Nestled in the heart of Geneva’s Old Town, the Museum of Art and History ranks among Switzerland’s largest museums. Boasting a collection of around 650,000 objects spanning applied arts, fine arts, and archaeology across five floors, the museum embraces a dynamic and innovative approach to showcase its treasures through unexpected exhibitions. Annually, it hosts approximately ten temporary exhibitions, frequently inviting contemporary artists to contribute. The museum organizes a variety of surprising events, including yoga classes in the galleries and after-work parties.
American artist Rachel Marks presents an original work conceived during a research residency responding to the museum’s collection, notably the Pozzi fonds. The project is research-led and site-specific, articulating a dialogue between archival objects and contemporary practice. Using material inquiry and layered processes, Marks investigates provenance, display conventions and the traces of personal histories embedded in collections. The commissioned piece will enter the museum’s permanent holdings, extending the collection’s narrative through contemporary intervention.
Jump into festive autumn days bursting with surprises. Explore bright colors and lively sounds through short presentations, moving visits, story readings, cinema moments, breakdance and hands-on creative workshops. Make, move and listen as you notice textures, rhythms and hidden details at every corner. Families team up to create, dance and imagine together, mixing play and discovery in every activity.
In French. Kids ages 3–5; kids ages 6 and up.
Swiss artist Martha Stettler presents a focused presentation of a single work that explores themes of agency, identity and artistic self-determination. The piece’s restrained yet powerful visual language, articulated through form, gesture and layered surfaces, invites reflection on the artist’s place within modernist practice and gendered art histories. Visitors may complement the presentation with an audio guide offering a queer reading of selected works. The session is conceived as an accessible thematic visit for all audiences.
Explore sculptures that seem to hold secret stories in this playful mini reading club. Children listen closely to the carved figures, discovering characters, textures and imagined histories through guided storytelling. After the tale, the group extends the experience with a hands-on creative activity where kids shape their own small sculptures or drawings inspired by what they heard. The session encourages listening, observation and imagination in a relaxed, social setting.
In French. Kids ages 6 and up.
Explore the many faces of red in this playful workshop for young artists. Through games and gallery discoveries, children will spot how red shapes mood, power and stories in paintings and objects. They will experiment with shades, mix pigments and create small red artworks to express feelings and ideas. Activities are hands-on, sensory and designed to spark curiosity and imagination while learning about color and composition.
In French. Kids ages 6 and up.
Historian Johann Boillat presents a historical perspective on Geneva’s watchmaking and its transformations in the early twentieth century. He frames the discussion through a study of a work from the collection.
The session examines how crisis and regulatory responses reshaped Geneva’s watchmaking branch, investigating industrial reorganization, labour and production changes, and the role of regulatory frameworks in stabilizing the sector. It reveals how material culture and archival objects illuminate broader economic and social shifts.
In French.
Culture, curated weekly.
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