Mark

Anybody who's lived in Geneva, (and for that matter anyone who's visited) is probably aware of the big broken chair in Place des Nations, a piece of protest art by Daniel Berset on the subject of landmines. People who have a gripe with the UN or one or more of its member states have held frequent demonstrations under the chair. Because of the more-or-less constant demonstrations the lawn on which the big broken chair lived was usually a big muddy mess.

This week the chair is back after an absence of a couple of years during which the plaza under it was renovated. They've redone the whole thing as one gigantic concrete fountain, replacing the lawn which was there before.

An interesting point is that the chair, which arrived in 1997, wasn't originally intended to occupy Place des Nations perminently, but only for three months. It's not particulary well thought of in the UN where a couple of the more powerful member states aren't really on board with the anti-landmine movement. I'll let you dear reader figure out who I'm talking about.

However Handicapped International, the anti-landmine NGO which owns the chair, apparently has some friends in High Swiss Places, namely the federal counselor from Geneva, who happens to be taking a turn as president this year.

• original URL: http://movemearound.org/blog/posts/the_chair.html