© Parlamentsdienste / Rob Lewis
The artistic work ‘Tilo’ in the tympanum of the Parliament Building consists of 246 tiles. It was created in 2023 to mark the 175th anniversary of the Federal Constitution (1848) and is dedicated to Tilo Frey. Following the introduction of women's suffrage in 1971, she was one of the first twelve female parliamentarians (eleven National Council members and one member of the Council of States) and the first woman of colour to take a seat in the National Council.
DOCUMENTAtion
‘About Tilo’ - a film about the story and the people behind the work.
The creation of a work of art: Photographer Rob Lewis follows the ‘Renée Levi’ studio project with his camera from the first sketches to the opening.
Vernissage ‘Tilo’ on 12 September 2023
Press releases on ‘Tilo'
The tiled tympanum
In the tympanum of the north façade of the Parliament Building, 246 ceramic tiles – one for each member of the Swiss Parliament – are arranged in a dynamic mosaic.
Each
tile
is
grooved and glazed, and
each one is
unique, creating a series of ever-changing colour fields depending on how the light falls on them.
With the contrast
in material from the used, matt sandstone to the fired, shiny stoneware, the tympanum
exudes
a shimmering moiré-effect.
The colour of the glaze on the historic façade is also reminiscent of how Hans Wilhelm Auer (1847–1906), the architect who designed the building, incorporated stone from all regions of Switzerland into the building exterior.
The
Federal Palace was not only intended to be a functional building, but
a true
monument to Swiss democracy.
Triangular pediments can be found throughout architectural history: on temple buildings of antiquity they are dedicated to the gods, while in court and parliament buildings these raised stages above the columns are occupied by political officials and their symbols. The tympanum of the Parliament Building has remained unfilled since the building was inaugurated in 1902 – despite several attempts at filling it with artistic decoration. The artwork by Studio Renée Levi provides a reinterpretation of the pediment area: as people walk by on the square, their movements become a series of playful reflections on the tiles, bringing the public into relationship with the building and its function. The Parliament Building appeals to all those in a pluralistic society who, as individuals, are prepared to work together to negotiate structures of power and models of participation.
‘Tilo’ was the result of a competition organised by the Art Commission for Parliament Buildings for artists to give the tympanum on the north side of the Federal Palace a sign of our times. The artwork was commissioned for the 175th anniversary of the Federal Constitution. The hand-crafted tiles break up the strict symmetry of the façade. They pay tribute to the monument of the Parliament Building, creating a visual resonance chamber and allowing for different interpretations in terms of diversity and opinion-forming.
A dedication: Tilo Frey (1923-2008)
In naming a work, the artist Renée Levi, in connection with a specific site, repeatedly seems to draw on a female biography. The tympanum of the Parliament Building is dedicated to Tilo Frey. The Neuchâtel politician was born in Maroua, in the north of what is now Cameroon in 1923. She was five years old when her father returned to Switzerland with her. Tilo Frey went to school in Neuchâtel. As a teacher, she taught
business subjects at the
École de commerce
from 1943 to 1971
and was director of the
École professionnelle de jeunes
filles
from 1972 to 1976. When obtained the right to vote in Neuchâtel in 1959, Tilo Frey joined the Free Democratic Party (FDP). She felt a calling and a responsibility to play an active part. In 1964, she was elected to the city parliament and in 1969 became the first woman to be elected to the cantonal parliament.
Following the introduction of voting rights for women at federal level, she was one of the first eleven women to be elected to the National Council in the autumn of 1971 - and the first woman of colour. She remained a member of parliament until 1975, campaigning for equal pay, the decriminalisation of abortion and greater cooperation with the countries of the global South.
The fact that the name ‘Tilo’ is not clearly gender specific and also alludes to the word ‘tile’ in English is helpful when taking in the mosaic on the Parliament Building. Above all, however, in evoking the memory of Tilo Frey, ‘Tilo’ reveals multi-layered themes of the Swiss state. Migrant biographies are the norm in Switzerland today, with different ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities laying claim to participation and co-determination, and remembering courageous individuals creates possible role models and figures with whom future generations can identify.
The large artwork in the tympanum of the Parliament Building has filled the long bare wall without detracting from its presence. The geometric principle can be extended to all three sides. The view of this picture is in motion, and so must Parliament be. The interplay between stability and mobility remains a cornerstone of our democracy.