Agenda

The watch industry traditionally uses posters and advertisements to promote its products. They are the backbone of brand communication in the 20th century. The exhibition offers a view of the economic, technological and cultural history of watchmaking, from the invention of the wristwatch to the technological revolution of the quartz watch. The 200 original sketches, advertisements and documents are designed to give a panoramic view of the history of this communication and consumption.

The exhibition highlights a form of artistic production little known to date, that of Chinese reverse glass painting. The exhibition is exclusively devoted to this art created in China between 1750 and 1950, retracing its long history: from its conception in the 18thcentury with the successful artistic encounter between Chinese painting and that of Europe to its subsequent “globalization” before becoming popular within China. The reverse glass painting was also highly appreciated by the Chinese imperial family and the nobility and attracted the interest of European and American experts in the twentieth century, but is little known to the general public

The combined exhibitions at the Musée paysan et artisanale in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Moulins souterrains du Col-des-Roches at Le Locle give an impression of the daily life and image of Europe of the inhabitants of the Neuchâtel region in the 17th and 18th centuries. What did they know about the political changes and other countries? The exhibitions are based on writings by five regional authors (Jaques Sandoz, Abram Ducommun, Daniel Sandoz, Abram Louis Sandoz, Abram Louis Sandoz and David Pétremand) between the end of the 17th century and the 18th century. Based on these texts, each exhibition develops different themes for diving into the past. It appears that the inhabitants had their eyes wide open and focused on Europe through reliable and efficient sources of information.