Housed in an elegant townhouse in Geneva’s Old Town, the International Museum of the Reformation traces the history of the Protestant Reformation across nine rooms, from the 16th century to today. Paintings, manuscripts, objects, and interactive displays explore the movement’s impact in Geneva and beyond. From Calvin to Martin Luther King, the permanent exhibition offers both chronological and thematic paths, with augmented reality features and audio guides available in ten languages.
Ferdinand Hodler: Profession of Faith examines for the first time the spiritual dimension in the work of Ferdinand Hodler (1853–1918). Through some twenty-five paintings, the exhibition traces his youthful biblical readings, his rare biblical scenes, and his relation to the Reformation and the city of Geneva. It also considers how notions of creation and the order of nature informed his symbolist language and his meditative landscapes, revealing the interplay between religious themes and formal concerns in his painting.
Ferdinand Hodler’s work is presented as a modern spiritual quest, bringing together paintings, drawings and archival documents.
From early religious scenes informed by Protestant iconography to late Symbolist compositions, his canvases and studies explore unity between humans, nature and a universal harmony of forms. The exhibition emphasizes Hodler’s pictorial language—rhythmic figuration, landscape as moral presence and meditative repetition—revealing an inward, contemplative dimension in which body and rhythm function as vehicles for spiritual experience. Curated by Niklaus Manuel Güdel.
Metin Arditi, writer and essayist whose trajectory between Turkey and Switzerland informs his reflection on belonging, memory and cultural identity, offers a literary perspective attentive to connections between art and history.
The panel examines Ferdinand Hodler’s spiritual dimension, investigating how he transforms the idea of creation into his representations of nature and how his quest for unity, contemplation and transcendence continues to resonate. The discussion brings the painter’s vision and the writer’s voice into dialogue to offer renewed insight.
In French.
Explore Hodler’s bold flowers and learn to see shapes, colors, and lines in a new way. Observe paintings up close and notice patterns, curves, and contrasts. Then try a simple, playful drawing technique to make your own flower inspired by nature. Use color, sweeping lines, and imaginative details to create a piece that moves and sings. Work with an adult to experiment and share ideas as your artwork grows.
Kids ages 7–10 accompanied by an Adult.
This workshop combines guided art observation with mindfulness meditation to foster a sensory encounter with Ferdinand Hodler’s paintings. Participants explore themes of spirituality, unity, and nature through close looking, group dialogue on artistic resonances, and a short breathing practice. The session examines how sustained attention changes perception of form, color and meaning, and offers practical contemplative techniques to deepen aesthetic awareness and personal reflection.
In French.
Ferdinand Hodler’s work is reconsidered as a modern spiritual quest in this presentation.
Around fifty paintings, drawings and archival documents trace his evolution from Protestant-inspired religious scenes to Symbolist compositions. Hodler’s visual language foregrounds rhythm, the body and the natural world, seeking unity between human presence and universal form. The works employ oil painting, drawing and graphic materials to evoke contemplative states. Curated by Niklaus Manuel Güdel, the selection highlights the inner, meditative dimension of his practice.
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