Swiss Colonial Imaginaries: Noémie Étienne on 'Exotic?' Exhibition and Book

In a conversation with Noémie Étienne, who co-directed 'Une Suisse exotique ?' and co-curated the exhibition 'Exotic ?', the often-ignored colonial past of Switzerland is explored. This exhibition, held at Palais de Rumine in Lausanne, concluded in November 2020. The accompanying book (Diaphanes, 376 pages, 40 euros) contains research by Étienne, Claire Brizon, Chonja Lee, and Étienne Wismer, focusing on Swiss colonial perceptions during the Enlightenment. Switzerland was involved in global conquests, with Valaisan farmers consuming coffee and manufacturers exporting printed textiles. Over four years, the research identified items collected from 1660 to 1815. The exhibition featured a trigger warning and contemporary pieces by Senam Okudzeto, sparking dialogues on colonial heritage and the impacts of exoticism in humanitarian imagery and tourism.