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2006 2022
COLLABORATION WITH LA PRAIRIE 2021

DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

COLLABORATION WITH LA PRAIRIE 2021

with Stefano Panterotto (Panter&Tourron), Alexis Tourron (Panter&Tourron)

The packaging of tomorrow La Prairie pursues its partnership with ECAL students to conceptualise the packaging of the tomorrow. Through this partnership with the renowned Swiss University in Art and Design, La Prairie nurtures creativity and promotes emerging talents shaping the future of smart design.

ECAL × JEAN PAUL GAULTIER: Under Your Smell

PHOTOGRAPHY

ECAL × JEAN PAUL GAULTIER: Under Your Smell

with Milo Keller, Florence Tétier, Nicolas Coulomb, Calypso Mahieu

The exhibition Under Your Smell offers a hypnotic and immersive experience in Jean Paul Gaultier's headquarters by imagining new definitions of beauty and body expression. Under the direction of Florence Tétier and Nicolas Coulomb, 3rd year Bachelor Photography students brought to life the brand's iconic perfumes through an immersive photographic experience. In the first season, with the complicity of Claude Emmanuelle Gajan Maull, the young photographers have fluidified the iconic bottles with their gendered silhouettes — Le Mâle, Le Classique, Le Beau and La Belle — in a fresh LGBTQIA+ perspective. With this upcoming season, the project evolves around the Scandal fragrance, with the creation of still lives in which the liquid, dry and organic contrasting textures evoke the essence of the perfume, its bottle design and its complexities. Through staging, the perfumes become the backdrop for stories of transgression and fantastical projections. In addition to monumental fabric prints, giant image-cushions welcome the public to lay down and celebrate gender fluidity and the ever changing definitions of beauty and self expression.

COLLABORATION WITH DEDON 2022 LIGHTING THE FUTUR

DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

COLLABORATION WITH DEDON 2022 LIGHTING THE FUTUR

with Sabine Marcelis

Dedon by nature An initiative of DEDON Studio, Lighting the Future presents a striking array of nature-inspired light concepts by master stu- dents from the prestigious ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne. This innovative digital exhibition opens in January 2023 exclusively on DEDON channels, including a dedicated microsite enhanced by AR tools. DEDON Studio initiated the ECAL collaboration with a challenge to students in the Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship Masters program: Explore our relation to nature through lighting design, drawing inspiration from DEDON’s groundbreaking fiber. Under the supervision of the acclaimed designer Sabine Marcelis and Nicolas Le Moigne, head of the program, students designed, developed and digitally elaborated their concepts over a nine- month period. The results—beautiful, beguiling, thoughtful and engaging—attest to the creative powers of an emerging genera- tion and the enduring attraction of nature to us all.

ON 2040 - MASTER PRODUCT DESIGN

PRODUCT DESIGN

ON 2040 - MASTER PRODUCT DESIGN

with Christophe Guberan, Camille Blin

Following a collaboration with the Swiss avant-garde brand On, ECAL is proud to present the interdisciplinary work carried out jointly by the 2nd year students of the Product Design, Photography and Type Design Masters.

ON 2040 - MASTER TYPE DESIGN

TYPE DESIGN

ON 2040 - MASTER TYPE DESIGN

with Larissa Kasper

Following a collaboration with the Swiss avant-garde brand On, ECAL is proud to present the interdisciplinary work carried out jointly by the 2nd year students of the Product Design, Photography and Type Design Masters.

ON 2040 - MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY

ON 2040 - MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY

with Maxime Guyon

Following a collaboration with the Swiss avant-garde brand On, ECAL is proud to present the interdisciplinary work carried out jointly by the 2nd year students of the Product Design, Photography and Type Design Masters.

ECAL in Seoul : exhibition Automated Photography

PHOTOGRAPHY

ECAL in Seoul : exhibition Automated Photography

with Milo Keller

Following the success of the exhibition resulting from the Automated Photography research project at Paris Photo in 2021 and then at the Galerie l'elac in 2022, the ECAL is exporting this project to Plateform-L in Seoul from 17 September to 8 October 2022, through an immersive audiovisual exhibition.

