Paper-cutting exhibition at Iffigenalp

With millimeter precision, the scissors glide through the paper, pencil lines yield to clean edges. Paper cutting is an art of patience and a expression of lived tradition.

Originally from China, the art of paper cutting found its way to the Bernese Oberland in the 18th century. Johann Jakob Hauswirth is considered the father of traditional Swiss paper cutting. His works, such as the famous alp lift, tell of life in the mountains.

Even today, the art continues to live on in the Simmental, for example in the works of Elisabeth Beutler. Her detailed life stories depict the simple, proud lives of earlier generations, as well as modern tales. A single piece can take up to 40 hours; for Beutler, it is meditation: “Others go to yoga, I work on my cuts.”

Surrounded by the exhibition at the Berghaus Iffigenalp, you have the opportunity to learn the technique of paper cutting. Under the guidance of Elisabeth Beutler, a passionate paper cutting artist, you can cut your own paper silhouette. You will take the framed keepsake home with you.