Presentation

Creativity, motivation, energy and curiosity are the main ingredients to enter our Propaedeutic Year. This preparatory stage is aimed at students who wish to work in the fields of art or design and allows them to acquire the necessary skills for a Bachelor's program. During one year, this training offers the possibility to holders of a Maturité or a Baccalauréat to familiarize themselves with the methods of the discipline in which they wish to work (Visual Arts, Industrial Design, Photography, Graphic Design, Media & Interaction Design, Cinema). Immersed in the ECAL itself, they learn the essential workings and current techniques inherent in the various fields of contemporary creation.

On the basis of intensive cross-disciplinary courses given by recognized practitioners and theoreticians, students take up numerous subjects (Photography, Drawing, Color, Graphic Design, Art History, History of Architecture, Cinema, Industrial Design, etc.) and become aware of their future orientation one day a week. In addition, they benefit from conferences, exhibition visits and other events that take place in the school.

By benefiting from the know-how of our institution, students can then present a quality portfolio that will allow them to take the entrance exam for a Bachelor's degree at the ECAL or at a university in Switzerland or abroad.

Language

French

Qualification issued

Foundation Year Diploma

Yearly fees (materials included)

from CHF 1 725.– to CHF 21 025.– (according to the residence),
CHF 8 845.– (if a reduction is granted)

Length

2 semesters

Credits

0 ECTS

Useful links

Admissions Contact

Equipments & infrastructures

Foundation Year Space

Learning Objectives

General courses
Description

1/4

  • Familiarise yourself with contemporary artistic practice through issues, quotations or statements drawn from plastic, literary, film or musical works (Image Workshop).
  • Test your theoretical and practical knowledge of physical, chemical and physiological colour, whose main elements are the values, contrasts, harmonies, hues and language codes (Colour Course).
  • Draw by observing and understanding lines and surfaces in order to transform 3D elements into two dimensions (Drawing Course).
  • Draw by highlighting research and experimentation from a purely artistic perspective (Creative Drawing Course).
  • Become aware of your graphic environment and learn about the vocabulary of shapes and colours, in addition to understanding the relationship between typography and image (Graphic Design Course).
  • Create a visual universe “in motion” through video and interaction design (Moving Image).
  • Become familiar with the computers and the main creative software used at ECAL (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and create a portfolio of the best works produced during the Foundation Year, using a combination of the different tools taught (Computer Science Course).
  • Practice photography using basic techniques: natural and artificial light, space and perspective in the field of architecture, still life and portraiture (Photography Course).
  • Acquire background knowledge via theory courses (history of art, film, graphic design, industrial design, photography, interaction design, video art in relation to each of the six major options, etc.).
Option courses

1/2

In addition to theory and practical courses, every Friday student stake a course on their BA major.

  • Fine Arts option
    Develop artistic expression and singularity by tackling sculpture, painting, installation or performance in targeted exercises.
  • Cinema option
    Experiment and learn the basics of the main practical aspects: filming, editing, viewing and teamwork.
  • Industrial Design option
    Research ideas, create relevant and technically simple objects and prototypes and learn how to work in the studio.
  • Graphic Design option
    Deepen the basic formal and colour vocabulary by addressing the relationship between image and text and acquire a working methodology and thinking skills in line with the development of graphic projects.
  • Media & Interaction Design option
    Encourage introduction to digital practices, enabling students to tackle screen and network interaction design, as well as to design and develop personal projects (applications, websites, video clips, video games, connected objects, etc.).
  • Photography option
    Reinforce basic knowledge in technical and practical areas such as digital colour photography, lighting, working with models, sequencing and photo editing.

Projects

This section contains a selection of emblematic or recent projects related to the disciplines taught in the foundation year.
See all projects

General & Option Courses

Option photographie 22-23

FOUNDATION YEAR

Option photographie 22-23

with Younès Klouche

Sélection de projets de semestre

Dessin créatif

FOUNDATION YEAR

Dessin créatif

Sélection de dessins créatifs selon divers consignes

Option Design Graphique 22-23

FOUNDATION YEAR

Option Design Graphique 22-23

with Robert Huber

Création d'un monogramme typographique

Cours de couleurs 22-23

FOUNDATION YEAR

Cours de couleurs 22-23

Sélection de divers projets menés sous la conduite de Clelia Bettua et Luc Aubort.