Collaboration with L’Epée 1839

DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Collaboration with L’Epée 1839

with Fiona Krüger

Regatta Very few sports, or indeed very few human activities, merit the term ‘graceful’ as much as does sculling. Long, streamlined craft cutting the water like a stiletto and leaving barely a ripple are among the most elegant forms of human displacement on earth. And that sense of grace conceals both the incredible power of the oarsman and the arrow-like precision of their craft. L’Epée 1839 harnesses and pays homage to the grace of sculling with La Regatta, a sleek vertical clock invoking the shape of the long thin scull, with both the power (8-day power reserve) and precision of the most elegant of watch sports. Our modern lives are often busy and, at times, even chaotic, La Regatta invokes a sense of peace and calm.

ECAL x BMC - Daily Mobility

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

ECAL x BMC - Daily Mobility

with Christian Spiess

In collaboration with renowned Swiss bicycle brand BMC, second year Bachelor Industrial Design students, under the guidance of Stéphane Halmaï-Voisard, Head of the programme, and Christian Spiess, Swiss designer and bicycle aficionado, present a collection of handy and colourful accessories for the modern daily bike commute.

Diploma jury 2022

DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Diploma jury 2022

Jury : Céline Vogt, Head of Education, Michelangelo Foundation, Geneva Chiara Anelli, Communication Director, Hermès Switzerland, Geneva Philippe Malouin, Designer, London Prix De Bethune : Camille Dutoit

Palais Augmenté 2022

MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

Palais Augmenté 2022

by Elodie Anglade, Maya Bellier, Soraya Camina, Marine Dang, Basil Dénéréaz, Nora Fatehi, Mélanie Fontaine, Sébastien Galera Larios, Evan Kelly, Jamy Herrmann, Bogdan Nastase, Michael Pica, Jorge Reis, Nathanaël Vianin, Julie Ryser

At the initiative of the Réunion des Musées Nationaux  –  Grand Palais and Fisheye , the second edition of the Palais Augmenté festival will be held from June 17 to 19, 2022 at the Grand Palais Ephémère in Paris. On this occasion, the Bachelor Media & Interaction Design of ECAL will be represented in several ways.

Camp Tilsammans

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

Camp Tilsammans

with Adrien Rovero

Third-year BA students have been invited by architects Spacon & X, in collaboration with IKEA, to design a shelter for an event in Helsingborg, Sweden. The shelter is part of the Tillsammans ("All Together") camp. The goal was to design a micro-architecture that addresses current concerns, fosters social interaction, and provides a unique living experience.

COLLABORATION WITH MEC-ART

DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

COLLABORATION WITH MEC-ART

with Fiona Krüger

MECHANICAL MARVELS Craftsmanship in Movement: Celebrating Design and the Heritage of Switzerland’s Masters of Mechanical Art

Collaboration with CSEM

DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Collaboration with CSEM

with Alexis Tourron (Panter&Tourron), Stefano Panterotto (Panter&Tourron)

Through a unique project, students from ECAL and CSEM’s engineers have effortlessly combined modern arts & crafts and nanotechnology to create a series of innovative jewelry pieces, "Structural Colors".

Alter Ego

MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

Alter Ego

with Gaël Hugo, Pauline Saglio

Realized in collaboration with Musée de la Main UNIL-CHUV, Lausanne for the exhibition « Intelligence Artificielle. Nos reflets dans la machine ». By revisiting the shape of the mirror, “Alter Ego” questions the notion of digital reflection. It highlights, in a playful way, image analysis by artificial intelligence. Project lead: Pauline Saglio, Gaël Hugo Development and finalization of projects: Sébastien Matos, Paul Lëon

