Vaud museums pat themselves on the back

Silvia Zamora, the municipal councilor in charge of culture and heritage for Lausanne, reviewed the numerous renovation and extension projects that have been put into motion, expressing her deep satisfaction that so many projects were coming to fruition together.

The Roman Museum in Vidy caters to numerous study and school groups and desperately needed to be extended. To accommodate more than a thousand workshop participants each year, the premises needed to be extended and be better equipped. A cultural mediator has also been hired to accompany the present team in their work.

Closed for several months for an electrical refurbishment, the all-wood Collection de l'Art Brut will reopen on March 5, 2010, the first museum to be entirely lit with diode lighting.

Two exhibitions by African artists will launch the revamped museum: one by Ataa Oko, a Ghanean man who started painting at the age of 83, the second by the Ivorian Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, whose work is considered as much poetry as it is visually enaging.

As for the Historical Museum of Lausanne next to the Cathedral, anyone who has taken the trouble to visit this exquisite little museum will be delighted to learn that the permanent exhibition that tells the story of Lausanne from its beginning, including as a Roman settlement, will be completely revamped.

As for the virtual museum created one night a year by the fabulously successful La Nuit des Musées that programs events in the 23 museums open until late into the night, it will be celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and will take place on September 25, 2010.

Last year’s edition was a great success with 14,000 participants, many of whom would never otherwise set foot in a museum.

Anne-Catherine Lyon, the culture (and education) minister for Vaud, then went on to present an update of the projects that come under her cantonal wing.

Regarding the project for a new Fine arts museum (Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts) that has been plagued over the years by a referendum and repeated attacks by conservatives who want to keep it in the ill-adapted Palais de Rumine, Lyon showed an unusally positive and energetic attitude.

"The State Council is determined more than ever to make the project to convert the railway depot at Lausanne train station work," she said.

A credit will be voted before this summer to launch the architectural contest, although the conceptual work to better define the project by the three partners, the canton, Lausanne and the National railways has continued over the months, Lyon indicated.

In the meantime, the Zoology Museum that will continue to be housed in the Palais de Rumine, is being completely renovated.

In cooperation with the Geology and Biology museums in ths same building, the exhibition dedicated to Darwin, Oh, my God! continues to break all records of attendance, Lyon said with pride.

To conclude, Lyon spoke of the laws that are presently in consultation to define ways of encouraging culture, but also, in reponse to a recommendation by UNESCO (the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization) of coming up with solutions to take stock of "immaterial cultural" goods, those that leave a trace, like an event dedicated to folk music, but that disappear forever.

Amongst the high-caliber exhibitions coming up, look out for Edward Hopper at the Fondation de l'Hermitage, starting June 25, the internationally recognized Swiss video artist, Emmanuelle Antille who gets a solo show at the Musée de Pully, starting March 11, Timber Wood dedicated to wood architecture at ArchiZoom at the EPFL on February 26 and Irving Penn at the Elysée photography museum later in the year.