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Geneva offers world-class entertainment, with everything ranging from museums to live music represented.
Museums and Galleries
A gargantuan space covering archaeology, applied and fine arts, the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (Museum of Art and History) holds Geneva's greatest collection of treasures from the past. Highlights of the collection include: Rodin sculptures, paintings by Modigliani, Renoir, Cézanne and Swiss artists as well as an impressive Egyptology section.
From a 21st century perspective, the Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (MAMCO) holds frequent exhibitions of contemporary art. MAMCO houses a noteworthy pop art selection, including works by Warhol and Lichenstein. Le Petit Palais has an eclectic collection of predominantly late 19th and early 20th century works. The Centre de la Photographie within the Grütli Arts Center is dedicated to fine art photography. Something like 10-15 exhibitions are held each year, with a strong focus on individual photographers and their ideas.
Musée Rath on the Place Neuve only shows temporary exhibitions of international and Swiss art. Exhibitions are often thematic or major retrospectives of one artist's output. A startling array of Asiatic art is on display at the Collections Baur. Noted collector Alfred Baur collected these Chinese ceramics, jade pieces and Japanese prints dating from the 8th to the 18th centuries until his death in 1956. Another private museum, the Musée Barbier-Müller holds 5,500 tribal and classical pieces of art in addition to sculptures, textiles and ornaments from primitive civilizations.
Nature and Science
Holding more than 60,000 items, the Musée d'Ethnographie is Switzerland's second largest museum. Highlights of the collections include South American (particularly Amazonian) relics and substantial number of African and Australian aboriginal objects. Unique in Switzerland, the Musée d'Histoire des Sciences focuses mainly on the work of Genevese scientists, who were especially prodigious in the 18th century. Some curious old scientific instruments are also on show.
History and Literature
Maison Tavel was purchased by City of Geneva in 1963. One of Switzerland's most important models of civilian medieval construction, this house is now a museum committed to presenting the city's urban and sociological history. Institut et Musée Voltaire. The author lived 5 years in this delightful house during the mid 18th century. With a large collection of manuscripts dealing with Voltaire and his time, the library and museum also exhibits paintings, sculptures and items belonging to the writer.
Cinema
Cinemas are abundant in the city. A large percentage of films are shown in their original versions. The indicator "VO" means a film is subtitled; "VF" means a film has been dubbed or is a French film. Currently, movie prices are about CHF 16 for an adult, whilst some cinemas offer tickets for CHF 10 on Mondays.
The Grütli Art Center's two screens show a mixture of director retrospectives and art-house films. Also away from the mainstream, Les Scala is an independent cinema showcasing non-Hollywood works from around the globe. The best of the big complexes is Ciné Village at Balexert. With ultra-modern seating and sound, its ten cinemas (with another two on the way) are a hugely comfortable and practical way to see blockbusters.
Music
Live concerts are held daily in the city. Victoria Hall is one of the most beautiful venues for classical music, with stunning acoustics. The Bâtiment des Forces Motrices opera house has a unique location: in the middle of the River Rhône. Theatrical productions, ballet performances and musical concerts are often held here.
The Association pour l'Encouragement de la Musique Improvisée (AMR) offers acting workshops to the community and puts on plays for the public at various venues throughout the city. Le Chat-Noir in Carouge is a jazz and rock club that frequently hosts local DJs as well. L’Usine is mostly known for its rock concerts and cutting edge electronic shows. One of the largest venues in Geneva is SEG Geneva ARENA, where big international acts come to play to the cheers of huge crowds.
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