. After our coffee, we arrived at his atelier with its inspiring full view on the mountains. On his desk laid all his tools: pencils, scissors, scalpels, glue, paper, and a special lamp w����a magnifyings.glas “First comes the vision,” he says, “then the concept, the mental set-up of a scene.“ These are all nourished by the surrounding flora, fauna, the local topography, regional traditions, and country life. At each phase, not a single mistake, rip, glue stain, or other defect can escape the scrutiny of his critical eye. Apart from the
technical difficulties and manual ability, fundamental “soft skills” are needed for this ancient art. A vast amount of patience and concentration, fantasy, passion, inner peace, a lot of time, the discipline to stop before a hand hurts or the eyes get sore… for all true artists alike, this rings true. Luckily the historic art of découpage is still appreciated and kept alive in the Saanenland by artists who express themselves in most different, original, and even modern ways. “Let’s hope that younger people will follow, in spite of the new and very distracting technology,“ Michael broods finally, “In order to prove that paper-cutting can be so much more than a holiday souvenir, more than a hobby, and more than just craftsmanship. Although his baking days are behind him, Michael Villiger remains an alchemist. First he transformed simple ingredients like flour, sugar, and chocolate, into works of culinary art. Now, with a single piece of paper, he creates detailed scenes of alpine life in our beautiful Saanenland. Sometimes, life doesn't go according to plan. And sometimes, that’s the blessing.
LIFESTYLE // GSTAADLIFE // ISSUE 8 // DECEMBER 31, 2015
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