Agenda

Surrealism was one of the most influential art movements of the twentieth century. The exposition Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 – Today examines the dialogue between Surrealism and design and, for the first time, reveals the enormous influence the movement has had on design over the last hundred years. It has encouraged designers to question the reality beyond what is visible and to design objects that offer resistance, undermine routine, and disrupt the quotidian. The spectrum of examples ranges from Duchamp’s ready-mades and Dalí’s sensual object sculptures to works by designers like Carlo Mollino or Gae Aulenti and includes current designs that analyse new technologies or gender roles.

Resonating Spaces is the title of the exhibition because the works of the artists create a specific quality of spatiality in very varied forms – acoustic, sculpted and drawn. Although different from one another, their works create spaces rather than being perceived as single objects only. They have in common that their visible appearance seems to be unobtrusive, understated, whereas the effect they have is strong and powerful. These works evoke spaces between the identifiable and the elusive. They create sites and respites, in which the capacity of remembering is elicited, and images and memories come to life.

Masks are an ancient, often controversial object of human cultural history. And masks also have a long tradition in the visual arts. But how is the subject being addressed in contemporary art? The exhibition looks into this matter. Interest in masks among contemporary artists focuses not just on the mask as an object but also, and in particular, on its social, cultural and political implications. Between the opposite poles of showing and hiding and in a society in which skilful self-presentation is regarded as an indicator of personal success, the mask is highly topical.

When Switzerland became a travel destination in the 18th century, the foundations were laid for tourism to blossom. That was accompanied by a new kind of image production, one that served to preserve travel memories. In the 1760s, the landscape painter, illustrator and engraver Johann Ludwig Aberli (1723-1786) invented the hand-coloured outline etching, a mixture of print and watercolour. The process became known as the «Aberli Style» and was subsequently emulated by artists such as Heinrich Rieter (1751-1818), who advanced the technique. The prints were expensive souvenirs that were distributed widely across Europe as they fostered the image of the European Arcadia, Switzerland. The Foundation (Stiftung) Familie Fehlmann owns a fascinating collection of these prints in the «Aberli Style». The prints are now on public display for the first time to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Heinz Fehlmann-Sommers (1919-2015).

The open-air art route shows around 40 works by Swiss sculptors and other artists. The seven-kilometre route leads the visitor through fields, forests and roads in the beautiful surroundings of the canton of Vaud.

The artist Etienne Krähenbühl (1953) collected all the plastics from his daily consumption and then depicted them. The artist made some 730 prints, two a day. For more than a year, he has been accountable for the personal use of this material, and his gesture has become a universal message. That leads to a reflection on ecology and climate. The artist from Yverdon is best known for his production of metal sculptures, but in September 2017 he decided to show the annual consumption of plastic.

The exhibition is dedicated to the silence of painting and sculpture. It combines genres, motifs and periods, from still lifes to religious scenes. This art is silent, as the term “silent poetry”, which has been used since antiquity, shows. But what does this art do with our inner self?

Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) embodies talent, grace and commitment and she is one of the greatest actresses in the history of film. The exhibition is based on three themes. With its Audrey Hepburn collection, the museum will guide the visitor through an retrospective on the actress’s life and work by photographic portraits, clips from her films, objects, the originals of famous magazine covers and stories.

A selection of renowned Swiss and international glass artists present their work. The exhibition shows a representative cross-section of the diversity of contemporary glass art. In a dialogue, traditional techniques come together with new approaches in glass art.

The exhibition (Un temps de Papier) presents more than 80 works by the artist Viviane Fontaine. The artist accompanies paper from traditional production to artistic creation. In harmony with her environment, the artist follows the paper production process and makes a connection between nature, art and life. The diversity of the plants, their history and their therapeutic qualities are the main aspects that guide her work.