The story of Sion by its president (Interview with Marcel Maurer)

Marcel Maurer has served as mayor of Sion since 2009. His term will end at the end of the year, and he will not seek reelection. There is much to say about his record, but that is for his book Sion… Life It was in December 2015 that the magistrate opened the doors of City Hall to us.

Le Regard Libre: Where did the idea to write a book about Sion come from?

Marcel Maurer: The idea had been on my mind for a long time. Sion is a beautiful city with talented photographers, and it just so happens that I love to write. When I was younger, I was already contributing articles to small magazines. I had planned to write something once I retired. Then I met Claude Coeudevez, and so the adventure began sooner than expected.

How did you work with this photographer?

It all started with Sion21, a magazine published by the City of Sion, for which our archivist contacted Claude Coeudevez to take photographs of the city. What I liked about his work is that his photos aren’t just postcards; there’s always this sense of «life in the city.» I then had the idea to collaborate with him on an artistic project, which started out modestly. I began by writing descriptions of the places in the city that were connected to my life. Claude then took about a thousand photographs of these locations. A working group was formed consisting of Patrice Tschopp, the municipal archivist; Françoise Berclaz-Zermatten, director of the La Liseuse bookstore; Claude Coeudevez; and myself. We met on Sunday evenings for highly structured sessions. This went on for a few months. Claude would present us with sets of twenty photographs, and we had to select which ones to include in the book. For a photo to be chosen, all four of us had to agree unanimously. We didn’t have any problems because we were generally in agreement. Finally, I wrote texts based on the selected images. These texts were initially longer; I then edited them down in collaboration with La Liseuse. My idea was to remove any trace of myself from the texts, but to suggest my presence through the images.

Does the French language hold special significance for you?

Yes, absolutely. In middle school, I received an award in French and got an excellent grade on my high school graduation essay. During my college years, when I was traveling by train between Zurich and Sion, I read a lot of classics, including In Search of Lost Time by Proust—in short, everything that had been assigned to me in my literature class. So, even though I’m a scientist (I was an engineer and a physics professor), reading takes up a large part of my free time. This might also include cookbooks. Books are wonderful objects that take us away from the clamour of everyday life.

As for actually starting to write, that's another story.

Writing leaves its mark on history, and it is, of course, linked to reading. There is a very subtle interplay between writing and reading. The adventure of writing is rich because it allows us to ask ourselves many questions. My primary goal is to convey emotions, and I believe that is the purpose of literature in general. With Sion… Life, people come to me to share their stories related to the images that pertain to them: so the book takes on a second life. That’s life after the book.

Was writing this book about «your» city a way to bring your presidency to a close in an artistic way?

That wasn’t my intention at all. This is a completely separate endeavor from my political project—it’s purely personal. Besides, it really wasn’t the best time in terms of my availability, but the friendship that developed between Claude and me sped things up. My tone in this book isn’t political. We wanted to capture our emotions about the city of Sion, since all four of us are in love with the capital of Valais. My goal was also to sharpen the perspective of Sion’s residents and visitors.

You’ve mentioned several great French-language singers on multiple occasions—Brel and Nougaro, in particular. Is French music another of your passions?

Yes, it just so happens that I strum the guitar a bit at home. I own a number of stringed instruments, and I really enjoy coming home, picking up one of the 150 sheet music scores by Georges Brassens, and playing the song. In French chanson, the music and lyrics really speak to me. These are songs that stand the test of time. They inspire me a lot.

After your presidency, will we hear more about Marcel Maurer the poet than Marcel Maurer the politician?

It’s not my goal to have people talk about me. But you’re right—I think the desire to express emotions will surely come through in one way or another. My life today is very structured; I feel a strong need for freedom, imagination, and creativity.

Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com

Marcel Maurer (text) and Claude Coeudevez (photographs)
Sion… Life
Monographic Publications
2015
192 pages

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