HOW SOON IS NOW? HISTORIES AND FIGURES OF YOUTH

FINE ARTS

HOW SOON IS NOW? HISTORIES AND FIGURES OF YOUTH

Symposium : HOW SOON IS NOW? HISTORIES AND FIGURES OF YOUTH This symposium is the first stage of the research project How Soon Is Now? Histories and Figures of Youth. It questions “youth” as a conceptual, aesthetic, andpolitical figure born with modernity in the visual arts, popular culture, and the humanities. At the same time, this project proposes to examine the implications ofthe problematic category of "youth" in contemporary art and thought. By exploring the processes in which youth is constituted through its forms of representation, thisproject intends to render intelligible the aesthetic and political dimensions of youth, and to grasp it as a historical allegory allowing for a reconsideration of thecontemporary in the light of its most lively site. What image(s) does the notion of youth carry with it? What idea does it have of itself? How can we talk about it beyond ingrained ideas and the fantasies that society projects on it (at least in Western culture), making it simultaneously a force, a market, an age, a culture, a piece of a history which which we only began writing inthe twentieth-century, and which today has reached its critical stage? In recent history, the notion of youth has so often been conflated with “bringing down the house” that we now expect everything from it: to reinvent us, to shake us up, to carry us, to succeed in what others have failed at (establishing the most open communities possible), to build bridges for the future, to be radical, to be uncompromising where anyone outside of youth has already given up, to be desirable where others are overwhelmed. But with what means? If not those that young people make themselves, for themselves, with elements that they alone will have chosen? With their culture, their places, their clandestinity. Because that which is not yet over happens in the shadows of the world. Youth is a secret. “How Soon Is Now?”, The Smiths once asked. When is it, now?

Maison Rousseau mandate

FILM STUDIES

Maison Rousseau mandate

Production and shooting of films for the mandate of the Maison Rousseau & Littérature, Geneva. The students of the Master Cinéma were supervised by the director Lionel Rupp.

Mandate for the Maison Rousseau et Littérature, Genève

FILM STUDIES

Mandate for the Maison Rousseau et Littérature, Genève

The Maison Rousseau et Littérature (MLR) in Geneva commissioned the ECAL/HEAD Master in Cinema to produce the audiovisual works for the museum, which reopened its doors in the old town of Geneva  after a period of restructuring in Spring 2021.

Jury Réseau Cinéma CH

FILM STUDIES

Jury Réseau Cinéma CH

Participation of Master Cinema students Léa Célestine Bernasconi and Leopold Helbich Frey in the Jury of the Réseau Cinéma CH during the 35th edition of the Fribourg International Film Festival (FIFF)

Video direction

FILM STUDIES

Video direction

by Matthias Joulaud, Michail Galanopoulos, Antoine Flahaut

Video of the concert "Shawati" by Bedouin Burger, the Ensemble Dīwan and the students of HEM.

Photographic revelation

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographic revelation

with Laurence Bonvin

Stammering This involves taking an idea, a project in progress or a project that has already been completed but not satisfactorily, and pushing it further, both from a conceptual and/or aesthetic point of view, as well as from a production point of view. To experience what can be improved in a project compared to a first realisation. Revisiting a classic. It is also about testing ideas, taking risks, pushing a process further, experimenting.

Photographic Editions

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographic Editions

with RVB Books/Matthieu Charon & Rémi Faucheux

Starting from the premise that the book constitutes both an alternative practice to the exhibition and an alternative exhibition practice - alternative exhibition practices insofar as the book and the printed word are essentially modes of visibility of art; alternative practices to the exhibition because this means of visibility is very different from what is usually called an exhibition - we consider the book to be the medium that is perfectly suited to soon-to-be-graduated photographers.

Photographic installation

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographic installation

with Marco Poloni

The Future, Inverted, or: Avoiding Stupidity Produce a visual and sound image device - moving and still images, objects, sounds and texts - that articulates a future and your model for thinking about it. This future can be possible, probable or preferred, personal or social.

Création photographique

PHOTOGRAPHY

Création photographique

with Natacha Lesueur

The students develop a project over the whole semester, on a freely chosen subject, by submitting it regularly to the critical eye and advice of the professor. Argumentation and analysis are stimulated. The aim is to examine the issues involved in photography as an author and to develop a personal expression, which could potentially lead to the students' diploma work. Particular attention is paid to the argumentation of the work, at the different stages of its development.

Photographie et Art plastiques

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographie et Art plastiques

with Natacha Lesueur

Based on projects around a common theme, the students develop a personal and in-depth work over the entire semester. The project must be developed, clarified, modified if necessary, and enriched throughout the semester, as the students conduct research, reflections, and experiments, and as they consult with the professor. During these regular consultations, the students address the various aspects related to the conception, production and realization of a photographic work...

Photographie et Art plastiques

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographie et Art plastiques

with Milo Keller

The course aims to develop a particular knowledge and sensitivity for all types of light. It invites the students to free creation, to the autonomy of elaboration and realization of a personal project.

