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Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The official unveiling of a 60-metre long ceramic fresco, a wall mural by Swiss artist Hans Erni, takes place Saturday 6 June at the Palais des Nations, the United Nations building in Geneva. The public is invited to the 14:15 ceremony.

The artist, who celebrated his 100th birthday in February 2009, has been actively involved in the preparatory work for the mural. “I want all those people going in there to work every day to see it and think about peace,” he told a group of foreign journalists who recently visited him in his hometown of Lucerne.  “I want them to be inspired.”

The mural  covers what has been a plain concrete wall that was erected when security was tightened around the building after  September 2001. Friday 5 June workers were busy putting finishing touches on the fresco as tents went up for the Saturday ceremony in front of the UN building. Some 1,000 people have been invited.

Geneva has had a long relationship with the artist, who has created artworks for several international organizations in the city.

The local government invited him to develop a project for his centenary and the fresco is the result. The city paid CHF150,000 of the total cost of CHF600,000, according to the Tribune de Geneve in early May, when work began to install the fresco.

The ceremony is the first official event presided over by the new mayor of Geneva, Rémy Pagani. The fresco, named Tu panta rei, was produced by François Ruegg with  Sertam. The tiles are 50 cm x 1 metre and are placed on a curved surface, requiring special handling.

Related:

“Hans Erni named Swiss Personality of the Year by foreign correspondents,” GenevaLunch, 19 May 2009

“Portrait of the artist as an old man: Hans Erni at 100,” GenevaLunch, 7 June 2009