Coolturalia - Explore Geneva's Vibrant Cultural Scene

Don’t miss out: Events running for less than two weeks

Wednesday 13 May, 18:30

Pittard de l’Andelyn Literary Prize

Alice Botelho, born in Geneva in 2000, graduated from the Swiss Literature Institute in Biel and gained attention for theatrical adaptations of Nelly Arcan and a Bachelor thesis noted for its photographic prose.

This award ceremony includes readings of extracts from her debut novel Folie entre mes doigts and a discussion of the book’s themes: memory, image, and the interplay of color and contrast that shapes her narrative voice. She will reflect on creative process and form.

In French.

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Wednesday 13 May, 17:00

Smallest Things

Performances

La Comédie de Genève

Smallest Things is a melancholic and funny duo created and performed by Marc Oosterhoff and Owen Winship. With almost no set and only a few objects, lights and a single speaker, the piece gradually conjures movement and small acts of wonder from nothing. Straddling dance, circus and magic, the work explores vulnerability, hope and the tender care given to tiny things. Nanda Suc acts as external advisor; the production is by Cie Moost and includes institutional coproductions.

In French.

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Wednesday 13 May, 18:00

Special screening: Farha

Independent Cinema

Uni Mail

CEP-UNIGE and AMAGE invite you to a screening of Farha, directed by Darin J. Sallam. Inspired by true events, the film follows Farha, a young Palestinian girl whose life changes dramatically in 1948. The screening will be followed by a discussion on the film and the Nakba.

Original version with French subtitles.

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12 & 13 May

Become Sub-Optimal

Lectures & Workshops

GamMAH

Olivier Hamant’s lecture delves into the shortcomings of traditional measurement and evaluation tools in capturing the complexity of artistic and collective processes. Drawing inspiration from living systems, it suggests alternative approaches that are slower, more flexible, and aligned with relational dynamics and unseen transformations, as part of a collaboration between MAH and least.

In French.

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12 – 13 May

Marion Mezadorian – Craquage

Performances

Salle Communale d'Onex

Craquage, the second solo show by French comedian and writer Marion Mezadorian, presents a vibrant gallery of everyday characters — sixteen in total — each facing a silent personal crisis. From a weary mother to a local bartender or hairdresser, they all eventually break down and open up, sparking both laughter and emotion.

Through their loud, heartfelt confessions, Mezadorian gives voice to the unspoken, turning trauma into comedy with warmth and perspective. Her infectious energy and charisma bring these very human moments to life, making Craquage a moving, funny, and unmissable gem.

In French.

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Wednesday 13 May, 20:00

Wary Nichen

Performances

Uptown

An intimate contemporary performance, Wary Nichen blends physical theatre and subtle choreography to probe memory and identity. Sparse staging and careful lighting create tense, dreamlike interiors where gestures accumulate meaning. The ensemble navigates shifts between humour and unease, inviting close attention to rhythm and silence. The piece favours immersive atmospheres over narrative resolution, leaving audiences with lingering questions about belonging and the textures of everyday ritual.

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Events running for an extended period

16 April – 16 May

Mémoire d’Homme

Art & Exhibits

Galerie Renaissance

Thénie Khatchatourian presents a body of works on paper that probes memory through constructed, symbolic figures. Using earthy pigments and delicate draftsmanship, her compositions combine bodies, geometric elements and vessel-like shapes that suggest both human presence and architectural form. Rather than literal narratives, forms repeat, transform and assemble to evoke continuity and transmission. Rooted in her Armenian cultural heritage, the work draws on ornaments, profiles and ritual motifs to connect past and present through a concentrated visual language.

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8 May – 5 June

Dream Up

Art & Exhibits

Opera Gallery

Dream Up brings together modern, post‑war and contemporary works that materialize imagination, memory, fantasy and inner vision across painting, sculpture and mixed media. The presentation juxtaposes iconic figures—Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Willem de Kooning, Jean Dubuffet, Roy Lichtenstein, Yayoi Kusama, Niki de Saint Phalle, Tom Wesselmann, Manolo Valdés and Jaume Plensa—with contemporary voices including Andy Denzler, Fred Eerdekens and Feng Xiao‑Min. New works created for the occasion converse with historical pieces to generate poetic, visually intense dialogues.

