The team behind the Valais-Wallis Time Machine Association in Switzerland have been quite busy lately, updating the interested crowd about their achievements via newsletter, summarizing the latest activities in 2023.
Read about:
Current Exhibition “La Fabrique de la Constitution 1907-2023”
The Swiss canton of Valais has decided to adopt a new constitution. After four years of work, this new version was submitted to the Council of State last May. But in fact, why are we changing the constitution? Who creates constitutions and by what process?
The exhibition shows, through the diversity and richness of the documentation, how a canton adopts a new constitution. Discover, by browsing part of the preserved archives, the differences which exist between the Constitution of 1907 and that of 2023. If the documentation proves meager for 1907, the essentials nevertheless remain. In 2023, it will, on the contrary, reveal itself to be abundant and multifaceted.
The exhibition presents to the public the digital prototypes created within the Valais Wallis Time Machine association. Multimedia terminals allow you to explore the archives, visualize the links between articles of the constitution and legal texts, as well as discover the work of the members of the constituent body.
It can be visited between 23 September and 15 December 2023, Monday to Friday (8 a.m. – 7 p.m.) at the Energypolis Media Library, Rue de l’Industrie 23, Sion.
The “Château de Tourbillon” like you’ve never seen it
The Valais Wallis Time Machine Association, accompanied and advised by Patrick Elsig, Director of the Valais History Museum and a major specialist in Tourbillon Castle, embarked on a 3D reconstruction of the building as it should have been, before the fire of 1788. Based on old engravings, plans and archaeological surveys as well as other documentary sources, such as period accounts, we were able to gather the historical material necessary for the reconstruction work.
Hackathon Verbier Time Machine
After the success of the team’s 2022 hackathon in Sion, this year the team organised a new edition on the theme: Landscapes of Val de Bagnes: the village of Champsec before and after the Giétroz disaster. Objective: recreate the landscape of the village before and after the debacle. The hackathon took place on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November at Espace Saint-Marc, in Le Châble. Historians have collected data on the inventory of goods lost in the village following the disaster. Plans, maps, engravings and period texts were available to participating teams. This data was to be combined with the Swisstopo terrain model to bring this disappeared landscape back to life.
Participation at the UHDL 2023 workshop
The Valais Wallis Time Machine team presented at the UHDL 2023 workshop (Workshop on Research and Education in Urban History in the Age of Digital Libraries), in March 2023. This event, focussing on the challenges and opportunities of research in urban and architectural history, brought together experts from various fields to discuss methodological advances, applications and innovative tools. The presentation “Creation of a 4D historical model of a city: Feedback from a hackathon” explored a methodological approach developed during the Valais Wallis Time Machine hackathon. This method can effectively guide the creation of accurate and plausible 4D historical models of cities, demonstrating the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in digital humanities projects.
Special honor for Alain Dubois
Alain Dubois, president of the Valais-Wallis Time Machine Association, was named among the 100 personalities who are shaping the future of French-speaking Switzerland by the newspaper Le Temps. A great recognition of its commitment to promoting the cultural and historical heritage of Valais! Congratulations!