Thursday 1 October, 18:00

Training Watchmakers amid Mechanization

Free, Booking Required

Historian Gérard Duc presents research grounded in a specially released object from the museum collection, placing watchmakers’ training within the 19th-century shift towards mechanization.

This talk examines major mutations in Geneva’s watchmaking industry, exploring how schools and craftsmen adapted techniques, how pedagogical practices preserved artisanal savoir-faire, and what these transformations reveal about technology, labor and cultural continuity and their legacy for contemporary craft and heritage studies.

In French.

Rue Charles-GALLAND 2,
1206 Genève

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Photo Credit: DR

28 January – 23 December

Create Your Own Rousseau-Style Herbarium

Lectures & Workshops

Jardin botanique

This workshop explores the traditional process of assembling a herbarium specimen, inspired by Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s collections. Participants learn scientific techniques for pressing and mounting dried plants on old paper, practice botanical labelling and nomenclature, and select specimens to create a personal herbarium sheet. The session examines preservation methods, identification principles and the historical context of Rousseau’s approach, combining practical skills with scientific insight to produce a lasting botanical object.

In French.

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28 June – 30 August

Real/Fake Workshop — Art Classe

Lectures & Workshops

Art Classe

Stéphane Ducret, artist, leads hands-on workshops inspired by various renowned contemporary artists (painters), focusing on figurative or abstract painting, depending on the theme of the day’s workshop. The foundation is self-expression: opening oneself up to experimentation, even without (thinking one knows how to) draw. Participants also explore composition, the layering of colors, and the application of paint—whether acrylic or oil—on primed canvas.

In French.

This summer, join us for workshops every Sunday, preceded by a barbecue and salad lunch starting at 12:00.

Sunday 28 June, 14:00 : Katherine Bradford
Sunday 5 July, 14:00: Henry Taylor
Sunday 12 July, 14:00: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
Sunday 19 July, 14:00: Mamma Andersson
Sunday 2 August, 14:00: Rose Wylie
Sunday 9 August, 14:00: Ida Ekblad
Sunday 16 August, 14:00: Henry Ward

Sunday 23 August, 14:00: Richard Prince

Sunday 30 August, 14:00: Nicolas Party

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28 January – 23 December

Our Biodiversity: Memory game

Lectures & Workshops

Jardin botanique

This interactive memory challenge invites participants to test their memory while exploring practical ways to preserve biodiversity based on Geneva’s municipal strategy. Players match “before-and-after” images that illustrate individual and institutional actions, and each correct pair reveals concise information explaining the measure. The activity examines themes such as habitat restoration, species-friendly practices, urban greening and policy responses, helping participants understand the impact and rationale behind everyday and organisational conservation choices.

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3 May – 6 December

Guided tour: Rousseau, the Whistle-blower

Lectures & Workshops

Maison Rousseau

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

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9 – 30 August

Harvest and Cooking at the Kitchen Garden

Lectures & Workshops

Théâtre de l'Orangerie

From garden to plate: a convivial, hands-on workshop exploring seasonal vegetable harvesting and simple cooking techniques for families. Participants of all ages harvest produce outdoors, learn basic preparation and knife skills, discover flavour combinations and seasonal cooking methods, then prepare and share dishes together. The session emphasises sensory discovery, sustainable food practices and practical culinary confidence. Suitable for children and adults; no prior experience required.

In French.

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Thursday 13 August, 18:30

Yoga Class

Lectures & Workshops

MAH

This class blends dynamic yoga practices with functional conditioning, emphasizing breath, alignment and mobility. Participants work through flowing sequences and targeted strength exercises to improve posture, flexibility and core stability. The session examines movement principles and sequencing strategies that support sustainable progress and injury prevention. It is preceded by a short presentation of an artwork, offering a cultural frame for embodied practice.

In French.

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Training Watchmakers amid Mechanization