Workshop and exhibition Duchamp au Lac – An artistic immersion in aquatic life
Born out of the 2024 Biennale (re)connecting.earth – Beyond Water, this educational program explores the links between art and lake ecosystems. Through instructional artworks, sensory workshops, and an exhibition kit, Duchamp au Lac helps children understand the water cycle, the biodiversity of Lake Geneva, and climate change.
● Workshops for primary school pupils
The interdisciplinary workshops “Duchamp au Lac” offer primary school pupils (5P-8P) – over 3 x 2 periods of 45 minutes and through the presentation of their creations made during this time – concrete ways to address issues of ecology and the presence of water in the city, in dialogue with contemporary art.
The program includes
- classroom and outdoor workshops
- content co-created with scientists and artists
- a travelling exhibition in schools featuring works by pupils and artists
During these periods, students will observe the biodiversity that lives around a water source, using instructional artworks designed specifically for the project by Swiss and international artists. These invite theoretical or practical interaction on the theme of water, through, for example, performative actions and drawings. Children are encouraged to explore their creativity while learning.
Specific topics covered include the water cycle, using glaciers and the origin of lake water as examples. The biodiversity of Lake Geneva, with its life above and below the water, water quality, and climate change are also addressed.
After studying and putting into practice the artistic instructions and observing aquatic biodiversity, students are invited to develop and create their own instructional artworks. These are then presented in an exhibition at the school at the end of the workshop, accompanied by an exhibition kit containing the instructions discovered in class, as well as information and questions about lake biodiversity that allow us to deepen our knowledge.
Several schools in Geneva had the opportunity to discover the Duchamp au Lac workshop in 2025 as part of the Bains des Pâquis workshop. This program combines creativity, ecology, and emotion to bring forth new narratives about our relationship with water.
This workshop propose traveling to a water point with the classroom.
It features works by artists Monica Ursina Jäger, Diana Lelonek, Maxence Neveu, Uriel Orlow, Carmen Perrin, and Raul Walch.
This program was developed in collaboration with the Association for the Preservation of Lake Geneva (ASL), the Department of Public Instruction (DIP), and is supported by the City of Geneva and the Canton of Geneva.
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Duchamp Au Lac Exhibition Kit
Duchamp Au Lac Exhibition Kit