“Exotic?” at Palais de Rumine

Lausanne, Switzerland

Photo © Lionel Henriod

Interior Designers: Frédéric Dedelley Produkt- und Raumgestaltung

Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Year: 2020
Organized and curated: Team led by Noémie Etienne (Universität Bern, Swiss National Science Foundation) in collaboration with the three museums of science and history at Lausanne’s Palais de Rumine
Graphic design for the exhibition: Jocelyne Fracheboud

Awakening Curiosity and Posing Questions.

What did the discovery of exotic worlds trigger in people’s hearts and minds? How did this influence art and science? What role did Switzerland play in colonization and the slave trade? What does “exotic” actually mean and how exotic are we ourselves? The Lausanne exhibition explores these questions with a display of a wide arrange of artifacts. They make clear the fascination of the exotic, but also show the carelessness with which the artifacts of other peoples were appropriated and used. Conversely, representations of our own traditions are revealed as marketing strategies. Parallel to the exhibition, artistic installations comment on these issues from a contemporary perspective.

Our exhibition design works with a surprising arrangement of the artefacts and a clever use of color. For example, the longing for distance is emphasized with a deep night blue, while a gentle pink is intended to offset the disturbing exhibits on display. The engagement with Switzerland takes place against a green background that pretends familiarity. And finally, a warm Pompeiian red surrounds the spectators in the screening room, where documentaries and feature films highlight the exhibition’s themes in new ways. The last room for presenting findings and workshops is kept in a subtle sky blue. The window façade opens onto the city space and thus creates a link connecting the historical exhibition and present.