In commemoration of the centenary of the Locarno Treaties, an exhibition at the Library of the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio invites visitors to explore five centuries of European pacifist thought through a collection of images, texts, and objects. Curated by Christoph Frank, "La follia della guerra" (The Madness of War) weaves together art history, diplomacy, and cultural memory to provide critical insights that illuminate the present. The exhibition addresses essential themes-such as war, peace, humanity, and freedom-that remain highly relevant in today’s geopolitical landscape. The USI professor discussed this in an article written in collaboration with laRegione.
A commemorative exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the 1925 Locarno Treaties, titled La follia della guerra (The Madness of War), curated by Professor Christoph Frank (Director of the Institute for the History and Theory of Art and Architecture - ISA and Scientific Director of the Academy Library), was recently inaugurated at the Library of the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio.
Open until 26 March, the exhibition explores themes of war, peace, humanity, and freedom-concepts that have historically inspired reflection and debate within the Swiss Confederation. It traces over five hundred years of pacifist thought developed in the cities of Basel, Locarno, and Geneva, which are located at the geographical and linguistic extremities of Switzerland.
The idea for the exhibition originated during the recent Locarno Festival. On Diplomacy Day, Professor Frank spoke about the "Spirit of Locarno," reflecting on the hope for peace and international cooperation that emerged from the 1925 Conference and the subsequent Pact. This initiative laid the groundwork for unprecedented international dialogue and balance over the following years.
In his speech, Frank highlighted the universal impact of images, ranging from cinema to the works of Aby Warburg. He also emphasised the significance of the Treaties as a bold effort to replace weapons with reason, diplomacy, and mutual trust.
Almost forgotten testimonies
One hundred years ago, seven major European powers gathered in Locarno to sign a peace agreement: a set of seven treaties signed by Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Great Britain, Poland and Czechoslovakia, sitting around the same table with the aim of establishing rules of security and alliance, so as to prevent Europe from falling back into the disaster of the Great War. Unfortunately, this hope was short-lived. While Switzerland did not participate in the negotiations due to its neutral status, it still embodies the spirit of cooperation and collective security represented by this initiative. Since the mid-19th century, the Swiss national character has gradually shifted towards the promotion of peace, humanity, solidarity and freedom: values that are now enshrined in the fundamental principles of the Federal Constitution. "As my attention was often drawn to one particular print while preparing my speech," says Professor Frank, "I began to search for other forms of artistic evidence and discovered some very interesting, almost forgotten material, particularly the work of cartoonists Aloysio Derso and Emery Kelen. These artists created caricatures during significant treaties and negotiations between the two World Wars, from 1920 to 1937. They became a sort of official cartoonists for the League of Nations and the League of Nations in Geneva. While present at the Locarno Conference, they produced a remarkable graphic reportage of the events, culminating in a menu for the final lunch that featured all the participants, depicted with sharp satirical wit. It is amazing to see how each figure is illustrated with their most distinctive features, making it easy to recognise who they were and what positions they held. The menu, signed by three of the main figures from the Conference-Aristide Briand, Austen Chamberlain, and Gustav Stresemann-is currently displayed in the exhibition."
The menu was attached to the final lunch that brought together journalists and diplomats. This was a first that would later become a habit, involving many cartoonists.
Each display case in the exhibition presents some of the artistic responses generated by that historic moment: original documents of great value that invite us to reflect on how knowledge, preserved in libraries, becomes over time a living matrix of memory and contemporary dialogue.
Prominent figures throughout the centuries
The exhibition, which spans five hundred years of pacifist thought, begins with Erasmus of Rotterdam, a 16th-century philologist, theologian and humanist philosopher, author of "The Praise of Folly" and "Adagia", a collection of proverbs and maxims published in Basel in 1515. Among these, Dulce bellum inexpertis stands out, centred on the idea that war is one of those experiences that cannot be fully understood until one has experienced it first-hand. The succession of display cases shows texts by intellectuals, pages, drawings, prints of architectural works and photographs. The exhibition reconstructs a tradition of reflection on madness, satire and critical thinking that spans the centuries, from Erasmus and Holbein to William Kentridge. There is also a reference to Basel, a city that still embodies a profound late medieval humanistic culture, represented by the continued presence of Erasmus of Rotterdam and Hans Holbein, the two central figures of the first part of the exhibition.
The exhibition presents original documents, mostly from a private collection, of great value and significance, offering food for thought on how research is formed and cultivated in a library - personal, private or institutional - which, in the stratification of its materials, becomes a commemorative matrix from which multiple contemporary associations can emerge. The aim is to show how the humanist heritage of the Renaissance is more relevant today than ever, to be reread and analysed in order to return to the roots of republican and democratic thought.
The spirit of Locarno
The exhibition concludes with the events of Locarno in 1925, when the League of Nations aimed to address the devastation caused by the First World War. On the peaceful shores of Lake Maggiore, the major European powers signed the Locarno Pact during a conference held from 5 October to 16, 1925. The choice of Switzerland as the venue was due to its neutrality and its geographical proximity to Italy, which made it easier for Benito Mussolini, the representative of a permanent member country of the League of Nations Council, to attend.
The Esprit de Locarno emerged during a period marked by a brief yet intense wave of diplomatic optimism in the late 1920s. This movement was defined by a collective rejection of war as a means of political resolution, a commitment to respecting Western borders, and an emphasis on resolving conflicts through dialogue and international arbitration. It represented a new approach to international relations, founded on the principles of collective security and cooperation among nations.
Thanks to figures such as Gustav Stresemann, Joseph Austen Chamberlain and Aristide Briand - winners of the Nobel Peace Prize - the "Spirit of Locarno" became synonymous with détente, with values that are more necessary than ever today in a fragile and fragmented global geopolitical context.
An example of how the work of an art historian can provide critical tools to illuminate the present: images, texts and objects reveal how the dilemmas of the past - war, peace, collective responsibility - continue to resonate in today’s challenges. In this context, the role of the university emerges: through research, heritage protection and the ability to interpret cultural legacies in depth, memory is transformed into living knowledge, offering society tools to navigate the complexity of the contemporary world.
produced and published in collaboration with laRegione.
