Cinema before Cinema Exhibition at Museum Tinguely: Early Swiss Film History

This exhibition explores the life and work of François-Henri Lavanchy-Clarke, a pioneering Swiss media impresario who brought the Cinématographe Lumière to Switzerland in 1896. Featuring recently rediscovered films and photographs, the display highlights his role as a filmmaker, media innovator, and early designer of automata.

This exhibition brings the work of François-Henri Lavanchy-Clarke back into the limelight, celebrating his legacy as a multifaceted pioneer of early cinema. Lavanchy-Clarke was instrumental in documenting Switzerland through moving pictures, famously presenting his films at the 1896 Swiss National Exposition in Geneva. The exhibition examines how this charismatic entrepreneur utilized the Cinématographe Lumière, effectively creating one of the world's first cinematic experiences while balancing interests in the chemical industry, social reform, and international marketing. Following the recent discovery of approximately fifty of his films in a Paris archive, these rare documents have been restored using modern image-processing technology to be presented publicly for the first time in over a century. Through his diverse collection of films and photographs, the exhibition provides a unique window into the fin-de-siècle Belle Epoque, illustrating the intersection of technological advancement and social history in 19th-century Switzerland. The exhibition is presented in cooperation with the Fondation Herzog and point de vue – audiovisual productions.

The museum website provides general visitor information; visitors are encouraged to check the official museum website for current admission details and ticketing requirements prior to their visit to the exhibition at Museum Tinguely in Basel. The exhibition is included within the scope of the museum's regular programming and access policies.