In the 17th century, indiennes – printed and painted cotton fabrics from India – became a popular commodity in Europe. Since pre-Christian times, India played a key role in the cotton production and exported these lucrative goods to countries all over the world. Dyeing and printing techniques developed in India, remained for a long time the prime example for textile printing in Asia and Europe. The exhibition at the Swiss National Museum displays a number of these magnificent fabrics. It tells the story of the textiles’ production, explores their colonial heritage and travels the trade routes between India, Europe and Switzerland.

In a guided tour curator Noemi Crain Merz will introduce us to her field of expertise, the indiennes trade business.

Program:

12:00 – Guided art tour with Noemi Crain Merz
12:45 – Lunch (included in ticket price)
13:15 – End of event

We will meet at the ticket office of the Landesmuseum at 11:50.

Please make sure to deposit your bags in the lockers downstairs beforehand.

This tour is for Asia Society Members only. How to become a member?

Full no-show charge unless registration is cancelled until 24 hours before the event.

About the Guide

Noemi Crain Merz, PhD, is a historian. She works as a lecturer at Basel University and as a scientific collaborator at the Swiss National Museum. She was part of the team curating the exhibition «Indiennes – Material for a Thousand Stories» and editing the exhibition catalogue.

About Art over Lunch 

Art over Lunch is a monthly event series for members of Asia Society Switzerland. Each time, we visit an exhibition or a special part of a collection with curators and experts for 45 minutes followed by a small lunch. The tours are designed to give members a different view on the vast troves at the museums in the city of Zurich and provide an opportunity to mingle and discuss.