Switzerland today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
the world of art does not shy away from challenging society’s perceptions of what is moral and immoral. Nudes may make prudes uncomfortable but is there a red line that cannot be crossed?
Swiss artist Miriam Cahn knows no boundaries. She uses the human body as a battleground for expressing her ideas. Of course, not everyone is on board but one critic (not an art critic!) took offence and vandalised her painting displayed in a Paris museum. The resulting furore prompted the French president to defend his country’s artistic credentials.
Artistic licence: Controversial Swiss painting vandalised
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday condemned an “act of vandalism” after a controversial painting by Swiss artist Miriam Cahn, on display at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, was vandalised with paint External linkon Sunday.
“An attack on an artwork is an attack on our values. In France, art is always free and respect for cultural creation is guaranteed,” the president added.
The painting entitled “Fuck abstraction!”, on display since mid-February, shows a person with their hands tied behind their back being forced to perform oral sex on a faceless, powerful man.
Critics have said the victim in the painting depicts a child, which Cahn has denied, claiming it is a representation of rape as a weapon of war and crime against humanity.
Russia sanctions: 130 Swiss violations flagged with 29 criminal proceedings
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) director Helene Budliger Artieda talked about Russia sanctions in an interview published on MondayExternal link in the German-language newspapers of the Tamedia press group.
SECO has investigated 130 alleged attempts to circumvent sanctions against Russia following its attack on Ukraine. Of these, 29 cases have resulted in administrative criminal proceedings.
In Switzerland, such cases of financial fraud fall under the Administrative Criminal Law Act which has different procedures compared to ordinary criminal law. For example, fines imposed can be much higher.
Video games addiction: First ever Swiss study released
According to results of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study published by Addiction SwitzerlandExternal link on Monday, 31% of 15-year-old boys and 5% of 15-year-old girls play online video games every day.
The proportion of 15-year-old male and female gamers with problematic use is estimated to be around 3%; the rate is similar for girls and boys. Problem use may, in some cases, indicate an addictive disorder. Video game use disorder is included in the World Health Organization’s classification of mental health conditions.
Geothermal energy: Protest heats up Jura project
Around 1,000 people demonstrated in canton JuraExternal link on Sunday against plans to relaunch a deep geothermal project at Haute-Sorne in northwest Switzerland.
The peaceful demonstration was coordinated by the local Association of Responsible Jurassic Citizens (CRJ), which is calling for an immediate end to the project.
The protesters are worried about risks to underground water sources, seismic activity and possible radioactivity. They have doubts about the long-term sustainability of the project, which is backed by the federal authorities, and are calling on Jura parliamentarians to get involved.
The Swiss chalet: Making of a myth and legend
How did the wooden mountain dwelling become forever associated with little Switzerland? There are so-called Swiss Cottages in the USA, Swiss Chalets in Thailand and the Hotel Chalet Suizo in Chile. An exhibition at the Swiss National Library External linkshows how the chalet has become a romanticised image of nostalgia.
“The more precisely one tries to define a chalet, the fuzzier its boundaries become,” claim the organisers.
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