Agenda

Azimut is the direction, but also the point of orientation of the observer. These central and polysemic concepts are the multiple expressions in the career of Jean-Claude Schauenbergs (1940). This exhibition shows the works of the artist from this perspective. The inspiration for his art comes in the first place from his travels. These offer a new perspective on everyday life, on the world and sometimes on the traveller himself. Italy, Egypt and Iran in particular are central to his work. Every place and every journey can lead to encounters, (personal) confrontations and new discoveries and inspiration.

The exhibition gives an overview of the historical legal system in Vaud. Moudon still has an original copy of the first law book that codified common law (1577). This code has also been in force after 1536 and the occupation by Bern. Together with other documents, such as the charter of 1285 from the time of the Dukes of Savoy, this code is the starting point of the exhibition space, which for the occasion has been transformed into a courtroom. Illustrations and sound recordings of concrete cases illustrate the various facets of the legal system of the time.

The Museum is taking a fresh look at its collection by exploring the world of comics and their relationship to design. Iconic furniture features prominently in comics, while at the same time countless designers have taken inspiration from comics to create pieces informed by stories of superhuman strength, lightning speed and sharp irony. The exhibition deals with both of these tendencies in the museum’s first-ever study of the comics medium. Through the illustrated world of the comic strip, comic book and graphic novel, objects from the museum’s collection jump off the page and come to life.

Humans have been fascinated by optical illusions for hundreds of years. From the 1780s, panoramas set a milestone in the creation of illusionary worlds—the first mass media of their time. In today’s digital world, such visual wonders and optical illusions have lost none of their magic —virtual reality is not a modern invention. In collaboration with the Seico collective and the Lucerne School of Art and Design (Design & Kunst), this two-part exhibition at the Lucerne and Thun Panoramas is dedicated to our fascination with optical achievements and invites you to explore them with your own eyes.

The exhibition shows the original illustrations from five children’s books by Alois Carigiet (1902-1985). But the museum also has something else to say. This year the museum received the Gartmann-Köppel legacy, including twelve original paintings, many lithographs, pencil sketches, posters, a total of 62 objects by Alois Carigiet. The objects cover his creative period since 1948. With the children’s books, Carigiet succeeded in capturing the lives of the former mountain dwellers in a striking way.

Today, roughly 751 800 Swiss citizens live abroad, distributed over 200 countries. Many have settled down, others plan to return someday. Migrations are a historical constant: up to the age of the French Revolution, mercenary was the most common cause for leaving the country, but artists/craftsmen, merchants, clergymen, scholars, and other specialists have been on the move in Europe ever since the early modern period. However, mass emigration only became a phenomenon in the 19th century when entire groups of family and entrepreneurs set off for distant shores and continents. The exhibition has fascinating stories to tell about past and present migrants. With the help of extraordinary exhibits, photographs, and films, the exhibition shines a light on a number of exceptional people.

In the development of Zurich, construction projects, traffic planning and development strategies have always led to controversy, debate and conflict. The exhibition highlights milestones in urban development and is both a retrospective and a starting point for discussion of current issues. The exhibition shows models, plans, sketches, photographs, brochures, ballot papers, videos and other archive material, including many historical documents that are on display for the first time in an exhibition.

Nearly 60 paintings, on loan from the most prestigious collections in the United Kingdom and shown in Switzerland for the first time, offer an unrivalled survey of art produced during the golden age of the British Empire, highlighting its captivating originality. Alongside Turner, whose dazzling oeuvre anticipated Impressionism, the exhibition pays tribute to artists who won renown through landscape painting, such as Atkinson Grimshaw, Baker Pyne, Brett, and Martin. The exhibition places a special emphasis on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as well as the Aesthetic Movement. Two circles of artists who found powerful inspiration in literature, mythology and antiquity. The industrial revolution and the rapid development of cities and public transport give rise to compelling scenes that bear witness to different facets of modern life.The survey concludes with a section dedicated to cosmopolitan artists of American origin. A collection of photogravures complements the paintings in the exhibition.

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing. The exhibition is a journey through the history of artists’ engagement with the Moon, from the Romantic era to the present day. Divided into thematic sections, it focuses on topics such as lunar topography, moonlit night and the Moon’s shadow, ailments associated with the Moon, zero gravity and the Moon as mass media phenomenon.

On the occasion of its 100th anniversary, the museum focuses on the art of Graubünden before the Reformation (1530). The exhibition also devotes itself to the historie of the Villa Planta, the museum’s location since 1919. The historical objects are not shown themselves, but on the basis of photographs by the artist Florio Puenter. The exhibition presents works from various artistic and cultural areas that show the artistic richness of Grisons, including archaeological finds from the Calancatal, the marble statues of the St. Johan monastery in Müstair, reliquaries from the Chur Cathedral Treasure House and Gothic frescoes from Waltensburg. In the exhibition they are reproduced in full size by means of black and white photographs, which emphasizes the aesthetic quality of the selected objects.