March 8 through August 25 2012

Situated at the crossroads of three European cultural areas, multi-lingual Switzerland has a unique character, not least thanks to the many dialects that make up its linguistic landscape. In the country's German-speaking regions, the coexistence of spoken dialect and formal written language has long been an emotional issue. Dialects are alive and well in Italian-speaking Switzerland too, while in the French-speaking areas they have almost died out. Each of the valleys where Romansh, the country's fourth language, is spoken has its own dialects - and there are no less than five recognised written forms. Sapperlot! Swiss Dialects presents an audible record of the rich diversity of dialects and idioms in Switzerland's language regions. The exhibition is being staged in association with the Phonogram Archive of the University of Zurich.