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19 September 2025 – 4 October 2026

Tender Buttons

Art & Exhibits

Musée Ariana

The Tender Buttons exhibition offers a multidisciplinary exploration centered on buttons, delving into their identity and historical significance. Featuring over three hundred ceramic and glass buttons, the exhibition interacts with the museum’s works to highlight their role in both formal experimentation and socio-cultural narratives. The exhibition’s architecture evokes the commercial arcades of the 19th century, a pivotal era for button industrialization. Curated by Claire FitzGerald, the exhibition is supported by the Swiss Fashion Museum and showcases never-before-seen pieces from several prestigious collections.

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17 March 2025 – 1 September 2026

Janus at the Bioparc

Kids

Bioparc

The Biopark is temporarily hosting Janus, a unique two-headed Greek tortoise, during the renovation of the Museum. Each head of this male tortoise has its own independent brain, which sometimes makes its movements challenging. In captivity, Janus receives attentive care, resulting in an impressive lifespan of 26 years.

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5 March – 16 May

What Is Really Matter

Art & Exhibits

Gowen Contemporary

Canadian-French artist Sylvie Lambert (b. 1984, Montréal) presents her first solo exhibition, unveiling a new body of work produced predominantly since 2025. Through layered painting, sculptural assemblage and immersive installations, Lambert investigates materiality, perception and the boundary between representation and objecthood. Her practice combines painterly gestures, found materials and discreet colour studies to interrogate memory, embodiment and the politics of surface, inviting sustained attention to texture, scale and fragile systems of meaning.

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7 mai – 27 juin

Étienne Krahenbühl

Art & Exhibits

Galerie Rosa Turetsky

Swiss artist Étienne Krahenbühl presents a contemplative exhibition of sculptural and mixed-media works that explore forms in motion and the generative forces of life. From earth and world emerge cracks, shifts and breaths that shape tensions and connections, underscoring our relationship with matter, nature and the human. The works mark passages between worlds and, through resonance, invite emotional and intellectual reflection on respect, singularity and coexistence.

Opening: Thursday 7 May, 17:00

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Geneva Classics

Visiting for the first time? A quick guide to the city’s top attractions.

MEG (Musée d’ethnographie de Genève)

The MEG is a renowned museum dedicated to the exploration and presentation of cultural diversity from around the world. Located in the heart of Geneva, it houses an extensive collection of over 80,000 objects, including artifacts, textiles, and artworks that highlight the rich traditions and histories of various communities. The museum emphasizes interactive and immersive exhibitions, engaging visitors with contemporary issues related to culture and identity.

Cool fact: The e-MEG app serves as a digital twin of the permanent exhibition, providing an audio guide and detailed descriptions along with photographs of all displayed objects.

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MAMCO (Museum of Contemporary Art)

– CLOSED FOR RENOVATION –

Since its opening in 1994, the MAMCO Geneva (Musée d’art moderne et contemporain) has staged 450 exhibitions with works dating from the 1960s to the present day. Mamco’s holdings include works by Christo, Martin Kippenberger, Jenny Holzer, Dan Flavin, Sarkis, Franz Erhard Walther and Sylvie Fleury, among many others.

Cool fact: The MAMCO is the epicenter of the “Nuit des Bains”, held three times a year. During this event, the district around the museum is transformed into a large gallery and attracts thousands of art lovers and sightseers each night.

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Ariana Museum

With a collection of 27,000 items from Switzerland, Europe and the Middle and Far East, and a witness to twelve centuries of ceramic art from the Middle Ages to modern times, the Ariana is one of Europe’s great museums specializing in glass and ceramics.

Cool fact: On the first Sunday of each month, the Ariana Museum opens its temporary exhibitions to the public.

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Pittard de l’Andelyn Literary Prize

Smallest Things

Special screening: Farha

Become Sub-Optimal

Marion Mezadorian – Craquage

Wary Nichen

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Mémoire d’Homme

Dream Up

Tender Buttons

Janus at the Bioparc

What Is Really Matter

Étienne Krahenbühl

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MEG (Musée d’ethnographie de Genève)

MAMCO (Museum of Contemporary Art)

– CLOSED FOR RENOVATION –

Ariana Museum

Info

Categories

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– CLOSED FOR RENOVATION –

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