Higurashi book launch

PHOTOGRAPHY

Higurashi book launch

with Milo Keller, MAP

In Summer 2019, thirteen students from the ECAL Master’s in Photography programme supervised by Milo Keller travelled to Japan to work on thirteen individual projects in collaboration with Japanese photographer Taisuke Koyama within the framework of the Tokyo Photographic Research project. The students’ artworks range from still and moving images to computer-generated photographic visuals and explore multiple facets of the Japanese megalopolis which is, once again, undergoing major transformation in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Some projects focus on aspects specific to the city, from the destruction of small residential houses to the construction of the gigantic Olympic Village and the conquest of new territories by the sea. Other works investigate distinctive Japanese culture such as home-cooked food, the appetite for designing humanoid robots, the blending of child and adult worlds in manga, pachinko gambling, the reinvention of ikebana and young girls as ‘rising stars.’ Finally, the works seek to visually represent more abstract concepts such as loneliness, emptiness and intimacy in a city that, due to its density, size and power, offers a challenging, fascinating and extremely stimulating complexity to the eyes of the thirteen photographers. Higurashi has been presented at Espace Commines in Paris in November 2021, inside the exhibition Automated Photography during Paris Photo. Head of Photography Milo Keller Invited Teacher Taisuke Koyama Assistants Florian Amoser Calum Douglas Graphic Design Thomas Le Provost Typefaces Craft by ECAL/Benoit Brun & Raphaël De la Morinerie ITC Garamond Std Head of Culture and Communications Embassy of Switzerland in Japan Jonas Pulver DGES/Summer University Maxline Stettler Photography Students Emidio Battipaglia Robin Bervini Jasmine Deporta Anja Karolina Furrer Alessia Gunawan Christian Harker Jung-Ting Hu Johanna Hullár Philipp Klak Doruk Kumkumoglu Igor Pjörrt Jelly Luise Gedvile Tamosiunaite Publisher ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne higurashi.zone Higurashi is available at  ecal-shop.ch .

ECAL x MUJI: Compact Life

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

ECAL x MUJI: Compact Life

with Michel Charlot

A collection of clever furniture and household accessories to help organise everyday life. Following the method of carefully observing our daily routines to identify unique needs and then creating intuitive and practical products, the Bachelor of Industrial Design students imagined a collection of clever furniture and household accessories to help organise our daily lives, under the guidance of designer Michel Charlot. As an important part of the development of MUJI products is based on detailed photographic studies in people's homes, the students were invited to follow the same process by documenting the spontaneous state of their own homes and other people's environments in order to reveal how they interact with the products, and to identify how the objects are used as direct inspiration for their design.

(Re-)Viewing Paik

(Re-)Viewing Paik

with Patrick Keller

(Re-)Viewing Paik is a joint research initiative between Switzerland and South-Korea that involves Prof. Patrick Keller from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne (HES-SO), Dr. Sang Ae Park from the Nam June Paik Art Center and archives (NJPAC) in South Korea, and Dr. Christian Babski from fabric | ch, an architecture and information technology collective based in Lausanne. The main long-term objective of this joint and interdisciplinary research, based on the archives of Korean artist Nam June Paik (1932–2006), is to establish novel types of online exhibition curating and design, which must take shape digitally at any viewer's (visitor's) place or housing, and to virtually populate it, in an autonomous way. The results of this initial joint work, which will take the form of a functional "demo" (proof of concept), will be used in parallel to formulate a more detailed research project which will then be submitted to a national funding agency.

ECAL x MEHARI EDEN

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

ECAL x MEHARI EDEN

with Elric Petit, Stephane Halmai-Voisard

The 2CV Méhari Club Cassis has developed an electric version of the iconic Citroën released in 1968 : the EDEN. From its inception, this car was designed for summer sports and leisure activity. Our current renewed interest in outdoor activities together with electric technology makes this car particularly attractive. With this in mind, the 2nd-year BA students in Industrial Design, under the direction of Stéphane Halmaï-Voisard, Head of Programme, and designer Elric Petit, showcase a series of accessories for tomorrow’s electric Méhari.

Diploma jury 2021

DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Diploma jury 2021

Jury : Nieves Contreras, Creative Director, Lladro, Valencia Alberto Cavalli, Director, Michelangelo Foundation, Geneva Guillaume Delvigne, Designer, Paris Prix De Bethune : Sarah Yao

Excerpts from Master Type Design theses

TYPE DESIGN

Excerpts from Master Type Design theses

with Anniina Koivu, Roland Früh, Wayne Daly

Collaboration with Hermès 2021

DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

Collaboration with Hermès 2021

with Sabine Marcelis

For this first collaboration with the department Hermès Maison, the students worked on the theme of the mirror, under the direction of designer Sabine Marcelis.

