Category: Switzerland

A Christmas tradition from Appenzell Inner-Rhodes

Here comes a Christmas tradition from a special canton of Switzerland, Appenzell Inner-Rhodes, the smallest Swiss federal state by population number and the last one to award women the right to vote in cantonal elections (only in 1991). Appenzell Inner-Rhodes is most known for the practice of Landsgemeinde, open voting by the raising of hands in the public town square, one of the oldest forms of direct democracy. This canton is also known for its unique folk costumes, naive paintings and agrarian traditions. Its relative isolation, it is located away from the main communication routes, was a contributing factor in the preservation of the specificity of traditional practices at various times of the year. One of these unique practices is the Chlausezüüg.

Where science meets whimsy

Autumn school break is over which means that for the past two days I have been binging on Harry Potter and Kambly biberli and taking long baths…in the bathtub. While our vacations have been getting easier because FriBoy has grown into a collaborative, easygoing and fun kid to be around, I still find it hard to manage his activities all by myself. We haven’t had grandparents here to help out in a long while, and those couple of hours a day, while they were in charge and I got to sit and do nothing, really mattered.

air-dry clay artwork Espace Tinguely Francois Burland Fribourg Jean Tinguely kids crafts kinetic art Museums Nana Niki De Saint Phalle sculpture swiss museum

Highland Museum in Château d’Oex / Musée du Vieux Pays d’Enhaut

I wrote about the Old Highland Museum in a previous blog post in the context of their temporary exhibition of Swiss paper-cut art. However, this museum is well worth a visit for their permanent exhibition of traditional art and lifestyle of the Fribourg highlands.

butter mold Château d'Oex folk art Fribourg fribourg region Johann Hauswirth Musée du Pays d'enhaut Pays d`en Haut plaque beurre poya Swiss folk art swiss museums

NONAM – The North America Native Museum in Zürich

I visited this place last year in December and wrote about their exhibition of Leo Yerxa’s art here. This is post is about the permanent collection of native north american art.

Gottfried Hotz Musée Suisse Native American Art NONAM North American Native Museum Segesser Hide Paintings swiss museums Switzerland Zürich

The Nestle Museum in Vevey

To my mind a contemporary museum is an educational space that enables critical reflection by asking the right questions, while minimizing its own bias . If it manages to do all that while entertaining me that is progressive museography. Having said this, I don’t think the Nest Museum of Nestle is a real museum, mausoleum would be more fit of a title, or its other designation, discovery center for children and adults, is definitely more appropriate.

Nest Nestle swiss museums Vevey

The Communications Museum in Bern

The Communications Museum in Bern had a makeover recently and is probably the best educational experience we’ve had in a museum. To me it’s proof of how much museography has evolved and how by embracing digital era technologies museums can become learning hubs for both adults and kids.

Activities Bern Children Communications Museum Science swiss museums

Art Brut Collection in Lausanne

I was attracted to the idea of outsider art since a couple of years ago when I discovered the concept but didn’t quite grasp what it was until this Saturday when we visited the Outsider Art Museum in Lausanne. I had enrolled my son in a sculpture workshop for children on the theme of their newest exhibition dedicated to the human form – Le Corps.

art brut Jean Dubuffet Lausanne Museum swiss museums

Leo Yerxa at the NONAM in Zürich

This year is coming to end and I sort of have this habit (superstition ) to close the circle the same way I started it.

Leo Yerxa Native Americans NONAM North America Native Museum swiss museums Zürich

The Sensler Museum in Tafers

Friday was a bank holiday in the canton of Fribourg and we took this opportunity to visit a museum that had interested me for quite some time but didn’t get the chance to see until now because it’s open only for 3 hours a day, between 14:00 – 17:00.

ethnographic museum ethnography Fribourg Musée Singinois Senseler Museum swiss museums Switzerland Tafers traditional

Rhino Star – The Museum of Natural History

As much as I love art, I wish I could say the coolest museum in Fribourg is the Art and History one, but it’s actually not. The Natural History Museum is the cultural institution by far the most alive and in tune with its public, especially the young public. Which is rather ironic for a place exhibiting dead animals but this means it is a real dynamic learning hub.

creative space Fribourg kids activities Musée Histoire Naturelle Fribourg Natural History Museum Rhinoceros RhinoStar