Youri Messen-Jaschin is an artist of Latvian origin, born in Arosa, Switzerland, in 1941. He often combines oils and gouaches. His favourite colors are: strong reds, yellows, greens, and blue. He also works in body painting, exhibiting his works in nightclubs.
Messen-Jaschin studied at the Ecole Supérieur Nationale des Beaux-Arts, where his teachers included Robert Cami. He also attended the Hautes Études of the Sorbonne University. Part of his course included which included the history of art, and his teachers included Pierre Francastel. From 1962 to 1965 he attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne, where one of his teachers was Ernest Pizzotti. He worked for two years at the Center of Contemporary Engraving in Geneva before moving to Zurich. Influences at this time included Friederick Kuhn. From 1968 to 1970, he studied at the University of Högskolan for design & Konsthantwerk of Gothenburg, where he made kinetic objects of textiles.
His first group exhibition was the Lausanne EXPO, in 1964 (Swiss fair), where he presented his kinetic sculptures of glass and acrylic resin. In 1967 he exhibited in Scandinavia. In 1967, he met Jesús-Rafael Soto, Carlos Cruz-Diez and Julio Le Parc during an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum of Gothenburg. Influenced by these artists, he became interested in optical art.
In 1968, Messen-Jaschin received First Prize in Swiss Contemporary Art of Engraving. In the same year, he was granted a Scholarship from the Swedish Government.
In 1970, he created a kinetic sculpture for the American company Gould, at Heistetten, in Germany. His Pop Art style single tapestry More Light is held in the collection of the Musée of Contemporary Art, in Zurich. Another tapestry, woven during the Seventies in his work-studio at Zollikofen, in Switzerland is held in the collection of Migros Vaud, in Switzerland.
After spending a long period in New York, Youri returned to Switzerland and settled in Bern, where he lived for eleven years. During that time he held many exhibitions at the Kunsthalle and also in other museums in the area, such as the Kunsthaus of Zurich, Ecole Polytechnique, Federal of Zurich, and the Cabinet of Prints, of Geneva.
He lived in Venezuela for a few years. He was awarded grants from the Foundation Mendoza and Yonekura Industrial and designed stage sets at the Sala of Conciertos del Ateneo and Teatro Ana Julia Rojas del Ateneo in Caracas. He was invited to present his theater performance art in various venues: VI Festival Internacional de Teatro, Fundacion Eugenio Mendoza, Association Cultural Humboldt (Goethe Institute) and the Alliance Française.
In 1985, he received the first world prize of culture Premio Mondiale della Cultura statua della Vittoria from the Central Studi e Ricerche delle Nazioni, in Calvatone, Italy. At the same time, he became an Academician of Europe by the Università E Centro Studi e Ricerche of Europa, in Italy.
From 2004 to 2005, he stayed for several months in Sydney.
1981 Institut Suisse pour l'étude de l'art, Dictionnaire des artistes suisses contemporains (Swiss institute for the study of art, Dictionary of the contemporary Swiss artists)
1999 Dictionnaire biographique de l'art Suisse, Répertoire des artistes suisses/ Institut suisse pour l'étude de l'art Zurich & Lausanne) (Biographical dictionary of Swiss art, Repertory of the Swiss artists/Swiss Institute for the study of art Zurich & Lausanne) Editor Neue Zürcher Zeitung/Zurich/Switzerland
1978 M. Henry Meyer catalogue (Sculptures en liberté), Nyon/Switzerland, Evian/France
1980 M. René Neuenschwander (critical of art) «Die Holzchnitte von Youri Messen-Jaschin» Berne, Switzerland
1981 M. René Neuenschwander (critical of art) «Die Werke und sein OP-ART von Youri Messen-Jaschin» Berne, Switzerland
1998 M. René Neuenschwander (critique d'art)«OP-ART und Youri Messen-Jaschin» Burgdorf, Suisse
2000 Mr. Vittorio Moretti; Mr. Tino Bino; Ministry Mrs.Giovanna Melandri; Mr.Franca di Furia/Academy of Modern Art; Mr.Pierre Restany (Premio Internazionale di Scultura "Terzo Millennio" ) Milano Italy
Publications
Books
1983 «EL NACIMIENTO DE LA FORMA «MOVIMIENTO» TODOS LOS ESTILOS - TODAS LAS FORMAS» Fundacion Eugenio Mendoza, «Caracas»
1983 «PRIMERA PARTE DE LOS EFFECTOS ESPECIALES «The Empire Strikes Back» Fundacion Eugenio Mendoza, «Caracas»
1983 «SEGINDA PARTE DE LOS EFFECTOS ESPECIALES «Raiders of the lost Arc» Fundacion Eugenio Mendoza, Caracas
1984 «USA/LA PELÍCULA ANIMADA "STEVEN SPIELBERG"» Fundacion Eugenio Mendoza, Caracas
1986 Messen-Jaschin, Youri; Luce Wilquin. Die Welt der Schausteller vom XVI. bis zum XX. Jahrhundert = Le monde des forains du XVIe au XXe siecle (Fairground Art & The world of the Swiss Entertainers). Lausanne: Editions des trois continents. ISBN 2880011957.
1986 Musées lausannois (Februari) Le monde des forains/page 1/N°.9/Services des affaires culturelles Lausanne
1987 Musées lausannois (Mai) Costumes du cirque/page 5/N°.12/Services des affaires culturelles Lausanne
1993 Periodical "Versión Original" (March) «CRISIS & CULTURE» & «LA CULTURE N'EST PAS UN PHENOMENE Independent DE LA VIE DES HOMMES» Madrid
1993 Periodical "En Pie de Paz" Barcelona Periodical "Versión Original" (Mai) SEX & REPRESSION»
1993 "MUJERES EN LAS ARTES" Guia (Mai «CRISIS & CULTURA» , collaboration with MUAC Madrid, Edition Gráficas Gaia Madrid, Subvencionado por Minestero de Asuntos Sociales/Instituto de la Mujer Madrid
Theater
1982 «PSICOTRONICÓ» Caracas
1983 «AH! AH! BARROCO» Caracas
1983 «LA TORTA QUE CAMINA» Caracas
1964 «EMBRYO» Caracas
Scholarship and prizes
1963 1st prize and scholarship in contemporary engraving/Musée d'Art et d'Histoire Geneva
1966 Högskolan för Design & Konsthantwerk/Göteborgs Universitet Göteborg Sweden (Scholarship Swedish State)
1968 Scholarship from the University of Gothenburg (for research on the experimental textile sculpture in the space)
1970 2nd prize for a work textile/éléctro-acoustics, Göteborgs Universitet de Göteborg Sweden
1971 1st prize for an electro-space sculpture for Gould corporation Eistetten Germany
1985 "Premio Mondiale della cultura"/Statua della Vittoria Centro studie ricerche delle nazioni, Calvatone Italy
1985 Diploma of nomination,"d'Accademico d'Europa" (Per la sua attivita' culturale e professionale) delivered by Centro Studi e Ricerche l'Accademia d'Europa, Salsomaggiore Terme PR/Italy
1986 Diploma of the European Fair Union, for the merits which he had received to the cause of the European Fair Union) Luxembourg
1998 II. Installation Art Award «Certificate of Merit» (For his research in Optical Art) Angel Orensanz Foundation/Center for the Arts, New York USA; 2000 Ministry for culture & Terra Moretti Italy, Premio Internazionale di Scultura "Terzo Millennio" Erbusco, Italy
2000 Vancouver, Aim for Art International juried exhibition, celebrating artistic achievement. Federation of Canadian artists
2000 "World festival of art on paper" Kranj, Slovenie