3 Exhibitions to See During the Holidays on Switzerland's Colonial Responsibility: Geneva and Zurich
Although Switzerland was not a colonial power, its economic involvement in colonialism is increasingly being highlighted. The colonial trade significantly boosted the Swiss economy in the 19th century, especially the textile industry, which employed 12% of the workforce by 1870. This growth was closely tied to the transatlantic slave trade, involving prominent merchant families from cities like Geneva, Neuchâtel, Aarau, Zurich, and Basel. For years, these connections were hidden in private archives, but they are now being revealed to the public.
This year, several exhibitions across Switzerland explore this historical responsibility. Ethnographic museums, in particular, are at the heart of these discussions, given their origins tied to Enlightenment ideas on racial classification. These museums once had the role to exhibit "underdeveloped" populations in a hierarchical and exhibitionist manner. The objects displayed, often looted, were removed from their cultural contexts and displayed in bulks, with little explanation of their origins or significance. Over the years, these institutions have worked to confront their colonial past, transforming it into a subject of critical reflection. This process is especially necessary as their audience, largely composed of people with higher education, now questions their colonial legacy. Acknowledging and displaying this colonial past has become essential for preserving their legitimacy and continuing to attract visitors.
MEG - Geneva: Ethnographic Museum
Mémoires, Geneva in the Colonial World: Until January 5, 2025, Free Entry
If you haven't seen it yet, you must visit the MEG in Geneva before the exhibition closes on January 5. The exhibition is engaging, immersive, thought-provoking, and informative. It is divided into two main sections: the first takes you through the museum's colonial past, presenting objects with brief texts by various researchers that trace their history, journey, and how they arrived in Geneva. The second part is more immersive, with six thematic capsules where contemporary artists and musicians explore their relationship with their heritage and culture. Between the two spaces, an interactive map highlights the many tributes still present in the city of Geneva (statues, street names, schools, busts, etc.) to figures connected to colonial history.
More info: MEG Exhibition
Landesmuseum - Zurich: Swiss National Museum
Kolonial: Until January 19. Price: 13.- (reduced: 10.-)
The exhibition at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich provides a deeper look at Switzerland's colonial history. Unlike ethnographic museums, it doesn’t focus on objects but on the latest research in the field. During my visit, I met a man who had recently donated an item to the museum: a drawing of the plantation his family owned in Latin America. This encounter made the experience feel more tangible, reminding me that our colonial past is not as distant as I thought. It’s part of the history of Switzerland’s prominent families, and only a few generations separate us from it. The exhibition presents images and graphic documents illustrating the violence committed by explorers and colonizers. These powerful depictions leave no visitor indifferent.
More info: Landesmuseum Exhibition
UZH Zurich: University of Zurich Museum
Benin Dues: Dealing with Looted Royal Treasures: Until September 14, 2025, Free Entry
From 2021 to 2024, the “Swiss Benin Initiative” (BIS) brought together 8 Swiss museums to research the provenance of objects from the Kingdom of Benin, looted during the British expedition of 1897. This kingdom, located in present-day Nigeria, was one of the most powerful empires in West Africa, reaching its peak between the 15th and 17th centuries, before being weakened by European colonial conquests. On February 18, 1897, British troops looted thousands of artifacts during the most violent attack. These items were sold on the European art market and are now scattered between collectors and museums. While Swiss museums "legally" acquired these objects through auctions or donations, they remain looted cultural heritage. Some of these artifacts, particularly cult objects, are at the center of BIS's restitution efforts. The University of Zurich's exhibition highlights the ongoing dialogue with Nigerian communities and provenance research.
More info: University of Zurich Exhibition
If you liked this article, I recommend reading the one I published a few weeks ago, where I discussed the imperialist roots of architectural pedagogy and how these ideas apply to architectural theory.
For further reading on the topic:
On Swiss colonialism:
David Eugster, “Switzerland and its colonies”, swissinfo.ch, July 14, 2020.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/histoire/la-suisse-et-ses-colonies/45906046
Anand Chandrasekhar, “The nauseating past of the Swiss textile industry”, swissinfo.ch, September 27, 2019.
RTS, Podcast - What does Switzerland's colonial past look like?, April 14, 2022.
https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/13022371-podcast-a-quoi-ressemble-le-passe-colonial-de-la-suisse.html
** On the colonial involvement of ethnographic museums:
https://icom.museum/en/news/exhibiting-colonialism-reflections-on-ethnographic-museums/
ICOM (International Council of Museum) established in 1946, is the only global organization of museums and museum professionals.
This text was translated with the help of AI.
Images:
« Musée ethnographique », dans Joanne, Adolphe (1813-1881), Paris illustré en 1870 et 1876. Guide de l’étranger et du Parisien, Paris : Hachette, [1876], p. [703]. Disponible en ligne, url : <https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k63947766/f859.image>.