Excerpts from Master Product Design theses

PRODUCT DESIGN

Excerpts from Master Product Design theses

with Anniina Koivu

AUTHOR: Adam Huxley-Khng TITLE: ON in the absence of OFF On and off – at the flick of a switch, or the touch of a button. We are able to switch between the states of being of an object without thought, rarely questioning what makes an object ‘on’. Is it the presence of electric power? A sense of agency, or animism? What if on-ness is a state of being reflected by the cultural, rather than technological, capacity of an object – the embodiment of a moment of possibility? ----- AUTHOR: Alessandro Simone TITLE: What is next? SUBTITLE: The evolution of mountaineering and human limits This research examines the mountain landscape in the context of the evolution of mountaineering. Starting from the activity’s origin, the research investigates the shifts in technology, mindset, and limits that enabled the transformation of a destination for challenging expeditions into a place for second homes and weekend enthusiasts. How were humans able to overcome their limits, and what were the motivations for this drive? Products and objects played an essential role in guiding the story of mountaineering from the old ages to nowadays, making the user and his/her experience safer, but subsequently opening this terrain to mass tourism. This research retraces historical events and technical innovations to better understand mountaineering’s evolution, imagining a possible approach to this form of high-altitude tourism for the future. ----- AUTHOR: Alexander Schul TITLE: Visual language of sustainable design Different “sustainable” design proposals have been made in the past decades: from (literally) green looking objects, to normal looking ones, to objects whose visual language speaks to sustainability in their own individual way. In this research, I analyse a few examples in regards to the way the visual language of sustainable products has been approached in the past, what sustainable design looks like today, as well as what it will look like in the near future. The essay is led by the question “How does a sustainable approach to an object influence its visual language?” ----- AUTHOR: Charlotta Åman TITLE: Waste matters SUBTITLE: Valorising secondary products for a resourceful future Throughout history, humans have been expert in utilising every element of a given re­source. The heritage of husbandry has been car­ried from generation to generation – until today. Now, we are more disconnected than ever from original assets. In present manufacturing processes, secondary matter from production is often considered as waste rather than as a resource – an unfortunate conclusion as we are running out of raw materials and landfills grow. What does it entail to fully utilise a resource by valorising its secondary products, and how does it relate to the practice of a designer? The loose connections in manufacturing chains provide an opportunity to re-think: by considering the source, the scale and the system, design can be used as a tool for transition. ----- AUTHOR: Grace, Ka Yin Cheung TITLE: Japanese miniature culture: netsuke and gachapon SUBTITLE: Why are we so fascinated with small things? Miniatures are smaller than a normal objects, and include small replicas or models. Miniatures are present in different cultures all over the world and throughout time. The miniaturisation of mundane objects is recurrent, and has been an integral part of the memory of a culture. Among the different international miniature cultures, Japan has one of the most distinctive and apparent spirits of miniaturisation. To understand why people are so fascinated with miniatures, this research looks for the answers by delving into the miniature culture of netsuke and gachapon in Japan. ----- AUTHOR: Hsin Hung Chou TITLE: Unpack flat-pack SUBTITLE: The value of ready-to-assemble furniture This research studies flat-packing from its origins in the mid-19th century to its contemporary form as one of the prevailing typologies of the global furniture industry. Guiding questions have been: If the objective is to design and produce products from a logistical and sustainable point of view, is there any other solution to knock-down furniture? Does furniture lose its aesthetic and value in the process of being flat-packed? If the future is flat, could we make it better? ----- AUTHOR: Jimin Jeon TITLE: Soft, small and far, far away SUBTITLE: Our understanding of software Fire is the first profound tool in human history that cannot be grasped with the naked hand. Fire was considered a mysterious or religious thing – a gift from God, or punishment. But it was also an essential tool for human evolution. Today, we have found another tool surrounded by mystery and misunderstandings: software. It doesn’t smell, make noise, or come in any fixed form. It just occasionally flickers through a screen. This new tool takes us to another world, beyond physical limitations, that no caveman could have imagined. But, first, we need to understand the nature of software in relation to hardware – that is, the tools we are already familiar with. ----- AUTHOR: Jisan Chung TITLE: Assemblage in design Assemblage is mainly considered an artistic technique. However, by reviewing works of various designers, we can see that the same technique has been used in the field of design, too. This study aims to examine the characteristics and the meaning of “assemblage design” and its potential. Assemblage can trigger innovate manufacturing processes and create its very own aesthetic. ----- AUTHOR: Jonas Villiger TITLE: About repairability SUBTITLE: Rules, incentives and approaches to keeping things in circulation We want our products to be durable. And, if they break or become outdated, they should be repairable and upgradeable, too. It can be a very satisfying feeling to make something work again, or to make it work even better than it did before. Unfortunately, the industry does not make this easy for consumers. Not being able to intervene when something goes wrong with an object, consumers end up simply buying new things. However, giving a device an extended lifespan keeps us from wasting valuable resources. Starting from recent legislation and