Art, culture and society ‒ CDH ‐ EPFL

The third major mission of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences is to serve as a bridge between scientists, intelligentsia, artists and the general public.

To do this, the College relies on the CDH-Culture, which ensures a varied artistic program ; on the journalist Anne Laure Gannac, who, through L’heure H and podcast series, invites specialists and the general public to reflect between science and philosophy; on Professor Simon Henein, who is working with EPFL students to develop live arts projects through the Performance Lighthouse initiative, and finally, to the Future of Writing project developed by writer Caterina Serra to question the writing process in the age of AI.

The CDH-Culture also manages a platform for competitions to win tickets for shows and is responsible for preserving and promoting the fixed works of art on campus, most of which resonate with the architecture of the buildings.

Between 2017 and 2025, the College also directed the activities of EPFL Pavilions, which produced and presented ambitious exhibitions in its Pavilions A and B, and, between 2021 and 2025, the “Enter the Hyper-Scientific” artists-in-residence program, which invited Swiss and international artists to realize projects in dialogue with EPFL’s scientific community.

EPFL Pavilions

Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the building houses three pavilions, A, B and C. Between 2016 and 2025, first under the name Artlab and then EPFL Pavilions, a dedicated team produced and presented dozens of exhibitions and events creating a dialogue between art, science and society.

The last exhibitions were dismantled on June 29, 2025. During the construction of the Double Deck (2025-2029), pavilions A and B will be closed to the public, and will be used for student work from time to time. Pavilion C remains open, housing a Montreux Jazz Café and dedicated to showcasing the famous Festival’s archives.

CDH-Culture

The CDH-Culture develops specific programs in the fields of music, dance, performance and contemporary art. Sometimes in conjunction with external cultural institutions, it offers high-quality artistic events to the EPFL community, as well as to the surrounding population.

Artist-in-Residence at CDH

Initiated by the College of Humanities, amplified by EPFL Pavilions and in partnership with the City of Lausanne, the EPFL CDH AiR “Enter the Hyper-Scientific” program reflected, from 2021 to 2025, the CDH’s mission to foster transdisciplinary encounters and collaborations between artists and EPFL’s scientific community. The program closed in June 2025.

H hour

For one hour a week, we turn the microphone over to the next generation of scientists to have their say on how they relate to AI technologies.

LUNCHenPHILO/H Hour

One lunchtime a month, scientists, artists and/or philosophers are invited for a face-to-face discussion on a philosophical or scientific theme. Discussions are generally held in French. In March 2025, LUNCHenPHILO became L’heure H!