Exhibition marking the 20th anniversary of Visarte Vaud in Lausanne
As Councillor Silvia Zamora of West Swiss section of the Swiss Professional Association of Visual Artists congratulates Visarte on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the top of a minaret begins to rise in the sky behind the visitors' heads. Harald Reichenbach, the creator of this work, didn’t miss the exhibition date. The intervention of the Bernese artist cuts back to the "Minaret Initiative", a piece of everyday politics in Switzerland that created an uproar in the country in 2009. The discussions have long since subsided, the ban on minarets in Switzerland has shown no impact on daily life, and similarly, Reichenbach's performance may not elicit more heated debate. Although the piece, as its title indicates, exhorts respect in togetherness, cinematically elaborated, it also becomes a piece of memory.
However, the anniversary of Visarte Vaud in Lausanne on Lake Geneva is not a retrospective exhibition. In the Parc de Mon Repos (my peace) and in other places in the city and the neighboring communities Nyon and Yverdon, more than 30 mostly Western Swiss artists provide an insight into their current work in the field of three-dimensional art in the exhibition curated by the Genevan sculptor Nicolas Zaric. Visarte Vaud also wants to be presented to a broad audience. An inspection on the opening day shows that this has been achieved. While Harald Reichenbach and his minaret are moving from place to place, the "normal people" of the park have long established themselves among the sculptures and enjoy the sun and the solitude.
The "Parc de Mon Repos" is public. The exhibition runs until 2 October 2011.