Michelle Talandier – Confoederatio Ludens

The “Computer” exhibition of Lausanne. Part 4: On the margins of “Computer”: cultural production

by Pierre-Yves Hurel

Context : This paper is part of a dossier about “Computer” exhibition.

In the first part (link), I detailed my methodological choices, presented the corpus of newpsaper sources and a chronology of the “Computer” exhibition.
In the second part (link), I have shown to what extent show was integrated into a context of regional rivalry
In the third part (link), I listed the companies attending “Computer” and introduce the clientele.
In this fourth article, I’m considering the ambivalence of targeting the show’s audience and the slow intrusion of cultural artefacts in the exhibition.
More articles will be published over the coming week

Who was Lausanne’s Computer trade show targeted audience? If you’ve read the previous articles, the answer seems obvious: local swiss professionals. All the more surprising is the emphasis with which the organizers had to repeat that their show was only for professionals, because crowds of enthusiasts and interested families had to be explicitly rejected for years… before a belated about-turn. Continue reading The “Computer” exhibition of Lausanne. Part 4: On the margins of “Computer”: cultural production

Le salon “Computer” de Lausanne. Partie 1 : Une première vue d’ensemble

[Contexte : Cet article fait partie du dossier consacré au salon “Computer”. Celui-ci comprend une série d’articles à venir dans les prochaines semaines. Dans cette première partie, je présente mes choix méthodologiques, le corpus étudié et les principales périodes du salon

par Pierre-Yves Hurel

Dans quel contexte culturel et technologique a émergé le jeu vidéo en Suisse romande ? Quelles sont les particularités de l’informatisation de cette région ? Selon quelles modalités l’informatisation locale a été traitée par la presse ? Pour répondre à ces questions, j’ai décidé d’étudier la couverture médiatique d’un salon de l’informatique lausannois : le salon « Computer ». Ce dernier s’est tenu biannuellement puis annuellement de 1978 à 2004 à Lausanne-Beaulieu. A chaque fois, l’on trouvait dans ces grandes halles la fine fleur de l’informatique mondiale et locale, répartis sur des stands équipés en ordinateurs, goodies et dépliants explicatifs. Entre les allées, des cadres supérieurs venant chercher des « solutions informatiques » et des curieux venir découvrir des machines de pointe.

Continue reading Le salon “Computer” de Lausanne. Partie 1 : Une première vue d’ensemble

The “Computer” exhibition of Lausanne. Part 1: A first overview

This paper is part of a dossier about the “Computer” exhibition, taking place in Lausanne 1978-2004. This dossier includes a series of articles to be published over the coming weeks. In this first one, I present my methodological choices, the corpus studied, and the main periods of “Computer”.

by Pierre-Yves Hurel

In what specific cultural and technological environment did video games emerge in French-speaking Switzerland? What are the regional particularities that need to be taken into account here? How was the computerization covered by the local press? To answer these questions, I decided to study the media coverage of the “Computer” exhibition. The show was held biannually, then annually from 1978 to 2004 in Lausanne-Beaulieu. Enormous halls then were home to the world’s and local computer industry’s finest, spread out over multiple stands equipped with computers, goodies, and explanatory leaflets. In between the aisles, senior executives came in search of “IT solutions” and curious onlookers came to discover the newest “cutting-edge” machines.

Continue reading The “Computer” exhibition of Lausanne. Part 1: A first overview