Photo credit: Bruno Aïello-Destombes

From August 25–30, 2026, the 27th edition of MUTEK Montréal will bring together nearly 120 artists from 28 countries for six days dedicated to electronic music, audiovisual performances and digital creativity.

Among them, four Swiss artists hold a prominent place in this year's programme: Noémi Büchi, NVST, Julian Sartorius and Marie Delprat. Their participation is made possible through the support of Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council, which has long championed the international circulation of Swiss electronic and experimental music.

Noémi Büchi

French-Swiss composer and sound artist Noémi Büchi, based in Zurich, will present the Canadian premiere of Exuvie Live A/V on August 27 at Nocturne 2. Drawing on a background in classical music and a master's degree in electroacoustic composition, her work intertwines textured rhythms, orchestral abstraction and carefully crafted dissonance.

The performance is accompanied by a visual universe centred on dancer Rebeka Mondovics, conceived by artist Brigitte Faessler through a blend of analogue and digital techniques that move between reality and imagination.

NVST

DJ and producer NVST, a leading figure of Lausanne's underground scene, will unveil a brand-new live performance in its world premiere on August 26 at Expérience 2.

Blending breakbeat, techno, acid and industrial influences, her physical, high-intensity approach to the dancefloor has taken her from Geneva's underground parties to stages including Horst Arts & Music and the Montreux Jazz Festival, with releases on Tresor, Dekmantel and Fabric Records.

Julian Sartorius

Bern-based drummer and sound artist Julian Sartorius will perform twice on August 30. First, at 5:00 p.m. during Expérience 6, he will present the North American premiere of his solo performance, transforming found objects and his drum kit into a playground for rhythmic exploration. Later that evening, at 10:00 p.m. during Nocturne 5, he will join British musician Matthew Herbert for Drum Solo, a collaboration with the pioneering artist known for composing music from everyday sounds.

Photo credit: Matthias Günther

Marie Delprat

Marie Delprat, a French sound artist based in Switzerland and trained at the Bern Academy of the Arts, will present the North American premiere of What Remains After Desire on August 29 at Expérience 5. Layered vocals, minimalist rhythmic structures and electronic textures infused with baroque accents converge in a work exploring what lingers after emotional intensity. An associated artist at Dampfzentrale Bern, she was also selected in 2025 for the European SHAPE+ platform.

Curators, Labels and Institutions: Switzerland's Creative Network

This artistic presence is matched by a strong Swiss contribution to the festival's professional programming. MUTEK Forum, taking place from August 26–28, and the MUTEK Market, an international platform connecting artists, creative studios, producers, curators and cultural institutions, will welcome several key figures from Switzerland's digital arts ecosystem.

Teresa Retzer, Artistic Director of Mesh – Biennale for Art and Technology in Basel, will present this year's edition, Infrastructures of Care, which explores the structures that make cultural production possible and how they can be sustained with greater responsibility and care. An art historian, writer and curator educated in Vienna, Siena, Zurich and Basel, she also contributes to publications including Art Papers, Border Crossings and ArtReview.

Nicholas Schaerer will represent two Zurich-based organisations: Error 417 Expectation Failed, a foundation supporting radical internet art and contemporary net-based practices, and -OUS, the experimental and electronic music label he has directed since 2015, which notably releases Noémi Büchi's work.

Lausanne-based curator, designer and educator Paul Lëon will bring his experience as exhibition curator for Geneva's Mapping Festival since 2023 and as co-president of METAA (Media Experiments in Technology and Art Association), organiser of Lausanne's localhost festival. A graduate and lecturer at ECAL, he also contributes to the institution's new Master's programme in Digital Experience Design.

Pro Helvetia will also be represented on site by Dominique Rovini, Head of Music, and Cecco Ascanio, Visual Arts Specialist, who will participate in these exchanges and present the foundation's international support initiatives for the Swiss arts scene.

From augmented orchestral composition and raw techno to experimental percussion and baroque-infused sound art, these four artists embody the diversity and vitality of Switzerland's contemporary electronic scene, while the country's curators, labels and institutions demonstrate the strength of its professional network. Their presence at MUTEK further reinforces the festival's role as an international platform for electronic music and digital creativity.

The entire Swiss programme—including artists, curators and speakers—is presented with the support of Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council.