OPENING SOON
A la poursuite du temps (In the Pursuit of Time) is an exhibition at the Art and History Museum of Neuchâtel that seeks to trace back the history and importance of the Neuchâtel Observatory in measuring time in Switzerland. It also explores the social use of time measurement in transportation, labor and sport and sheds a light on the evolving definition of the second and satellite navigation systems.
The Laboratory for Experimental Museology contributes to the project with four installations, evaluated in situ to advance research in computational museology, based on—historical reconstruction, semantic representations of cultural and historical knowledge that connects entities, sources, and relationships in a graph structure to support interpretation, interoperability, and conversational agent interactions, as well as human computer interaction for archival reuse.
The exhibition project is supported by a partnership involving the Temps-Fréquence Laboratory, the Institute of History at the University of Neuchâtel and EPFL’s Laboratory for Experimental Museology (eM+). It also contributes to the wider initiative From Stars to Atoms… The Cantonal Observatory of Neuchâtel, led by the Association Automates & Merveilles, linking three regional museums dedicated to watchmaking, science, and cultural heritage.
A la poursuite du temps
21 June 2026 – 3 January 2027
Musée d’art et d’histoire de Neuchâtel
Esplanade Léopold-Robert 1
CH-2000 Neuchâtel
I. Au coeur de la mesure du temps
Au coeur de la mesure du temps (At the heart of time measurement) is an immersive, interactive application that digitally reconstructs the historic Neuchâtel Observatory and enables multisensory public engagement with its scientific and cultural legacy. This first prototype installation leverages 3D scanning, photogrammetry, archival integration, spatial audio, and human-computer interaction design. Based on extensive historical and scientific documentation, visitors explore and discover the mechanical functioning of three time-measuring tools used at the Observatory at the turn of the 19th century.
Situated at the intersection of computational museology, digital heritage, and immersive media design, the project addresses a key research challenge: how to authentically translate complex historical, spatial, and archival knowledge into a performative, explorable environment optimized for museum deployment.
II. Converser avec Adolphe Hirsch
Another installation developed is an AI-powered conversational interface to simulate dialogues with Adolphe Hirsch, astronomer and first director of the Neuchâtel Observatory from 1858 to 1901. Visitors are invited to ask Adolphe Hirsh questions on his life and work to find out more about his significant role in the creation of the Observatory. The conversational agent draws from an extensive archival set of data, as well as Hirsch’s own correspondance, generating historically accurate and scientifically just conversations with the public, while fostering a deepened personal relationship with the scientist.
III. le son du temps
Le son du temps (The sound of time) is a fully immersive audio installation based on ambisonics principles. The work traces the evolution of timekeeping and its dissemination, showing how sonic signals—from bells to broadcast clocks—have shaped social coordination. Drawing from historical archives and newly commissioned recordings, the installation merges past and present, highlighting Neuchâtel’s influential horological heritage and its global impact. Positioned in a room with no other sensory stimulation but their hearing, visitors are plunged in a superimposition of bell chimes, analog clocks, watchwoman calls, bird songs and all sounds in between that give the time.
IV. Cosmic Colisions
Cosmic Collisions houses an interactive astrophysical visualization installation within a fulldome environment, allowing visitors to reproduce the ancient gesture of looking up to the sky to observe the stars. The projection of approximately 500 images collected by NASA telescopes abolishes the distance between the human eye and the stars. The dome also augments our vision so that we can perceive structures normally indiscernible to the naked eye. Immersion in this reimagined hemisphere is a playful and informative experience that connects us more intimately to the Universe all around us.
Placed at the start of the exhibition journey, Cosmic Collisions invites visitors from the get-go to actively take part in the exploration of time and measure its importance for civilisation since the dawn of humanity.