Agenda

Water is an essential element for the planet and its flora and fauna, including humanity. But what do we know about water? The exhibition (Eau, L’expo) is divided into three themes: water and life, water and people and water and society. Besides, a separate section focuses on water in the Jura and Switzerland. The exhibition presents water from its cosmic origins, its development on earth, its omnipresence and its many appearances, its indispensable role in the evolution of life and the need of sustainable maintenance of this source of life.

Using everyday materials, Marlene McCarty (1957)  makes art upon  examination and research of topical themes ranging from social and sexual inequality or the role of women. In addition to works of art from recent years, the exhibition (Into the Weeds) will also present a new project in cooperation with the Merian Gärten (The Merian Gardens), an institution of the Christoph Merian Stiftung (Christoph Merian Foundation) in Basel. At first glance, the garden at the entrance to the Kunsthaus seems familiar and inviting. The interplay between humans (women) and nature is the central theme, however. This garden brings together plants that, according to the artist and her historical research, symbolize and stand for the emancipation, power and knowledge of women. A team of the Merian Gardens has developed the garden.

The exhibition shows works by Edward Hopper (1882-1967), one of the most influential American painters of the 20th century. The exhibition does not follow a precise chronology but focuses on specific themes. These include traffic routes, rocks, light and shadow, ships and lighthouses, people, houses and landscape, and the forest. These themes are essential for a good understanding of his work. The artist of the subconscious as a chronicler of his time, realism combined with surrealism. The exhibition includes watercolours and oil paintings from the years 1910 to 1960.

The history of Lausanne is back in the recently renovated museum. The famous model of the city, as it looked in 1638, is the centrepiece of the new exhibition (Lausanne, l’ Exposition). The show provides a clear and well-documented picture of the economic, religious, social and cultural history. Eleven rooms deal with various topics, from water to mobility, from leisure to housing, from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment and many other aspects of this exciting city. The exhibition is available in English and French. The museum also organises temporary exhibitions and events.

The end of the world is a human perception. Natural and human-made disasters, such as war, epidemics, disease, hunger and environmental pollution, arouse both fear and the need to intervene and influence these events. The exhibition (Weltuntergang. Ende ohne Ende) brings together images, objects and stories from science and art related to the apocalypse and is thematically divided into seven sections. Scientific analyses, prophecies and speculations about humanity are discussed. The result is a journey along the fault lines of nature and culture, human life and the universe. Apocalypse TV accompanies the exhibition. The online channel regularly highlights the topic from different perspectives. One could also visit the Glacier Garden in Lucerne to learn about past catastrophes and climate changes over the last four billion years. The planet will survive another billion years, with or without humanity.

The armoury (Zeughaus) in Lucerne dates from 1569. The 450-year-old building has been through many fateful incidents ever since. The exhibition follows this history from its beginnings as a military complex to the most recent times as a museum. The show presents the eventful past of the history of Canton (Ort) Lucerne and the emergence of Switzerland as a confederation of (independent) cantons and local events. Objects, witness accounts and documents tell of important turning points and episodes, the visit of Napoleon and his Helvetic government, a tsunami in the river Reuss and the history of Lucerne.

For citizens of Basel, the Renaissance was also a period of music. Music was (and is) an essential part of cultural life. They sang Parisian chansons, played Polish lute songs or collected musical instruments. The exhibition shows musical objects and manuscripts from the musical experience in this city of humanists, publishers and scholars. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, the Department of Musicology of the University of Basel and the University Library of Basel.

Andreas Christen (1936-2006) was a designer and artist. As a designer, he created objects for daily use, which were produced in large series and over many years. In his artistic work, the distinction between the work and the object is a prerequisite. The objects unfold in the space, which they accentuate and measure. Human objects represent the cultural achievements in which we live and at the same time claim the living space. His figurative art comes into its own in the small but unique Rappaz museum.

The exhibition shows the conditions under which the old Confederation was formed in the Middle Ages (12th-14th centuries). The history of today’s Confederation goes back more than 700 years. The relations between king, church, nobility and peasants and the emerging written language, cities and trade provide insights into this period of upheaval. The “Schwarze Stube” provides an insight into a medieval house. The building dated from 1311 and was saved from demolition. The communities of the people inhabiting the valleys around the Lake of Lucerne, the significance of their treaties (Bündnisse) and the role of the rural assemblies (Landsgemeinde) are shown. The exhibition also deals with William Tell, Arnold von Winkelried, and the Rütli legend. 

The exhibition explores the question of what makes Switzerland what it is today. What binds a community together? Initially one might assume it is to do with having the same language, external enemies or economic interests. However, something generally precedes all that: common ideas that are passed down from generation to generation and that shape the development of the community. These ideas lend a distinctiveness to the collective and eventually form the foundation of a national identity. The exhibition presents selected works by four authors whose ideas contributed to creating the image of contemporary Switzerland: Henri Dunant (1828-1910), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), Jean Calvin and Petermann Etterlin (1430-1509). The textual references are supplemented by the Gotthard relief, the Dufour map and numerous data records relating to Switzerland.