Laila Rodriguez
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – No week seems to go by without a film festival in town, here’s my ultimate guide to Geneva’s film festivals. Enjoy!
Film festival in Nyon – Photo ©Jared Bloch
Laila Rodriguez
UPDATE: Supposedly the horse fell from one of the straps and ended up “hanging from its neck” causing further controversy in Geneva. Although the gallery has not made mention of such incident, today 10 April Zabriskie Point has decided that the installation has “caused reactions of such violence that the team decided to remove the offending piece from its exhibit.”
Hanging horse at Geneva gallery – Photo Zabriskie Point
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – A horse, or to be more precise, a hanging horse, is making some Genevans a little bit uncomfortable.
Pedestrians walking by the Plainpalais area can freely view a taxidermic horse exhibited at The Zabriskie Point Gallery, suspended by leather slings from the ceiling.
The gallery is a small, glassed-in room located in the heart of the area.
The artists in charge of the exhibit, Maya Boesch and Régis Golay, say the display, called ”War Horse”, seeks to highlight the ever increasing “precariousness of the cultural world.”
Art exhibit Kaltwaser Koberling at Zabriskie Point – Photo provided by the gallery
The art space is well known for holding outdoor exhibit openings that mix guests and passersby.
The War Horse will be on display until the end of May.
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Laila Rodriguez
Swiss Film Awards nominees celebrate ©EddyMotion
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - This week catch all the movies nominated for the Swiss Film Awards 2013 at the Grutli Theater for only CHF5 a movie; then attend the Swiss equivalent of the Oscars’ in one of the most beautiful buildings in Geneva, the Batiment de Forces Motrices.
Organizers say “originality, bravery, poetry and social commentary characterize the films selected for the [2013] Swiss Film Awards,” which will take place on 23 March in Geneva.
The QUARTZ Swiss Film Awards - as it is officially known – takes place in a different city each year.
The awards are not only a way to recognize national talent, but also a means to promote Swiss filmmakers; the nominees receive between CHF5,000 and CHF25,000 each.
Among the nominees are Swiss heavyweights Ursula Meier, shortlisted as the Swiss entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2013 Oscar’s Academy Awards and Markus Imhoof, nominated for the same award in 1981.
The movies can be viewed at the Grutli from 19-25 March.
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Laila Rodriguez
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The 2013 carnaval season is upon us. Brace yourself for the never-ending brass band parades, Guggen (masked performers) and cow bells (no bikini-clad dancers here).
Although there is no Carnival in Geneva, a number of towns around Lake Geneva have scheduled carnivals for late February and early March, including a Venetian carnival in Annecy.
The Basel Fasnacht is billed as the largest in Switzerland, starting at 04:00 the Monday after Ash Wednesday and lasting “exactly 72 hours”. Read GenevaLunch’s ultimate survival guide before heading to Basel (you’ll need it).
Carnival in Switzerland is all about the brass – Photo Ellen Wallace
Here is the ultimate 2013 carnival, carnevale, carnaval, karneval or fasnacht list: get your Guggen on!
Laila Rodriguez
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Geneva’s quaint outdoor ice skating rink at Bastions Park (city center) is hosting a fun weekend outdoors.
On 25 January, Swiss Christophe Geissler, one of the world’s top eight lumberjack sports athletes will be facing a massive piece of ice to create an ice sculpture. Show begins at 18:00.
Then on 27 January, from 14:00 to 17:00 it is disco time. Get your fun on the ice (almost) for free. Skate rentals are only CHF2.
The ice skating rink is open until 24 February including Sundays.
For more information on activities, renting the rink and schedules, click here.
Find all other ice skating rinks in Geneva and Lausanne in one of my previous posts here.
Also visit our Events page to find out about the latest details of the second edition of the Geneva Ski Cup which begins on 26 January.
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Laila Rodriguez
Zumba course at Aerobathon Knight – Credit: Spc. Crystal Abbott /10th PCH US Army
GENEVA, Switzerland – The city of Geneva’s Sports Department is now offering Zumba classes for those aged 18-55, on Thursdays from 12:00 to 13:00 in the Servette area.