public movements that call for the right to repair, this research questions the role of designers within these changing circumstances. ----- AUTHOR: Julian Ribler TITLE: The Factory SUBTITLE: An investigation into modern design principles The Modernist movement promoted the appreciation of the advancements of industry. Modernism went on to integrate industrial advancement as part of the fundamentals of the movement as a whole. The principle of applying an engineer’s perspective was thought to inform the practice of designers and architects. Exploring modern factory environments and investigating the advancements in manufacturing technology today can help us revise these principles and examine the changing factory context. ----- AUTHOR: Kwan Ming Sum TITLE: Stagnation and innovation in the wheelchair industry A wheelchair is an essential tool for people with mobility issues to perform everyday tasks and achieve social participation. Unfortunately, modern manual wheelchairs hardly satisfy the emerging need of a well-resolved wheelchair design. A fundamental shift in understanding of today’s needs and innovation in this field are urgently required. Given the growth of the aging population, a rethink of wheelchair design is critical. Through conducting several interviews with different stakeholders, including wheelchair users, producers, and designers, this research aims to investigate the underlying reasons behind the stagnation in the wheelchair industry, and looks at how that might change. ----- AUTHOR: Maxwell Ashford TITLE: Fractions SUBTITLE: Cost-effective recycling A fraction is the result of any recycling process. It refers to the amount of materials from an object that can be recycled cost effectively, and is used broadly across the recycling industry. Objects are by standard practises designed independently from any end-of-life system and inevitably, the result is that objects cannot be effectively recycled. Historically, there has been little incentive for producers, and thus designers, to deal with the death or disposal of objects. But this is due to change, as incoming legislation from the EU will force producers to use recycled materials and create more recyclable objects. In turn, this demand will affect designers. So how can we work to create more sustainable goods? ----- AUTHOR: Nadav Goldenberg TITLE: Empire State of Play SUBTITLE: Playground design in the urban environment How did the design of playgrounds evolve throughout history? And how does the urban environment play a part in their evolution? To answer these questions, I look at New York City. Here, we see a dense urban space for play development, with a long history of constant shifts in play ideals, safety regulations and the pioneering of playground design. ----- AUTHOR: Oscar Kwong TITLE: Comfort and the curve The curve exists in all ranges of expression, from the flamboyant to the modest. In the past decade there have been multiple studies that have set out to confirm our instinctual desires for the curvaceous shape, proving in every measurable scenario that humans prefer the round compared to the rectilinear. This intuitive response to the curve has been hard-wired as part of our evolutionary bias. The relationship that connects comfort and the curve will be the premise of this essay: from the buildings of Sanaa that employs the familiar curve, as a reminder of our connection with nature; to trace the postures supported by the comfy lounge and its intimate bond with the human body; to the conforming contours of everyday objects. ----- AUTHOR: Silvio Rebholz TITLE: TV studio sets SUBTITLE: A space for reality and fiction TV studio sets are spatial constructions in which TV formats such as news, talk shows or game shows are produced. On these sets, hosts interact with guests, newsreaders broadcast informa­tion and hosts entertain – always with the intention of reproducing the scene on screens. Focusing on the designs of TV studio sets, it is striking how unusually shaped they are. Elaborately sweeping curves of sofas; LEDs highlighting the edges of a desk. Remarkably, these and other exceptional elements aren’t isolated cases, but repeat across shows, broadcast genres and national borders. Their similarities suggest that it’s about more than free formal expression. What are the parameters for consideration in a “good” TV studio set? How did this unique style develop? ----- AUTHOR: Thomas Manil TITLE: The typology of coins This research project explores the history, production and formal language of coins. They are part of our lives and accompany our daily gestures. We give them, we receive them, we pocket them, or we place them carefully in a wallet. We have the impression that we know them very well, and yet, we have a hard time describing them with precision. It is an integral part of the country’s identity and embodies the link between art, design and technology. In a society that is gradually seeking to dematerialise money, the coin deserves special attention. ----- AUTHOR: Till Ronacher TITLE: The robotic arm Industrial robots have been involved in the manufacturing of products since the 1960s. But over the last decades, industrial robots have been moving out of the factories into new contexts such as architecture and design. Now, in some experimental contexts, digital fabrication is explored with the help of industrial robots. In such laboratories, the cooperation between humans and industrial robots is being investigated and applied in a design context, within which new forms and transformative design processes emerge. In this thesis, I examine some of these developments with regards to the possibilities of their integration into the design process. ----- AUTHOR: Trolle Rudebeck TITLE: A writing and drawing instrument In the age of typing, scrolling and audio-recording, cursive writing might seem endangered, particularly among younger generations. As handwriting has become more and more obsolete, it has come to be considered as a poetic or romantic act rather than a fundamental tool. Looking back to ancient civilizations and their instruments for drawing and writing, the pen’s stick-like shape has remained surprisingly constant. By looking to the past, could we predict the future of the pen?

