13-Swiss origami convention
February 28 – March 2, 2025
Our biennial Swiss origami convention is back! As usual, we will spend 3 days full of folding in Ferme Golay, Vernier (Geneva) from February 28 to March 2, 2025.Special guests
Christiane Bettens aka Mélisande* (Switzerland) Pierre-Yves Gallard (France)
You can find more about our guests below in a special section dedicated to them, along with photos of their work.About convention
For those who’ve never been to our convention:- It’s small but cozy one (usually around 50-60 people).
- SITE: We have a convention site at Ferme Golay which is open from morning (9:00) till around midnight (23:00-24:00).
- ACCOMMODATION: There isn’t a common place where to stay overnight. We put together a list of reasonable accommodations, which aren’t super expensive and which are close enough to the convention site. You can find them below.
- LANGUAGES: Majority of our participants speak French, English, or German. You certainly won’t be lost if you speak only one of these languages. Plus, we all speak origami. We are glad to have everybody from beginners to advanced folders.
- EXHIBITION: There is always a small exhibition on site. If you have models to show, bring them with you. It’s a great opportunity to discover what other people fold.
- FOLDING CONTEST: Each convention has its own THEME, and this year’s theme is: “Faites la fête” or “Let’s Celebrate!” (Anything that represents celebrations and celebrating is welcomed!). Let speak your imagination! This is not a designer-only contest, everyone can participate, including those folding models designed by others. We simply ask that you clearly credit the original creators of any models used in your submission.
- WORKSHOPS: If you want to teach a model, you are most welcomed to do it! Please, mention it in the registration form.
- CONVENTION BOOK: We also print a convention book. If you have a diagram to share with us, you can do so by sending a pdf to me till December 15th. You will find more details in the registration form (if you are coming to the convention) or in the Diagram submission form (if you only want to send us your diagram).
Registration
To register, please fill-in this form: in English or in French. If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate and contact us. We will gladly help you.
En automne 2003, mon fils qui allait avoir 6 ans m’a demandé si je savais plier autre chose que la salière…Je me suis souvenue tant bien que mal du chapeau, et c’était tout! J’ai commencé à chercher sur internet des modèles amusants pour les enfants, puis j’ai continué les recherches pour mon propre compte. J’ai pris goût aux pliages géométriques: modulaires, boîtes puis tessellations.
La recherche et la création me procurent plus de plaisir que la virtuosité technique. J’ai débuté comme tout le monde, en suivant à la lettre les diagrammes; étant d’un naturel curieux, j’ai essayé des variations de modèles connus, puis tenté de reconstruire des modèles non diagrammés à partir de photos, et peu à peu j’ai trouvé ma propre voie vers la création.
Mon art n’est pas le fruit d’un génie isolé dans sa tour d’ivoire et je n’en revendique pas la propriété intellectuelle exclusive. Bon nombre de mes idées m’ont été en fait soufflées par mes amis et je me réjouis quand mon travail à son tour peut inspirer quelqu’un d’autre. “It isn’t origami until you share it”, comme dit mon ami Philip Chapman-Bell.
Recommended accommodations
You must take care of the hotel reservation yourself. If you need any further assistance, please contact us. Here are some hotels that are not expensive and in reasonable distance from the convention site.
Meininger Hôtel, Centre Charmilles
Less expensive, new, and closest to the convention site.
Rue de Lyon 118, 1203 Genève, Suisse – Tél. +47 22 518 03 49
From the hotel: 10 minutes walking or Bus 6 or 19 direction Vernier, bus stop Châtelaine (5 minutes)
Hôtel Ibis Petit Lancy
Chemin des Olliquettes 6 – 1213 Petit Lancy Tél. +41 22 709 02
From the hotel: Bus 22 direction Jardin Botanique, bus stop Châtelaine (around 10 minutes)
Hôtel Ibis Budget Genève airport
Avenue Louis Casaï 30 – 1216 Genève Tél. +41 22 710 46 36
From the hotel: Bus 10 direction Ville bus stop Guye, then Bus 6 or 19 direction Vernier bus stop Châtelaine or Bus 51 (direct but rare) direction Collège du Renard
Previous conventions
If you are still hesitating, look at the photos from our last convention and read the blog. We had three fantastic guests: David Gachepapier, Simon Cartier and Amandine Guerra. We held many workshops, made an installation of peaceful herons in a nearby “patageoire” under the guidance of Mélisande, had fun with a “poule pondeuse” action by Viviane Berty, laughed a lot and enjoyed good company!