In order to question the historical provenance of objects for the sake of transparency in the collections, the MEG has invited Adriana Bàrcia, a Catalan philologist and writer, to talk to us about Aurora Bertrana.

A progressive, traveller and committed woman, Aurora Bertrana has published nearly thirty books, most of which are inspired by her travels in Polynesia. She also built up the collection of Polynesian ethnographic objects of her ex-husband Denys Choffat, who donated them to the MEG in 1971. However, her work has been systematically invisibilised because of her status as a woman and her political commitment. Through Aurora Bertrana's literary writings, whose value goes beyond literature to delve into a self-taught ethnography, we see a fascinating relationship being woven between Catalonia (her region of origin), Geneva (where she lived) and Tahiti.

Speakers:

Adriana Bàrcia: Adriana Bàrcia José (Girona, 1975) has a degree in Catalan Philology (UdG) and a Masters in Contemporary Catalan Literature (UAB). Since 2002, when she presented her thesis on Aurora Bertrana's feminism and travels, she has been promoting the Girona author through various activities and works such as the Àlbum Aurora Bertrana: El món és vostre, només us cal voluntat per a conquerir-lo (PEN Català, 2017), Aurora Bertrana. Avui us parlaré. Conferències (1930-1967) -Diputació de Girona, 2019-, La Ciutat dels Joves (Males Herbes, 2019), Cendres (Ela Geminada, 2022), Edelweiss (Rata edicions, in progress) and the reedition of the two volumes of Memoirs (in progress). She is currently researching the writer in Switzerland.

Moderators: Roberta Colombo Dougoud, curator in charge of the MEG's Oceania Department and Rafael Díaz Peris, research assistant in the MEG's Oceania Department.

Places are limited and reservations must be made by e-mail to biblio.meg@ville-ge.ch, stating your name, first name, telephone number and the number of people accompanying you.

This meeting will be held in French.