Don’t miss out: Events running for less than two weeks
Lost in Translation examines the relationships between languages and student mobility from the nineteenth to the twenty‑first century. Through panels, roundtables and a film screening, the conference explores Asian mobilities within imperial Europe, (post)colonial contexts, twentieth-century linguistic practices, multilingualism at the University of Geneva, Cold War dynamics and contemporary mobility patterns. Contributions combine historical research and transnational perspectives to reveal how language shaped student experiences and academic networks. A scientific committee supervises the programme.
In French and English.
Students from the PréPro programme at eMa present their final musical projects to a public audience and a professional jury. This evening of concentrated performance highlights stagecraft, instrumental technique and creative development: short sets range from Concorde’s alternative rock to Matilde’s pop/Franco‑Italian repertoire, and a set by Paul Sculati. The concert offers a direct insight into each artist’s evolution, focusing on musical identity and live presence.
An intimate decade-spanning portrait of Shewit, who flees Eritrea and journeys alone to Europe, arriving in Switzerland as a teenager with dreams and hopes. Filmed over ten years, the documentary traces her struggle without residency, her fight against expulsion and her quest for emancipation. Through observational cinematography and patient long-form storytelling, the film renders resilience, longing and the everyday courage of a young woman carving a life against political and bureaucratic pressures.
Screening with the movie team.
Jacques Berchtold presents a study of Rousseau’s self-identification with exile, in dialogue with Chake Matossian (Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts, Brussels). He situates Rousseau’s gestures within artistic and textual traditions.
The lecture examines Rousseau’s abrupt adoption of Armenian dress and its representation by painters, linking classical (Ovid at Tomis) and Christian (John Chrysostom) models. Berchtold investigates the Enlightenment re-reading of Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat and argues this purification of origin frames Rousseau as a new Noah confronting modern degeneration.
In French.
British comedian Jimmy Carr returns with Laughs Funny, a sharp stand-up show built on rapid, dark one-liners and razor-tight timing. His delivery alternates between observational punchlines and bold, provocative twists, creating an electric, confrontational atmosphere where laughter and discomfort collide. Minimal staging keeps the focus on voice and rhythm, while the comedian’s precise pacing and stagecraft shape a haunted, high-energy comic experience.
In English.
Adapted from Fabcaro’s comic, “Zaï zaï zaï zaï” is a live radio play that is both witty and sharp. It tells the story of a man who becomes public enemy number one after forgetting his loyalty card at the supermarket. This performance cleverly examines collective behavior, security overreach, and media influence, blending social satire with light-heartedness to invite laughter and thought. Presented by Théâtre de l’Argument, it features inventive direction by Paul Moulin and precise sound design by Christophe Danvin, with a diverse cast including the voice talent of Serge Biavan.
In French.
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Events running for an extended period
Dany Gignoux (photographer) and poet Georges Haldas present a compelling dialogue between documentary photography and lyrical prose. The exhibition brings together photographs and written fragments that register everyday life in Geneva’s cafés, combining on-the-spot reportage with memory-infused “prose inspirée.” Through intimate black-and-white images and spare, evocative texts the works transfigure mundane scenes into poetic testimony, revealing social undercurrents and human tenderness. Archival materials frame this historic encounter between two generations of cultural chroniclers.
John M Armleder presents an interchange-based exhibition that foregrounds objects drawn from students’ suitcases. Through object-based works and subtle interventions, the show probes modes of observation, intimacy and collective memory. Personal belongings are rearranged as visual prompts that evoke histories, pedagogy and everyday cinematics. The artist’s restrained interventions invite reflection on how small domestic items circulate meanings and facilitate encounters, revealing how private narratives surface within a communal field of attention.
This spring, Villa Bernasconi hosts Helvetropicos, a platform that brings together Switzerland-based artists with strong ties to Latin America. The exhibition explores hybrid identities and contemporary forms of cultural mixing through diverse works—installations, sculptures, paintings, and more—inviting visitors to rethink how reality is shaped and experienced.
Opening : Tuesday 5 May, 18:00 – 21:00
Claudine (j’aime pas l’bonheur) is a re-creation by Marjolaine Minot that probes the ambivalence of happiness through intimate theatrical language. The piece blends restrained physicality and lyrical monologue to map memory, longing and domestic disquiet. Minimal scenic devices and attentive sound design carve spaces of emotion, while a small ensemble negotiates shifts between humour and melancholy. The production favours fragile gestures and precise rhythms to evoke an uneasy, poetic atmosphere.
In French.
Measures of Infinity brings together works by Susanna Bauer, Frankie Gao and Carol Prusa in a contemplative exhibition of drawings, installations and meticulously crafted objects. Bauer transforms fragile leaves into intricate, almost meditative compositions; Gao offers pared-back drawings and open installations that evoke cosmic structures; Prusa constructs pieces informed by scientific models and unseen phenomena. Across scale and material, the show explores perception, precision and the tension between the intimate and the vast, inviting close looking and slow attention.
Join a citywide celebration of piano, music and community as an open-air project places playable pianos across Geneva. For 15 years the initiative has invited everyone to sit, play or listen, mixing spontaneous performances with a programme of short acoustic concerts in unexpected public settings. Instruments are freely accessible and many performances are announced only on the spot, creating shared, inclusive musical moments that bring neighbours and visitors together.
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Geneva Classics
Visiting for the first time? A quick guide to the city’s top attractions.
Located in the heart of Geneva’s international district, the Portail des Nations is a space dedicated to dialogue, cooperation, and global issues. Through exhibitions, talks, and cultural events, it offers visitors an entry point into the major challenges shaping our world and Geneva’s role as a hub for international governance.
Nestled in the Geneva countryside, the Collection du Crest showcases a remarkable selection of modern and contemporary art. Through temporary exhibitions and its private collection, this unique venue offers an intimate encounter with artistic creation, in dialogue with the history and landscape of the estate.
Discover one of the world’s most remarkable libraries and museums, home to an exceptional collection of manuscripts, rare books, and historical documents spanning over 5,000 years of human history. Located in Cologny overlooking Lake Geneva, the Fondation Martin Bodmer offers a unique journey through literature, philosophy, religion, science, and the arts, bringing together some of humanity’s most significant written treasures.
Culture, curated weekly.
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