Dedicated to ceramics and glass, the Musée Ariana is situated in a majestic 19th-century building within a 4-hectare park near the United Nations. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum regularly curates temporary exhibitions, frequently featuring the work of contemporary artists. Musee Ariana provides guided tours and organizes workshops for children.
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.
An extensive survey assembled from a long-standing research collection devoted to glass, this exhibition takes a contemporary look at a millennia-old material. Over two hundred glass and mixed-media works, including sculptural objects, design pieces and installations, testify to a transdisciplinary experimental spirit. Featuring artists such as Ettore Sottsass, Pierre Charpin, Betty Woodman, Bob Wilson, Giuseppe Penone, Jana Sterbak and James Lee Byars, the show examines materiality, technique and the porous boundaries between craft, design and contemporary art.
Opening : Thursday 23 April, 18:00
Guided Tours (in French)
Marie Ducaté, an artist trained at the Beaux-Arts de Lille, moved from painting to ceramics, glass and textiles and now works with tracing paper (calque).
This hands-on workshop explores the many facets of tracing and mixed media, examining techniques across calque, fabric, ceramic and glass. Participants investigate material interactions, experimental processes and compositional approaches while developing practical creative methods to integrate tracing into personal practice.
In French.
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.
Guided tour, in the presence of the exhibition curator. In French.
Dates & Timings:
Sunday 21 September 2025, 15:00
Sunday 16 November 2025, 15:00
Sunday 7 December 2025, 15:00
Sunday 18 January 2026, 15:00
Sunday 8 March 2026, 15:00
Sunday 3 May 2026, 15:00
Sunday 7 June 2026, 15:00
Sunday 4 October 2026, 15:00
This thematic visit examines relationships between craft and industrial design as revealed through a range of glass objects, from handcrafted pieces to mass-produced forms. Focusing on glassmaking techniques and material experimentation, it discusses how gestures, tools and production methods shape form and function. The presentation considers functional objects, prototypes and decorative works, and reflects on tensions between artisanal skill and standardized industrial processes. Curatorial perspectives highlight dialogues between tradition, innovation and the materiality of glass.
In French.
Histoires de rencontres offers a guided thematic exploration of glass as both material and cultural witness. The program focuses on glass objects, vessels, sculptural pieces and installations, highlighting techniques from traditional glassblowing to contemporary experimental practices. It traces encounters between makers, materials and collectors, revealing how technique and gesture shape form and meaning. The narrative emphasizes materiality, histories of craft and aesthetic dialogues that question how everyday and artistic objects mediate memory and social exchange.
In French.
Culture, curated weekly.
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