Exhibition "Manuscript Found in Saragossa, Investigation into a World Novel"

Description

At the twilight of the Age of Enlightenment, somewhere between the Ukrainian plains of Podolia and the paths of Spain, a novel with a tumultuous and legendary destiny is being crafted under the enigmatic title "Manuscript Found in Saragossa". Written in French between 1794 and 1815, this monumental work by Jean Potocki (1761-1815) was born in episodes and underwent countless revisions by its author, an extraordinary Polish count, erudite traveler, historian, and scientist, before various publishers seized the text to present partial, truncated, or unfaithful versions. It was only two centuries later that meticulous research established the existence of two authentic versions, those of 1804 and 1810, finally published in 2006 by Peeters and two years later by Garnier-Flammarion. Divided into days and organized in decamerons, the initiatory adventures of young Alphonse van Worden in the Sierra Morena plunge into the heart of a dizzying narrative construction. In a nesting of stories, the most diverse traditions are summoned: from demonology to the fantastic, from the Bible to esoteric sources, from encyclopedias, doctrines, and treatises to libertine tales. This kaleidoscope narrates, through the hero's learning, both the ambition to embrace all knowledge and the fragility of certainties when confronted with the experience of multiplicity and otherness. Bringing together an unprecedented collection of archival documents and works, the exhibition traces the winding history of the "Manuscript Found in Saragossa," which has become a masterpiece of world literature. At the intersection of "One Thousand and One Nights," Laurence Sterne's "Tristram Shandy," Cervantes' "Don Quixote," and M. G. Lewis' "The Monk," this world novel raises a surprisingly contemporary question: in the face of the profusion of narratives, systems, and doctrines, how can one become a free subject capable of understanding and choosing?

Highlights

• Exhibition on the legendary novel "Manuscript Found in Saragossa"
• Features archival documents and works
• Explores the tumultuous history of the text

General Information

The exhibition at Fondation Jan Michalski delves into the complex narrative of Jean Potocki's "Manuscript Found in Saragossa," written between 1794 and 1815. It showcases an unprecedented collection of archival materials, tracing the novel's evolution and its diverse influences.

Location

Chemin de Bois Désert 10, 1147 Montricher, Switzerland

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