Days and times for classes are as follows:
- 10 January to 21 March 2013 (places still available);
- 11 April to 20 June 2013 (registration begins 11 February).
The Zumba course - CHF150 for the 11 weeks - takes place at the Salle communale des Asters, Rue de la Servette 100.
For additional information, contact the Geneva Sports Department at +41 (0) 22 418 4360 or via email at: organisations.sds@ville-ge.ch.
Created in the 1990s in Cali, Colombia by Beto Perez, Zumba is taught today around the world. Zumba creators say around “14 million people take [Zumba] classes on a weekly basis in over 140,000 locations across more than 150 countries”.
Zumba away!
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Laila Rodriguez
The Geneva art and history museum – Photo Laila Rodriguez
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Happy New Year GL readers! Start the year saving money with the Geneva Museums of Art and History ExpoPass 2013.
Although entry to MAH museums (Art and History, Maison Tavel, Graphic Arts, Rath) is free all year round, entrance to temporary exhibits usually start at CHF5 or more. The one exception is the first Sunday of the month when access to temp exhibits is free.
Purchasing the ExpoPass – CHF30/year - gives you unlimited access to all temp exhibits to the museums’ system and discount prices on special events such as concerts. The pass is not valid in other museums in the city.
See what’s exhibiting at the museum on their website or on GenevaLunch’s events page.
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Laila Rodriguez
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – If you are in town on New Year’s Eve 2012 and are still planning evening entertainment, here are a few tips:
- Geneva’s Mayor Remy Pagami is hosting a reveillon at the Plainpalais plaza (including dancing under a circus tent), and staging concerts by rue de l’Ecole de Medecine. From 22:00 to 03:00 the plain will fill with Latin music (mostly DJs playing reggaeton and salsa but some Brazilian music is expected as well), blues, electronica and rock. Zurich-based band My Heart Belongs to Cecilia Winter will be in town to ring in the New Year, as well as Geneva’s own Aloan – one of my faves – which will be playing some of their old trip hop melodies and songs from their new “rock” album.
- Avenue du Mail will be closed to traffic, however you will be able to access the Plainpalais parking from the entrance on Boulevard Georges-Favon. Parking for bikes and motorcycles will be on the southern tip of the plain (Temple & 23-Cantons), download the programme.
- Another cost-free option is bringing your own bubbles to the Mont-Blanc quai where hundreds of Genevois and tourists meet for small fireworks and impromptu gatherings overlooking Geneva’s fanciest hotels.
- Start your evening early by touring Geneva’s Arbres et Lumieres which features several beautifully decorated trees and bridges in the heart of the city.
- Of course there are tons of pay-and-dance parties around Geneva, worth mentioning are the Chat Noir hosting a groove, house and electro party – those wearing capes will receive a gift; a house music party in Jonction; and at Bateau Genève near the Jet d’Eau. L’Usine à gaz in Nyon is also hosting a costume party on 31 December.
- If all above fails, think of visiting Lausanne where a bunch of free events take place.
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Laila Rodriguez
The Annual Christmas Swimming Cup in Geneva also known as the Coup de Noel takes place Sunday 16 December at the English Gardens – Photo Coup de Noel
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Geneva’s winter swimming season begins this weekend with one of the most colorful events: la 74e Coupe de Noël.
The annual Christmas Swimming Cup is the oldest sport event in the canton. It features around one thousand brave swimmers jumping in the near-frozen waters.
The nippy Christmas dip in Lake Geneva begins at 9:00 with about 90 swimmers dressed in fun costumes.
Every five minutes a new group takes to the cool waters until 14:00, when the event concludes.
RDV on 16 December at the English Gardens.
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Laila Rodriguez
Musicians at the Escalade in Geneva
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – It is not too late to head to Geneva’s Old Town to travel back in time, say, over 400 years.
Hundreds of people carrying 17th century arms, dressed as if in the 1600s, carrying flags and playing old military marches take over the streets for the yearly “Fête de L’Escalade,” a three-day commemoration of the city’s defeat of Savoy on 11 December 1602.