Located in a grand neo-classical building in Parc des Bastions, the Bibliothèque de Genève is the University of Geneva library. The library hosts events such as exhibitions, conferences, talks, and workshops. Noteworthy among its regular programs is the December exhibition on the history of the Escalade, and the recurring event “Les jeudis midi à l’affiche,” featuring guest speakers discussing graphic posters from the library’s collection.
Dany Gignoux (photographer) and poet Georges Haldas present a compelling dialogue between documentary photography and lyrical prose. The exhibition brings together photographs and written fragments that register everyday life in Geneva’s cafés, combining on-the-spot reportage with memory-infused “prose inspirée.” Through intimate black-and-white images and spare, evocative texts the works transfigure mundane scenes into poetic testimony, revealing social undercurrents and human tenderness. Archival materials frame this historic encounter between two generations of cultural chroniclers.
François Rappo, internationally renowned typeface designer and former ECAL professor of twenty-four years, has developed typefaces for both private commissions and large digital audiences.
He presents his approach to contemporary typeface design, examining digitization’s impact on form, legibility and scalability. The lecture explores design processes, production workflows and the adaptation of type for diverse digital platforms, revealing how typefaces move from bespoke commissions to mass online distribution while addressing technical and aesthetic constraints.
In French.
Diane Samuel, historian, presents archival research and testimony, followed by a discussion with Patrick Auderset (Collège du travail), Taline Garibian (UNIGE) and historian Marc Perrenoud; moderated by Sébastien Farré (UNIGE).
Drawing on eyewitness accounts and contemporary publications, the lecture examines the Wehrmacht’s brutal assault on the Vercors, the documentation efforts of Swiss figures who published The Black Book of Vercors, and how Swiss aid mobilization supported victims. The session investigates memory, accountability and humanitarian responses in wartime contexts.
In French.
Tiffany Sarre, cultural mediator, leads the French-language guided visit and provides informed commentary on the library’s collections and institutional mission. Her role focuses on public mediation and interpretation.
This tour examines the library’s evolution from its origins to the present, exploring how collecting, preservation and transmission shape cultural memory. Participants investigate curatorial practices, archival missions and the institution’s role in sustaining Geneva’s heritage through close observation and guided explanation.
In French.
This roundtable examines how to reconstruct queer histories when archives are missing or silenced. It explores oral testimonies, activist and alternative archives, artistic practices, personal and fictional narratives, and the use of research methods and artificial intelligence to recover and preserve erased experiences. Panelists investigate how communities reframe historical records, challenge institutional silences, and create counter-archives that transmit memory across generations. The discussion highlights ethical and methodological issues in documenting marginalized pasts.
In French.
Geneviève Gross, Elina Leblanc, Brigitte Roux, Sonia Solfrini and Daniela Solfaroli Camillocci, researchers at the Institute of the History of the Reformation, University of Geneva, present the SETAF digital publishing project and its scholarly aims.
This lecture examines digitization and editorial practices for early evangelical printed works (1530–1560) from Lyon, Neuchâtel and Geneva via a TEI Publisher platform. It explores interdisciplinary methodologies, challenges in textual encoding, and how digital editions reshape access, interpretation and historical scholarship on the Reformation.
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Culture, curated weekly.
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