L'Or Bleu

FOUNDATION YEAR

L'Or Bleu

with Nicolas Haeni

Une exposition par les étudiant·e·s en Année Propédeutique – option Photographie de l’ECAL/Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne Sous la direction du photographe Nicolas Haeni, les étudiant·e·s invitent à se questionner sur la symbolique de l’eau. Depuis la nuit des temps, cet or bleu intrigue et inspire, laissant naître des interprétations qui, encore aujourd’hui, et peut-être même plus que jamais, habitent la littérature, les arts visuels ou encore les arts vivants. Partant de la citation de l’astrophysicien Hubert Reeves « À l’échelle cosmique, l’eau liquide est plus rare que l’or », les jeunes photographes proposent leur vision personnelle et individuelle, en explorant différents domaines de la photographie : nature morte, portrait, architecture ou mise en scène. Photos © ECAL/Marvin Merkel

Visual Arts Option

FOUNDATION YEAR

Visual Arts Option

with Alfredo Aceto

Collective project with Thomas Liu Le Lann and Alfredo Aceto

OPTION MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

FOUNDATION YEAR

OPTION MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

with Romain Collaud

Specific graphic work for a website interface based on various contents of Wikipedia pages. The objective is to bring a new point of view and a reinterpretation of the information through original graphic layouts.

Cinema

FOUNDATION YEAR

Cinema

with Julia Bünter

Pierre, atelier portrait documentaire, David Gonseth Nomade, atelier portrait documentaire, Camille Surdez Souvenir d’un grand père sous l’occupation, Artémis Andréadis

Propedeutic Workshop

FOUNDATION YEAR

Propedeutic Workshop

Graphic design introduction

FOUNDATION YEAR

Graphic design introduction

Photography option

FOUNDATION YEAR

Photography option

Visual Arts Option

FOUNDATION YEAR

Visual Arts Option

with Alfredo Aceto

Program

This section lists the detailed modules and courses for each semester of the programme.
Cours généraux
  • Photographie
  • Dessin appliqué
  • Dessin créatif
  • Couleur
  • Image en mouvement
  • Informatique / Portfolio
  • Introduction au graphisme
  • Atelier image
Théorie
  • Histoire de l'art 
  • Histoire de l'art contemporain
  • Histoire de la photographie
  • Histoire du Design Graphique
  • Histoire du Design Industriel
  • Histoire du cinéma 
  • Innovation, Interaction, Design
Cours d'options
  • Arts Visuels

  • Media & Interaction Design

  • Design graphique
  • Design industriel
  • Cinéma
  • Photographie

Find all the programme documents below

TESTIMONIALS

Nicolas Pasteur
Mara Wohlfahrt
Flavio Visalli
Mélanie Fontaine
Gabriel Hafner
Marion Reymond

Staff

Head

David Monnet

Coordination

Adjointe technique
Nadège Gallay
Bastien Favre

Assistante
Laura Trummer

Professors

Antonio Albanese
Tonatiuh Ambrosetti 
Luc Aubort
Francis Baudevin 
Clelia Bettua 
Martino D’Esposito 
Daniela Droz 
Christophe Guignard 
Claus Gunti
Grégoire Jeanmonod 
Matthieu Minguet 
David Monnet
Patrick Monnier 
Christian Pahud 
Violène Pont 
Tatiana Rihs

Lecturers

Alfredo Aceto 
Jonas Berthod 
Julia Bünter 
Romain Collaud 
Romane de Watteville
Natacha Donzé 
Pierre Doze 
Marc Dubois
Patrick Keller
Younès Klouche
Nicolas Haeni
Robert Huber
Sylvain Meltz
Adeena Mey 
Anna Percival 
Pauline Perret
Lisa Rebeca 
Denis Roueche 
Laurence Salmon