Hugo Schaer was born in Lucerne in 1952.
Educated at the Hitzkirch Teachers’ College, courses at the School of Design and Art in Lucerne, study visits to the Académie Grande Chaumière in Paris.
Since 1980 exhibitions, productions and art projects, collaboration with the sculptor Thomas Birve.
1991 Construction of the studio house “Herber” in Giswil with the architect Hanspeter Bysäth.
1995 Marriage to Iryna Tkachenko, since then studios in Giswil and Kyiv.
Since 1997 video works, alongside painting, art in public space and interdisciplinary art projects.
2000 – 2005 artistic director at Steiner Sarnen Switzerland: concepts and realisation of brandlands, museums and exhibitions in Switzerland and abroad.
2005 Hugo and Iryna Schaer leave Switzerland to settle in Odessa. Production of three short films, which were shown as “The Odessa Trilogy” at international film festivals (including Solothurn, Kyiv, Cannes).
2005 – 2009 Overall concept and realisation of the award-winning “WINE CULTURE CENTRE SHABO”.
2012 Construction of the studio house “Casa dell’Arte” in Vasia, Liguria.
2012 Concept for the National Maritime Museum Odessa.
2015/16 Concepts for two wine tourism destinations in Georgia.
Since 2014 wooden sculptures “e la nave va”. Ceramics in collaboration with Fabbrica Ceramiche Giuseppe Mazzotti 1903, Albisola.
Since 2019 bronze sculptures in collaboration with Fonderia Artistica De Carli, Volvera, and light sculptures made of Corten steel in collaboration with the metal construction company Daniele Sgro, Imperia.
Iryna Schaer-Tkachenko was born in Kyiv, Ukraine.
She graduated from school № 65 and as an engineer-economist from the National Technological University (NUFT) in Kyiv with honours.
In 1991 she got doctoral degree in economics and in 1995 became the associate professor (docent) at the Economy and Management Department of the above University. In 1995 she obtained the scholarship at the University Purdu in the USA (international marketing, strategic management).
In 1995 she married swiss painter Hugo Schaer and up to 2005 lived and worked in Switzerland. She completed a postgraduate degree in economic information science at High Economic School, University of Lucerne.
Since 2000 she has arranged and carried out cultural tours into Ukraine, organised projects of cultural exchange between Ukraine and Switzerland, Germany and Italy.
2005 – 2010 executive producer and co-founder of SCHAERODESSA, Ukraine. Together with Hugo Schaer implemented various film projects, including their own production of “The Odessa Trilogy”, which short films were shown at international film festivals (incl. Solothurn, Kyiv, Cannes). Project manager for the concept and realization of the “Wine Culture Centre SHABO” and for the Concept of the National Maritime Museum in Odessa. Since 2012 co-founder of ARTEVASIA, further work on projects: Château Mukhrani Winery and the Museum of the “Wine Centre Saperavi”, Georgia, 2016-19 .
2018 – 2020 organisation & guidance of own cultural tours into Ukraine and Georgia.
Since March 2022 working as a volunteer with the Ukrainian diaspora in Imperia, Liguria.
