Rumantsch (2026) Original Mixed-media Painting by Sergio Aranda

A weathered surface where a national symbol remains intact while its meaning slowly shifts through time.
The Swiss flag appears eroded and altered by layers of material, abrasion, and subtle traces of oxidation, as if marked by decades of silent memory.

Along the right edge of the composition, four nearly invisible scratched lines emerge from the surface. Their proportions correspond to Switzerland’s four national languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. The smallest line — almost imperceptible — represents Rumantsch, one of Europe’s oldest living languages and the inspiration behind the title of the work.

Rather than presenting a political statement, RUMANTSCH reflects on balance, coexistence, cultural fragility, and the quiet persistence of identity. What initially appears stable and familiar gradually reveals invisible layers of history, language, and collective memory.

Blending material abstraction with contemporary archaeology, the painting transforms a universally recognizable emblem into a meditation on time, permanence, and the delicate structures that hold a nation together.

Size: 50 cm x 50 cm x 1.5 cm
Acrylic on canvas, mixed media, erosion poetry
Signed on the back / Sergio Aranda
Painted edges
Protected with multiple coats of varnish
Certificate of Authenticity included
Year: 2026

Materials used:

Gesso, Acrylic paint, Ink

Details:

• Mixed-media painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 50 x 50 x 1.5cm (unframed) / 50 x 50cm (actual image size)
• Ready to hang
• Signed on the back
• Style: Abstract
• Subject: Abstract and non-figurative