Eye Magazine

A major exhibition opens today at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich: ‘100 Years of Swiss Graphic Design’.

Above: Max Bill, Negerkunst – Prähistorische Felsbilder Südafrikas – Kunstgewerbemuseum
Zürich, 1931 © ZHdK.

Top: Max Huber, Sirenella – Palais de Cristal – Palais de danse, 1946 © ZHdK.

Below: Hans-Rudolf Lutz, Typografische Monatsblätter 12/1977, Cover, 1977 © ZHdK.

At the core of the exhibition is continuous frieze of 100 posters from the period 1912-2012, but every form of Swiss graphic ephemera is represented, from magazine covers (above) and plastic bags (below) to club flyers and yogurt ads, with a mix of famous classics and less familiar items from Museum für Gestaltung’s legendary archive.

Above: E+U Hiestand, ABM Plastic Bac, 1960s. Photo: Umberto Romito © ZHdK.

Below: Carlo Vivarelli, Merce svizzera, 1952, Poster © ZHdK.

Below: Herbert Matter, Pontresina, Poster, 1936 © ZHdK.

Below: Cornel Windlin, mit – ohne – dank – Stadt Zürich – Schauspielhaus – Saisonvorschau 2009-10 © ZHdK.

There will also be a series of talks and events at Zurich’s design museum, including:

• ‘Typography can be art under certain circumstances’, Wed 14 March, 6 pm with Wolfgang Weingart and Ludovic Balland, visual designers, and curator Barbara Junod.

• ‘Handmade. Current tendencies in design practice’, Wed 16 May, 6 pm with Dafi Kühne and Eric Andersen, visual designers, and curator Bettina Richter.

Below: Anonym, Let’s groove to the Früehligsputz!, Party-Flyer, 1997 © ZHdK.

100 Years of Swiss Graphic Design, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Ausstellungsstrasse 60, CH-8005 Zürich

10 Feb-3 June 2012, Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, Wed 10am-8pm.

Curators: Karin Gimmi and Barbara Junod. Scenography: Matthias Gnehm.

Further reading:

Reputations interview with Bruno Monguzzi in Eye 1.

Reputations interview with Hans-Rudolf Lutz in Eye 23.

‘Swiss radical’ by Richard Hollis in Eye 64.

‘Buying into the Norm cosmos’ by Liz Farrelly in Eye 70.

All images from the collections of Museum für Gestaltung Zürich © ZHdK.

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