Featured Events in Geneva in May, 2025 (August Updated)

António Vasconcelos Lapa (Portugal, 1945) opens the doors to a world apart, an extraordinary world. Lush vegetation, multicolored fruit and strange creatures populate this hallucinatory biotope with fairy-tale overtones. For once, the works can even be touched!

The MAH houses a remarkable collection of graphic works by the Russian avant-garde, an influential current of modern art that encompassed several artistic movements, such as Suprematism. Among the major figures of the Russian avant-garde, Lazar Markovitch Lissitzky (1890-1941), known as El Lissitsky, stayed in Switzerland, more precisely in Ticino, in 1924-1925. To mark the occasion of his stay in Switzerland, the MAH has joined forces with the Museo Villa dei Cedri in Bellinzona. While the latter is presenting an exhibition focusing on the links between El Lissitzky and Switzerland, the MAH is presenting El Lissitzky and the Russian avant-garde. The MAH exhibition examines the different facets of this avant-garde, with El Lissitzky's purification of form contrasting with the more expressionist gestures of Ol'ga Rozanova (1886-1918), another representative of the Russian avant-garde. Both distance themselves from their "master" Kasimir Malevich (1879-1935), creator of Suprematism. This approach allows us to take a fresh look at this collection, highlighting its richness while at the same time highlighting this exceptional artistic heritage.

A translucent composition obtained by assembling glass and lead, stained glass transfigures the material and subjects depicted. It takes over the space, inviting the public into an atmosphere as shimmering as it is colorful. Until now, only a few pieces have been displayed in the architecture of Musée Ariana and the Musée d'art et d'histoire. The "Post Tenebras Lux" exhibition offers access to over 200 little-known works, extracted for the occasion from Geneva's municipal reserves. "After the darkness, the light": let yourself be dazzled by sparkling art, presented in the sumptuous setting of the Ariana. With a collection of stained glass dating from the 1140s to 2007, Musée Ariana boasts a remarkable range of works, mainly from Switzerland and neighbouring regions. The collection is distinguished by its 370 figurative pieces, like so many stories to be discovered. In partnership with the Vitrocentre Romont (Fribourg) and the University of Geneva, the 5th part of the "L'Ariana sorti de ses réserves" series unveils a selection of this exceptional heritage. In addition to an in-depth study of the City of Geneva's stained-glass windows, this project has enabled numerous restorations to be carried out and the inventory of this unique collection to be enriched, which is now available online. This inventory, accompanied by the publication of an exhibition catalog, will serve as an essential benchmark for future generations.

Picasso and the Art of Ceramics: The Madoura Chapter explores Pablo Picasso’s creative journey in ceramics, focusing on his collaboration with the Madoura pottery workshop in Vallauris, France. From 1946 to 1971, Picasso embraced the medium with playful innovation, transforming traditional ceramic forms into bold, expressive works featuring animals, mythological figures, and abstract designs.

Pace presents Pace: 65 Years at its Geneva gallery. This group exhibition delves into the past 65 years of Pace through a changing display of works that situates the gallery's contemporary program in the context of its 20th century history, cultivating a dialogue between the past and present.

Unusual Dialogues brings together different collections through which disciplines interact, connect, and thus reveal often unsuspected correlations. These unexpected connections form small universal stories that contribute to a broader understanding of our world. In 1965, the streets of Geneva were the scene of a curious spectacle: bears, rhinoceroses, and thousands of other animal species were transported in vans during the relocation of the Natural History Museum's collections. Housed in Les Bastions since 1872, the institution then moved to Malagnou. The Geneva Library, whose spaces retain their 19th-century charm, offers an immersion into the Museum's former home.

The exhibition Chinese Women explores various aspects of women's lives in Chinese culture, while evoking the tensions linked to their condition through a selection of works by female poets. The exhibition begins with an exploration of the traditional representation of women in art: the evolution of beauty standards embodied by funerary statuary of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) is matched by the hieratic painted portrait of a middle-aged wife of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), an anonymous witness to ancestor worship in China. Beyond its borders, the dream figure of a certain Chinese woman was transmitted to Europe via export porcelain, and spread as an idealized model in the chinoiserie of Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) and François Boucher (1703-1770).

GemGeneve 2025 will take place at Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland, offering a unique opportunity to explore the global world of gem and jewelry trading. From May 8th to May 11th, attendees can immerse themselves in the latest trends and innovations in the industry. The event will showcase a wide range of exquisite gemstones, luxury jewelry pieces, and cutting-edge designs from renowned international exhibitors. GemGeneve 2025 is a must-visit for professionals and enthusiasts looking to discover exceptional gemstones and jewelry collections.

Contributing to a museum's development takes many forms and motivations, for example by enriching its collections with one or more works, or by financially supporting its activities. And why choose to make a donation? To contribute to the community's heritage, which will be passed on to future generations, because of their attachment to the institution, or in memory of a loved one to whom the object once belonged. Over the decades, the collections at Musée Ariana have been shaped by the generosity of donors and the loyalty of many patrons. This exhibition is divided into twelve sections, highlighting some of the stories and tales of donations that have shaped the majority of our collections. To mark the occasion, a new module has been inaugurated in the Accumulation room; its presentation reveals the different ways in which the museum's collections have been enriched, in line with its acquisition policy.

The Natural History Museum (MHN) and the Higher School of Comics and Illustration (ESBDI) are partnering with the Cité Library to offer a combined scientific and artistic perspective on local biodiversity issues. Fifteen selected animal species and fifteen original stories imagined and drawn by first-year students will interact with the Museum's scientific issues, such as the causes of biodiversity loss, habitat loss, and human-induced changes to natural spaces.

How did the hawk moth, the armadillo, the vanilla plant, Darwin's orchid, and famous Genevan naturalists advance science in the 19th century? What does the first bee described by Henri de Saussure, a descendant of the famous Horace-Bénédict, our champion of Mont Blanc, tell us? Through a few natural history specimens and their interactions in the living world, you will discover historical figures who have marked the history of the Botanical Conservatory and the Natural History Museum of Geneva. Unusual Dialogues brings together different collections through which disciplines interact, connect, and thus reveal often unsuspected correlations. These unexpected connections form small universal stories that contribute to a broader understanding of our world.

Karak Arts Festival is more than just a simple festival, it is a celebration of expression, talent and campus culture. Whether you are a music lover or a creative participant, there is a moment for you. For a month, the university's stages, rooms and corridors are filled with student creative activities, including drama, dance, music, film, visual arts, workshops, exhibitions, games, etc., suitable for all interests and curiosities.

The return to the stage of one of the most beautiful comic strips of all time, which still sparkles today. It tells the story of the paradoxical love affair between three strange animals who resemble us more than life itself: a cat madly in love with a mouse, a dog—secretly in love with this Krazy Kat cat—and the mouse—who adores no one but loves nothing more than throwing his brick at the cat's head! She takes it as a declaration of love, while the dog—a police officer by trade—throws the mouse in jail for his "rock 'n' roll attitude" (...) It is to artistically mark the final season of the founders of the Compagnie du Théâtre du Loup that we offer you this revisited Krazy Kat.