© Magali Girardin
Christophe Kiss
Puppet sculptor
Rolle
About
« For me, puppets are first and foremost moving sculptures. I try to charge my characters with emotions to make them come alive. »
At the age of 17, Christophe Kiss discovered his passion for puppets by chance during a show. After training at the Beaux-Arts, he worked for the Théâtre des Marionnettes de Genève, for which he has built puppets for more than 20 shows since 1993. He collaborates with multiple theaters in Switzerland and France. He is a drawing teacher at the Centre de Formation Professionnelle des Arts de Genève as well as at the HEAD.
« I think the material is rich and it is a matter of listening to it well in order to be able to enjoy it and highlight it. »
In his workshop where many characters are stored under construction, Christophe Kiss navigates between wood, polystyrene, expanded foam and a multitude of resins to bring his puppets to life, whether they are string, glove, table or rod puppets. For more than 30 years, he has adapted to the expectations of directors and created characters from drawing to production. In 2022, he created the puppets for the official music video "Le plus léger du monde" by singer Stephan Eicher. In 2025, he exhibited his giant puppets at the "Geneva Lux", a festival of lights.
Plus
Diplomas
2008 Certificate of teacher training, Institute for Secondary Education Teacher Training (IFMES), Geneva
2003 Postgraduate Certificate in Casting, Geneva School of Visual Arts (ESAV), Geneva
1994 Diploma in three-dimensional expression, Geneva School of Visual Arts (ESAV), Geneva
Links
24 hours: https://www.24heures.ch/une-vouivre-geante-deploie-ses-ailes-a-montagny-793988828093
Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Yy49_thu4
NRTV (2017): http://www.nrtv.ch/2017/01/26/nrtv-fait-sa-culture-20/
RTS - Family photos: http://www.rts.ch/play/tv/photos-de-famille/video/christophe-kiss-sculpteur-de-marionnettes?id=80993
RTS - Local colors: https://www.rts.ch/play/tv/couleurs-locales/video/un-marionnettiste-genevois-nous-devoile-son-univers-fantaisiste?id=8630278
Migros Magazine: https://www.migrosmagazine.ch/societe/portrait/article/christophe-kiss-le-souverain-des-pantins
The factory: https://lafabrik.ch/entreprises/christophe-kiss/
The clip by Stephen Eicher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nllGkCSwcW8
Léman bleu: https://www.lemanbleu.ch/fr/Emissions/390136-Cult.html
Paticipation ACD
GOOD 2024 Vaud
GOOD 2022 Vaud
GOOD 2021 Vaud
GOOD 2020 Vaud
GOOD 2019 Vaud
GOOD 2017 Vaud
Canton
Arts Crafts
Domain
Other
Possible access for people with reduced mobility
Accessible by public transport
Car park nearby
Address
Atelier Ornicar
Grand'rue 14
1180 Rolle
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