Events calendar

Buddha in ebony, 9th - 10th century (Nationalmuseum Nara/MuseumRietberg)

What's coming up in arts & culture.

Buddhist art from Japan

From February 18 until April 9, the Museum Rietberg in Zurich presents beautiful sculptures and paintings from the 7th to 14th century, some of which have never been seen outside Japan. The exhibition is called “Kannon”, the name of Japan’s most popular Buddhist deity.

Women photographers

Until February 24, the ArteF gallery in Zurich puts on an exhibition of photographs by women, including Margaret Bourke-White, Berenice Abbott, Monqiue Jacot, and Tina Modotti.

The art of silhouettes

Until March 25 in Prangins near Geneva, the Swiss National Museum in Prangins Castle puts on a special exhibition of traditional paper cutting illustrating what can de done with a pair of scissors and paper.

The art of looking

Until March 4, the Gianadda Foundation in Martigny shows works by Swiss artist Edouard Vallet (1876-1929) famous for his wood engravings and watercolour paintings.

SnowpenAir

From March 31 until April 1 the 10th SnowpenAir, a cool music festival up in the mountains in Wengen, boasts hot names such as Bryan Adams, Lunik, Plüsch and Polo Hofer. www.snowpenair.ch

Comic festival

From March 24 until April 1, Luzern hosts the 16th international comic festival “Fumetto”, introducing young and talented artists from Switzerland and all over the world. www.fumetto.ch

We will rock you !

From January 6 until April 1, Zurich’s new Theatre 11 presents the Queen musical “We will Rock You”. Played live, the musical written by Ben Elton and Queen musicians includes hits like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Who Wants to Live Forever”.

Snow and Symphony

From March 23 until April 1, St Moritz hosts the 10th Snow and Symphony classic music festival.

Chinese art

From February 6 until April 1, as part of its “Chinese Window” exhibition, the Museum of Fine Arts in Bern presents selected works from the Sigg Collection following the successful “Mahjong” exhibition in 2005. Two parallel solo exhibitions display works by the important modern Chinese painters, Liu Ye and Ji Dachun.

Lucerne Festival at Easter

From March 24 until April 1, international top orchestras and ensembles will play Old Music and New Music in addition to sacred and symphonic music. To complete the Easter mood, the programme includes four choir concerts.

Paintings meet poetry

Until April 1, the Martin Bodmer Foundation in Geneva presents 60 rare works from the Italian Renaissance. The exhibition includes paintings, drawings and manuscripts by Dante, il Tasso, Boccaccio, Pacioli, Machiavello and Bottecelli.

Still life in Davos

If you’re in the Davos area this winter, don’t miss the magnificent still life collection by local artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1905-1938) at the Kirchner Museum until April 15. A parallel exhibition continues the still life theme with three cartoon works by the young German artist Pia Maria Martin.

Waterworld

From January 18 until April 19, the Natural History Museum in Bern is putting on a special exhibition of underwater pictures taken in streams, lakes and rivers by Swiss nature photographer Michel Roggo. www.nmbe.ch

Cockpits, hospitals and kitchens

From February 2 until April 22, an exhibition at the Kunsthaus in Zürich called “Thomas Müllenbach Graphite – The Large Drawings” depicts equipment from modern life, including kitchen fittings, hospital operating room apparatus, navigation instruments in the cockpit of a MD11 and the Chernobyl nuclear power station command centre.

Faith – an exhibition for believers and non-believers

From October 28 until April 27, an exhibition at the Zeughaus-Areal in Lenzburg explores faith and religion. The exhibition looks at different religions, the meaning of prayer, what people believe, and why.

Encounters of the photographic kind

From February 14 until April 29, the Museum Tinguely in Basel puts on an exhibition of pictures taken after 1954 by Swiss photographer Kurt Wyss. Wyss, who photographed daily occurrences and unusual events, also snapped the world of famous artists and writers such as Picasso, Beuys, Tinguely and Dürrenmatt.

Biodiversity

From November 17 until May 20, the Natural History Museum in Basel puts on a special exhibition focusing on biodiversity. Forgotten museum treasures, collections of animals, birds and beetles are just a few of the diverse objects on show at this colourful exhibition.

Body – Space – Sound

From February 16 until May 13, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Paul Klee Centre in Bern jointly put on an exhibition of the work of Oscar Wiggli, whose metal sculptures dating back to the 1950s are of international importance.

Rodin retrospective

In the late 19th century Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) revolutionised sculpture. From February 9 until May 13, 2007 the Kunsthaus in Zürich is showing a retrospective comprising of 160 bronzes, works in plaster, and drawings – including such renowned pieces as “The Kiss” and “The Thinker”. Also on show, rarely seen marble sculptures such as “The Earth and the Moon”.

Belgium in a new light

From January 25 until May 28, the Hermitage Foundation in Lausanne is presenting 19th century Belgian paintings and drawings. A first in Switzerland, the exhibition highlights the work of the seminal “XX” and “Libre Esthétique” artists who were among the most innovative of the European avant-garde.

Picasso and the circus

From March 9 until June 10, the Gianadda Foundation in Martigny puts on an exhibition focusing on Picasso’s connection with the circus world from the early 1900s. Picasso created fictitious scenes where acrobats and tightrope walkers symbolised loneliness and human suffering.

Animal talk

From October 20 until July 1, the Museum of Communication in Bern is holding a special exhibition about communication between people and animals and animals and animals, from wolves and whales to rhinos and zebras.

Edvard Munch

From March 18 until July 15, an exhibition at the Beyeler Foundation in Basel presents works by Norwegian painter and graphic artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) with 140 paintings, drawings and prints from every phase of the artist’s career. The retrospective review focuses on Munch’s significance as the founder of Expressionism. In addition to loans from numerous American and European museums, the presentation includes a large number of previously unavailable works from private lenders.