Geneva explores the magical universe of fairy tales

In the futuristic Museum of Ethnography, in Geneva, a very special exhibition will take place, from the 17th of May 2019 until the 5th of January 2020. It will put the spotlight on a theme not as innocent as it seems. Visitors of all ages can nonetheless immerse themselves in the story of this dreamlike world by discovering all its instrumentalisations.

Fairy tales invite themselves in Geneva

Once upon a time... Each one of us knows a fairy tale beginning with these four words. From Greece to Finland, from Spain to the Alps, they are part of our shared patrimony. It's with this universe in mind, both familiar and fictional, that we find ourselves projected in an unusual atmosphere where fanciful stories, well-known or not, are lived out like a sensorial experience.

Each person can interpret the tale of the She-Wolf and the Moon in their own way, and project their personal feelings. © MEG J. Watts

In the galleries, the Little Red Riding Hood and the Loving Bear call upon digital technologies. © MEG J. Watts

Combining dreams and business

Through drawings, paintings and paper cut outs, eight fairy tales are showcased by illustrators through "imaginary theaters". Magic lanterns, optical illusions, mirors and change of scales stray from the rules of the real world. A playful evasion very welcome after a day of marathon meetings in the business centers of Geneva…

It's almost midnight, and the myth of Cinderella is a time stopper in the country of clockmaking… © MEG J. Watts