100 Years of Swiss Graphic Design exhibition

The exhibition underway at the Museum of Design, Zurich focuses not on the style of individual designers but on their common approach with roots in craftsmanship, precision and simplification of line and graphic message.

The chronological link between the works on exhibit is a frieze made up of 100 posters, one for each year between 1912 and 2012. The posters were made by great Swiss masters of the genre, from Otto Baumberger to contemporary works by young designers.

The vast range of formats and media on exhibit (books, signs, flyers, etc.) underline the changes in the media used to convey advertising messages and graphics over the past century, and the changes in society?s needs and designers? techniques. Despite the changes, curators Karin Gimmi and Barbara Junod note the presence of recurrent themes: the tension between graphics and art in the work of Max Bill, dialogue with photography in the travel advertisements of Herbert Matter, the relationship with music in the work of Max Huber or the club scenes.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Title: 100 Years of Swiss Graphic Design
Dates: February 10 to June 3 2012
Location: Museum of Design, Zurich
Illustrations: © Jean Etienne Aeb, © ZHdK, courtesy of  Museum of Design, Zurich

www.museum-gestaltung.ch


Captions

01
Poster "100 Years of Swiss Graphic Design“ of the Exhibition at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, 2012, © ZHdK

 02
Richard Paul Lohse, Sirenella – Palais de Cristal – Palais de danse, 1946, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Poster Collection, © ZHdK

03
Aebi & Partner, First Glass/Toni-Joghurt. Das im Glas, Advertisement as of 1982, © Jean Etienne Aeb


04
Josef Müller-Brockmann, Moins de bruit, Poster, 1960, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Poster Collection, © ZHdK


05
Anonym, UHT, Pocket Radio, Design, 2001, © Schweizer Milchproduzenten SMP

06
Ruedi Wyss, Taktlos 96 – Bern – Basel – Zürich, Poster, 1996, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Poster Collection, © ZHdK


07
Herbert Matter, Pontresina, Poster, 1936, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Poster Collection, © ZHdK


08
Carlo Vivarelli, Swissair, about 1952, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Poster Collection, © ZHdK

09
Anonym, Let’s groove to the Früehligsputz!, Party-Flyer, 1997, © Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Graphics Collection, © ZHdK

10
Carlo Vivarelli, Merce svizzera, 1952, Plakat, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Plakatsammlung, © ZHdK

11  
Migros-Leuchtschrift, Design Responsibility, Brand Development: Wirz Corporate, Typedesign: Bruno Maag, Dalton Maag, London, Three-dimensional Design: Formpol, Zurich, as of 2005 photo: © Litex AG

12
Cornel Windlin, mit – ohne – dank – Stadt Zürich – Schauspielhaus – Saisonvorschau, 2009/10 gratis bestellen, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Poster Collection, © ZHdK