Switzerland’s largest kitchen garden © Swiss National Museum
2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the Château de Prangin’s role as home to the Swiss National Museum in French-speaking Switzerland. Over the past 20 years, it has welcomed more than a million visitors, presented some 50 cultural history exhibitions, and launched a wide array of innovative events, such as Rendez-vous au Jardin (a fête and spring market) and Déjeuner sur l’Herbe.
500 volunteers needed!
A highlight of the museum’s celebrations will be the creation of a new social sculpture by the artist, Muma. Remembered by many for his work in the historical kitchen garden back in 2008, Muma, will return to the Château on Saturday 29 September 2018 with 50,000 candles and a new work entitled Flowers of Fire. For this special occasion, some 500 volunteers will be needed to create a unique light performance, which will reflect the idea of clarity dear to the Age of Enlightenment – an era of which Château de Prangins is an iconic monument.
To kick off their anniversary year, the Château has just made a formal appeal to the general public, asking anyone interested in taking part in this event to sign up via an online form on the website, www.fleursdefeu.ch, or contact Jacqueline Naepflin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 022 994 88 67 (Tuesdays and Thursdays). All languages welcome, including children from 7 years old, accompanied by an adult.
«Flowers of Fire» photomontage, kitchen garden © www.muma-art.com
A year of chintz
There are surprises in store throughout the anniversary year, as the principal events revolve around the theme of chintz. In spring, Rendez-vous au Jardin will see the inauguration of a new section in the kitchen garden, containing plants used to dye cotton fabrics. In autumn, Muma’s Flowers of Fire will draw inspiration from the scrolls of branches and flowers found in chintz motifs. Taking place the same weekend, the Déjeuner sur l’Herbe parade will adopt a contemporary flavour, thanks to a novel partnership with the Geneva School of Art and Design HEAD: immersing themselves in the history of printed cottons and giving free rein to their imaginations, a class of students will present a «chintz» collection specially created for the occasion.
Key dates over the next couple of months:
Here are the most important dates to put in your diary over the next couple of months:
Vernissage of the exhibition «Chintz. How a fabric changed the world!»
Saturday 21 April, 17h30 to 22h, free
An outstanding collection of the printed cotton fabrics known as «chintzes» will immerse visitors in the fascinating story of the first global product. For the first time, this exhibition will reveal the role played by the Swiss in this flourishing industry of the Age of Enlightenment, and will present masterpieces from India and Europe including the famous toiles de Jouy. The vernissage will also feature a preview illumination by Muma.
Chintz, Paul and Virginie
Nantes, Petitpierre & Cie factory, around 1795.Copperplate print.
© Swiss National Museum
International Museum Day
Sunday 13 May, 10h to 17h, free
This major international day will tie in with the Cultural Heritage Year in Switzerland and Europe. The theme for 2018 – «Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics» – aims to build bridges between past and future. Making connections across time is an integral part of the Swiss National Museum’s mission. The exhibition Chintz. How a fabric changed the world! will also feature
prominently on the day.
Preview illumination of Flowers of Fire
Saturday 26 May, from 19h, free
With four months to go until his grand light performance, Muma is offering the people of Prangins and anyone who is interested the opportunity to take part in a preview of his social sculpture in the village centre at “la Broderie”. Thousands of candles will illuminate the site at this friendly get-together, which is open to all.
Rendez-vous au Jardin
Sunday 27 May, 10h to 17h, free
The highlight of the spring season at Prangins, this year’s annual fête and market will take over the Château’s five-hectare park and the historical kitchen garden, where a new section of dye plants will be inaugurated to accompany the exhibition Chintz. How a fabric changed the world! The theme for this one-day festival is biodiversity.
Sundays in summer
Included in the price of admission
Long summer days will provide the perfect opportunity to combine the outdoor pleasures of the park and kitchen garden at Château de Prangins with a tour of the exhibitions. On the first Sunday of the month from May to October, guides will be on hand to offer an introduction to the temporary exhibition on chintzes.
One Sunday a month from June to September, the chintz theme will extend to the garden, with guided tours followed by an introduction to dye plants. In July and August, Sundays will be enlivened by the presence of Baroness Matilda, played by an actress in period costume leading the dance in the exhibition Noblesse Oblige! Life at a Château in the 18th Century.
The permanent exhibition “Noblesse Oblige! Life at a Château in the 18th Century”:
the dining room © Swiss National Museum
You will find more information on these and other events as they take place on our Events Calendar. Please note that a special shuttle will run between Nyon railway station and Château de Prangins on weekends and public holidays from 30 March to 28 October 2018. The round-trip ticket will be available between 11h and 16h30 and will cost Fr. 5.- for adults and Fr. 3.- for children and students.
Swiss National Museum
Château de Prangins
CH-1197 Prangins
022 994 88 90
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.chateaudeprangins.ch
Tuesday to Sunday 10h to 17h
Social Sculpture Volunteers
Sign up: www.fleursdefeu.ch
Contact Jacqueline Naepflin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 022 994 88 67 (Tuesdays and Thursdays).
Exhibition Prices
Adults: Fr. 10.-
Groups of more than 10: Fr. 8.-
Young people up to age 16: free
Schools (admission and activities): free
Café du Château
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10h to 17h.
Open in the evening on request for groups.
022 363 14 66
www.cafe-du-chateau.ch
