National Museum Zurich

With the exhibition 'Ideas of Switzerland', the National Museum Zurich presents stories that over the centuries have contributed to the cohesion of the Swiss Confederation. Four historical writings offer a starting point: Petermann Etterlin's chronicle of the Swiss Confederation, Jean Calvin's 'Institutio Christianae Religionis', Jean-Jacques Rousseau's discourse on educating people in idyllic countryside and 'Un Souvenir de Solférino' by Jean-Henri Dunant.

Visitors can explore how these writings are still shaping the idea of Switzerland today by leafing through four interactive books created by iart. How do the Swiss vote? What is special about the militia system? What fruit do hard work and precision bear? How does neutral Switzerland present itself internationally? These kinds of questions are addressed in the interactive books and are answered with small, playful animations. In this way, subjects of domestic policy, economics, research and diplomacy receive a new lightness and can be explored in a playful way.

The exhibition covers an area of 400 m² and is located in the new building designed by Swiss architects Christ & Gantenbein.

More interactive books by iart: Paul Gauguin, BMW Art Journey