An audiovisual parcours immerses visitors in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s life and work, arguing that his writings continue to provoke contemporary debate. Through seven thematic niches, the presentation examines Rousseau’s paradoxes — from individual freedom to social critique — and invites reflection on how his ideas anticipate modern challenges. The session explores tensions in his thought and encourages critical questioning of present assumptions, revealing why Rousseau remains relevant for current political and cultural discussions.

In English at 11:30 am
In French at 2 pm

Catarina von Wedemeyer, Maître d’enseignement et de recherche at the University of Geneva, is a specialist in Latin American literatures. She held a Humboldt fellowship at Columbia University and is author of Offene Dialektik.

This bilingual series examines Borges’ key stories in relation to twentieth‑century movements such as ultraism and fantastic literature, debating New Historicism and universality. Sessions offer comparative readings with Victoria Ocampo, Silvana Ocampo and Adolfo Bioy Casares, and address poetic analysis and Borges’ cultural interests.

Flávio Borda D’Água, voltairist overseeing eighteenth‑century acquisitions; Patrick Bungener, researcher on Geneva botany and curator at CJB; Estelle Fallet, chief curator at the Musée d’art et d’histoire; and auctioneer Olivier Fichot. Moderated by journalist Huma Khamis Madden.

This roundtable examines the challenges raised by the auctioning of cultural and scientific objects, using the Rousseau herbarium sale as a case study. Speakers explore access to collections, ethical and scientific implications, and strategies to reconcile collectors’ interests with museum and research needs through collaboration and policy.

In French.

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.

Metin Arditi, francophone writer of Turkish origin and award-winning novelist (Le Turquetto, prix Jean Giono; L’enfant qui mesurait le monde, prix Méditerranée), brings decades of literary engagement with Istanbul and history.

This lecture examines Arditi’s Constantinople Trilogy, exploring themes of cosmopolitan identity, displacement, love and the violences of twentieth-century history. It examines character fates across Istanbul and Lausanne, investigating memory, social upheaval, and the search for origins.

In French.