An Exhibition: Mechanical Marvels

An exhibition in Geneva to showcase the work of design students from the ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne, who collaborated with master artisans from Sainte-Croix in Switzerland to create five astonishing, breathtaking mechanical art installations.

An initiative by the Mec-Art Association (for Mechanical Art) and its supporters, in partnership with ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne.

Maison de la Mécanique d’Art
May 17 – November 17, 2025
Terrasse Agrippa d’Aubigné 6, Geneva (Old Town)
Open to the public, free admission.

In the presence of:
Denis Flageollet, Master Watchmaker and Founder of De Bethune,
Eric de Rocquigny, Director of Operations and Crafts at Van Cleef & Arpels,
François Junod, Automaton Maker and Sculptor,
Fiona Krüger, Master Watchmaker, Artist, and Designer, and
Alexis Georgacopoulos, Director of ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne.

The Swiss region of Sainte-Croix is the only place in the world where all the knowledge of watchmaking and mechanical art is gathered in one place.

The ancestral craftsmanship of watchmaking, automatons, music boxes, and singing birds is practiced here in several workshops and factories renowned worldwide.

The Mec-Art Association (for Mechanical Art) was founded in Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, to preserve these ancient traditions, advance them technologically and artistically, and bridge the gap between art and mechanical technology.

Uniting artisans, enthusiasts, and actors dedicated to preserving mechanical art traditions on a plateau of the Swiss Jura Mountains, this initiative, born in 2017, safeguards and promotes these skills through various means, including training and creative programs, focusing on automatons, all mechanical musical objects, singing birds, watchmaking, and artisanal clockmaking.

ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne is regularly ranked among the world’s top 10 art and design schools. The school’s influence is evidenced by the many achievements of its graduates, countless awards, and numerous exhibitions in prestigious venues. Over the past decade, ECAL’s Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship has enabled students to work closely with prestigious ‘Maisons’ with centuries-old heritage and explore many sectors of excellence.

The partnership between ECAL and the Mec-Art Association fits perfectly into this approach, creating an opportunity for four international students to collaborate with world-renowned artisans based in Sainte-Croix, resulting in the “Mechanical Marvels” exhibition, now on display in Geneva’s Old Town.

Housed in the Maison de la Mécanique d’Art, established this year in Geneva, the epicenter of watchmaking, jewelry, and related arts, Mechanical Art now has an exceptional venue in the heart of the Old Town, designed to host regular exhibitions.

From May 17 to November 17, 2025, “Mechanical Marvels” will feature five interactive installations combining visual and sound effects, allowing visitors to bring the various automatons to life by simply turning a crank.

These five installations are based on the expertise of Mechanical Art, showcasing the different local skills recently recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

An immersive experience where visitors can interact with the various automatons themselves.

What is Mechanical Art?

Mechanical art merges mechanical precision with artistic creativity, with a history dating back to the Renaissance, and contemporary artisans preserving this unique expertise. It combines science and creativity to produce singular works with mechanical movements, encompassing areas such as artistic watchmaking, automatons, animated sculptures, and music boxes.

Artisanal watchmaking, which flourished in the Franco-Swiss Jura Arc from the 17th century onwards, has been crucial for mechanical art. In the 18th century, the region's skills and knowledge diversified into traditional automatons and music boxes. These creations have evolved over time with innovations to produce mechanical works with multiple and surprising functionalities. Artists and artisans continue this tradition today, with the goal of using precision mechanics artistically to inspire wonder and stimulate the senses, emotions, or intellect.

Thanks to the Mec-Art Association and its supporters,
the artisans of Sainte-Croix and its region initiate
a dynamic, contemporary, and intergenerational creative dialogue.

Encouraging creativity! Implementing measures to inspire young people to engage with Mechanical Art, ensuring optimal training and diversifying transmission systems, developing knowledge banks on materials, techniques, and traditional skills, guaranteeing the expertise of professional practitioners, developing study and research programs aligned with industry needs, sharing experiences and results, promoting and encouraging networking, and exploring heritage as a source of knowledge and inspiration…

Together, driven by a strong collective regional will,
they become ambassadors of their Art and ensure their expertise is passed down
through the Training Center and this inaugural Mechanical Marvels exhibition.

Association Mec-Art – pour la Mécanique d’Art
www.mec-art.ch