Agenda

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.

In the 20th century, Swiss designers and producers had clear ideas about perfect furnishing. At the outset, the abstract form was a theme. In the 1930s, flexible tubular steel furniture was developed, and in the mid 20th century the unity of elegant form and practical function was propagated. Around 1968, everyday culture and pop art began conquering the living room. A decade later, the post-modern variety of styles was celebrated until the end of the century, when the minimalist tradition was rediscovered. Seven sample rooms, furnished with highlights from the collection, present the most important trends in Swiss furniture design of the modern age and trace changing lifestyles. Advertising brochures and historical photographs complete this exciting journey through time.

The raclette, la raclette, is a dish with a piece of cheese, the melted surface of which is scraped and served. The exhibition presents its masculine side: le raclette, the Valaisian cheese Hérens. The exhibition presents the promotion, image and production of raclette and this Valaisian cheese and goes into the history of this meal.

The exhibition presents a selection of silographs by Giovanni Bianconi (1891-1981). The Bianconi collection consists of 498 printed silographs and 41 drawings and paintings. The selection of the works on display shows in particular the Ticino countryside from the 1920s to the 1950s. The landscape, animals, objects, self-portraits and portraits tell the story of everyday life and the transformation to a new era.

Although Bauhaus only existed for 14 years (1929-1933), this institute is considered one of the most influential modernist design and art schools. Bauhaus is regarded as the cradle of modern design. The exhibition aims to show the development from Jugendstil between 1896 and 1914 to the closure of Bauhaus in 1933. In this context, the museum presents its collection of furniture and everyday objects from this period.

The Segantini Museum in St. Moritz houses the most complete and important collection of works by Giovanni Segantini (1858-1899). The building was developed by the architect Nicolaus Hartmann (1880-1956) in 1908 and enlarged in 1999. The museum is also an institution dedicated to educating about and exploring his works, their impact and position in the history of art and culture. The museum was closed in 2019 due to a new renovation and modernization but is open to the public again. The famous Tryptych of the alpine landscape originally meant to become a panorama of around 100 meters, is also back from its temporary location in the museum of art in Lugano (Museo d’arte della Svizerra italiana).

On the occasion of the anniversary of three hundred years of the Principality of Liechtenstein, the exhibition (Liechtenstein – von der Zukunft der Vergangenheit/Liechtenstein. On the Future of the Past) shows masterpieces from the 15th to 19th century from the major collections of the Prince of Liechtenstein, artworks from the 20th and 21st centuries from the collection of the Museum of Art Liechtenstein, accompanied by loans from the Hilti Art Foundation Collection and the Batliner Collection. The Princely Collections contain superb works of European art, paintings, and sculptures from the early Renaissance to Austrian Romanticism. The collection of Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein is devoted to modernist art and particularly to contemporary art, with the holdings of the Hilti Art Foundation and the Batliner Collection featuring masterpieces from classical modernism to contemporary art. In this way, the exhibition pursues a special narrative. Juxtaposing works from different eras, the show opens up a dialogue and allows visitors to experience the continuity of fundamental questions concerning the history of humankind.

The history museums of Sion (Geschichtsmuseum Valeria, from 15.6.2019 to 05.1.2020) and Lausanne (Musée d’archéologie et d’histoire de Lausanne from 07.02.2020 to 28.06.2020) present an exhibition covering the period from 350 to 1000 years in French-speaking Switzerland, also known as the Romandie, the area between the Alps and the Jura. The exhibitions offer partly identical, partly different objects, murals, maps and animations relating to this region and in particular Vaud and Valais. The joint publication Aux sources du Moyen Age. Entre Alpes et Jura de 350 à l’an 1000 (Gollion, 2019) accompanies both exhibitions. The period between the end of the Roman Empire (5th century) and the year 1000, the early Middle Ages, is (too) often presented as a dark time of barbarians and decline. Both exhibitions invite you to rediscover this period. The inhabitants, trade relations, Christian religion, (material) culture and politics are put into perspective. Language and writing are also presented, especially the bilingualism of Wallis (and Switzerland), which goes back to this period.