Babel – Delusions of grandeur

Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Line Marquis, Antoinette Rychner, Peter Aerschmann, Hansjürg Buchmeier, Erica Pedretti, Antoine Roegiers, Du Zhenjun

The exhibition explores the theme of hubris – the pride that drives humans to excess

For Friedrich Dürrenmatt, the Tower of Babel embodied hubris – the exaggerated pride that drives humans beyond all limits. Throughout his life Dürrennmatt tirelessly explored this subject through writing, art, theatre and music. Drawing on the Tower of Babel and other motifs, he questioned the arrogance that can drive humanity to its own downfall, while keeping in mind that when things collpase, new worlds can emerge.

Today, at a time marked by the denial of planetary limits, technological gigantism, the cult of growth, and the transhumanist quest for immortality, the notion of hubris – inherited from ancient Greece – is particularly pertinent to shed light on current-day issues.

Artist Line Marquis and author Antoinette Rychner have been invited to create unique pieces for the exhibition, which features works by Peter Aerschmann, Hansjürg Buchmeier, Erica Pedretti, Antoine Roegiers and Du Zhenjun.

The exhibition material in english is available on request at the reception desk of the CDN.

The exhibition will be complemented by an issue of the series “Cahiers du CDN,” published in French and German, and a new season of the podcast, also in French and German.

Events