Konrad Witz Under Construction

While the Temple de la Fusterie is being restored, you can learn more about the history of Geneva through three works around and about the church :

Déplié– a photomontage by Jean Stern:
Déplié is a large-scale (5m x 12m) photomontage that unfolds on a rigid, accordeon-like structure on the south-facing wall of the Temple de la Fusterie. The photomontage, which will remain on display until the restoration work is completed, was created by artist Jean Stern in collaboration with Anouk Dunant Gonzenbach, deputy director of the Geneva State Archives, and Jean-Michel Perret, a pastor of the Protestant Church of Geneva. It revisits Konrad Witz’s 1444 panel painting The Miraculous Draft of Fishes, a precious part of Geneva’s cultural heritage celebrated for integrating the miraculous fishing scene into the Genevan landscape of the time. Witz’s painting, held in Geneva’s Museum of Art and History, is credited as the first representation in the history of art of a real, recognizable topographical feature.

History panels telling the story of Geneva, the Reformation and the Temple de la Fusterie (with translations in English):
Fifteen large panels have been installed on the fencing around the Temple de la Fusterie, creating an open-air exhibition that circles the restoration site. The panels recount the history – from the Middle Ages up to the present day – of the Place de la Fusterie and its church, the first Protestant place of worship to be constructed in the City of Geneva. The panels, which were created in partnership with art historian, Erica Deuber Ziegler, also provide information on the current restoration work.

Un tableau mais pas que. La pêche miraculeuse de Konrad(ed. Slatkine) by Anouk Dunant Gonzenbach
In her latest book, published in French by Editions Slatkine in June 2024, Anouk Dunant Gonzenbach tells the story of Witz’s The Miraculous Draft of Fishes from its creation in 1444 to the present day. Through the painting’s tribulations, the author provides insight into key parts of Geneva’s history. In the second part of the book, she explains the creative process behind the Déplié photomontage. The work is available in bookshops.

Konrad Witz Under Construction is a project run by the Protestant Church of Geneva, its Sans le Seuil ministry and the Foundation for the Preservation of Geneva Temples built before 1907.