Klosters with heart

The artist Melanie Felber-Bechinger, 41, from Uster, Zurich, designed the Klosters Heart, which stands at the Madrisa-Hof and is being auctioned off in aid of "Madrisa mit Herz."

Ms. Felber-Bechinger, how did the collaboration with the HeartBeats Tour come about?
Last December, I attended the Christkindlimärt in Rapperswil-Jona and met Carolina Caroli, who, together with Claudia Knie, launched the HeartBeats project. She discovered my children's coloring book at my booth and was thrilled by the images. She then hired me as an artist. In the spring, I designed my first heart, followed by the request for Klosters.

Were there any guidelines – or were you completely free to choose?
I was free to design it, but the two subjects were already decided. On one side of the heart, it was to be the Sunniberg Bridge, and on the other, a Madrisa star suite at night. At first, it was quite a challenge for me – I normally paint in a playful and childlike style. On my first heart, for example, you can see butterflies, one of my favorite motifs. A road bridge is, of course, something completely different. I'm all the happier with the end result, especially because it differs so dramatically from my previous work.

When your heart was unpacked in Klosters, the starry sky created some wow moments. What technique did you use?
I dabbed the sky on by hand with a small sponge; the different layers create this special look. All the hearts are painted with high-quality acrylic paints that are highly luminous and can be applied in different textures. This creates a wonderful play of colors. I invested a lot of time in the transitions: On one side of the heart is day, on the other, night – and I wanted the two to blend smoothly into each other, like twilight. This required a great deal of sensitivity.

In December, the Sunniberg Bridge will be 20 years old – that was one of the reasons for choosing this subject. How did you approach the bridge?
I traveled to Klosters, looked at the bridge and the beautiful natural surroundings there, and sketched it. I didn't know the region at all before. This commission made me fall in love with Klosters and the surrounding mountains.

How long did you work on the Klosters Heart?
I spent four days in the HeartBeats studio in Rapperswil-Jona. I had the whole room to myself and worked late into the night. Painting has something magical for me; I forget everything around me. The hearts are about two meters high at their highest point, they have an asymmetrical shape and can rotate. I painted in very different positions: sometimes I crouched on the floor, then I sat on a chair or climbed a ladder. That was great fun.

How did you get into painting?
My main job is as a violinist. I studied at the Zurich University of the Arts and played in orchestras. Since becoming a mother, I've mainly taught and worked as a funeral violinist. I've been painting almost my entire life; it's always been a constant companion, alongside playing the violin.

Coming back to HeartBeats: Why do we need these hearts?
The colorful hearts are eye-catching; they bring people together and perhaps encourage us to stop staring at our phones and instead become more aware of the world around us. Each heart is individually painted; some make us laugh, others are simply touching. This creativity creates more love in the world—and we can never have enough of that, given all the bad news!

Auction of the Kloster Heart
The Kloster Heart will be auctioned at a silent auction, meaning anyone who wants to can submit their bid now to events@klosters.ch. The auction starts at CHF 8,000 and runs until October 19th. The proceeds will benefit the Madrisa mit Herz Foundation, which supports people with disabilities, for example by building suitable play and sports infrastructure for outdoor recreation.