In the spring of 2024, Thomas Mailaender and the students of the ECAL Bachelor in Photography entered the ruins of the club with the intention of making it resonate once again. Between archaeology, documentary research, and imaginative speculations, the group of adventurers crafted a surprising exhibition path blending mold and glitter, ashes and glamour. For one night, the Corso was filled with explosive sounds and images in a fiery tribute to the nights of Renens.
Studio project (2024) by Adel Debabéche, Belinda Kiela, Cedric Zellweger, Delio Testa, Eliot Pizzera, Emanuele Delpozzo, Ettore Bruni, Fredrik Maag, Gabrielle Coué, Héloïse Tourrenc, Inès Riber, Jerome Luginbühl, Kristina Yenza, Lester Kielstein, Maude Bally, Nicolas Lehni, Maël Le Guével, Rebecca Dubuis, Sofia Grytsiv
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Le cinéma Corso ouvre ses portes en 1949, à la suite de l'achat et de la transformation de l'ancien cinéma du Grand Hôtel. Son activité s'inscrit dans la continuité des projections cinématographiques organisées par l'établissement hôtelier inauguré en 1906, dans l'effervescence immobilière de la ville nouvelle se développant aux abords de la gare de Renens. En 1979, une discothèque est aménagée au sous-sol, mais en 1992, une explosion met fin à son activité. Le bâtiment est démoli en 1999. Sous la place aménagée ensuite, les débris reposent encore. Le silence, l'obscurité et l'humidité ont pris possession des lieux.
- Christian Schülé
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Event
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Julien Bourdeille
Événement Lumineux Through an in-depth exploration of light as a narrative and sensory medium, first-year students created a short film on the theme “Luminous Event.” This project allows them to learn how to manage a complete audiovisual project while mastering the tools of filming, framing, and camera movement.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Natacha Lesueur
“What is clearly conceived can be clearly expressed, and the words to say it come easily.” Nicholas Boileau, *L’art poétique*. As students embark on their final year of study at ECAL, with their interests and methods taking shape, this final project offers an opportunity to challenge their own rules, established practices and influences, to refuse to settle for the status quo and to take risks.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Nicolas Poillot
By conceptualizing and producing visual content as part of an editorial series, students will explore the concept of applied photography in a practical, creative, and professional manner, working closely with Art Director Nicolas Poillot.
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Anoush Abrar
DRIVE For this week’s theme, “Drive,” first-year photography students were asked to create a portrait shot on medium-format film. Inspired by the sensation of a first driving experience, travel, empowerment, or discovery, the week aimed to explore the relationship between one or more people and a vehicle.
BA GRAPHIC DESIGN
BA MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN
BA PHOTOGRAPHY
with Jean-Vincent Simonet, Léonard Guyot, Florian Pittet (Sigmasix), Vincent Jacquier, Julien Gurtner
During a week of collaborative work, first-year students in the Visual Communication department at ECAL were given the ambitious task of creating a complete audiovisual experience, designing a light and sound architecture based solely on five original musical compositions. Using a central totem-like screen installation and projections on the surrounding walls, enhanced with lasers, they created a visual environment, broadcast in real time, which was presented as a performance to the public at the end of the week. The aim was to construct a universe capable of fully utilizing the space and the various stage elements, inviting the audience to move around and experience the live performance in its entirety. Five cross-functional creative groups, each with a different sound base, were supervised by Jean-Vincent Simonet and Léonard Guyot to produce images and test them throughout the week on the device, which was developed, set up and operated by a sixth group under the supervision of Florian Pittet, Matthieu Minguet and Achille Masson.