Excerpts from Master Photography theses

PHOTOGRAPHY

Excerpts from Master Photography theses

with Anniina Koivu

AUTHOR: Sara Bastai TITLE: How to build a collective memory in the digital realm? SUBTITLE: Depicting humankind through methods of preservation It seems, sometimes, like today’s main focus of interest lies in how future societies will perceive us. The traces we might leave behind can significantly impact the history and interpretation of our current present. Can we rely on digital preservation? What should we document for the future? How can we represent and preserve society in the 21st century without being reduced to mere computational information processing? This master thesis is a speculative reflection on our current and past methods of preservation of social history. ------ AUTHOR: Maeva Bosko TITLE: Dream worlds SUBTITLE: What happens when we’re asleep? Since my early childhood, I have dreamt a lot. Sweet, pleasant or strange dreams, nightmares, sometimes even lucid dreams. Night is when I escape to these virtual worlds. But what are these worlds? Why are they so different from my ordinary waking world? I’ve even gotten to the point, on various occasions, when I preferred these dream states to my everyday reality. This is a research project into the world of dreams as an attempt to decode the unconsciousness in relation to the virtual universe and reality we experience at night. ------ AUTHOR: Natalie Maximova TITLE: Walking the landscape, in video games With a focus on landscape representation in video games called “walking simulators”, this thesis attempts to uncover questions related to a complex and ambiguous notion of landscape, from its original conception to today. During my research, I applied the interpretive approach of “reading” and decoding landscapes that have been used by geographers, as well as sociologists, artists and historians. Video game landscapes could be thought of as a system consisting of natural, man-made and cultural forces which can be identified and studied. The landscape in this case plays as a medium that combines, holds and channels these forces. If video game environments exist as part of our culture, what kind of connections do these virtual spaces form? This thesis tries to uncover processes behind the construction of the “natural” in video game environments. ------ AUTHOR: Joanna Wierzbicka TITLE: Why should our bodies end at the skin? SUBTITLE: Rethinking bodily matter beyond a humanist imagination This thesis follows the turn to matter within the fields of body studies, posthuman feminist theory, and new materialism in order to rethink the definition of what a body is and, more importantly, what a body can do. The main research objective is to find out how through questioning the definition of a body and the use of metaphorical thinking in this process, we can establish a more ethical living ground among other bodies. ------ AUTHOR: Olivia Wünsche TITLE: Myths shape reality After having lived a deeply transformative psychedelic experience, all previously held beliefs and perceptions which conditioned my relationship to the surrounding reality, suddenly broke free from the prison of mental programming and limited awareness. Different aspects of this internal change manifested through an almost visceral connection to the Earth. I started to direct my attention towards subjects revolving around environmental and humanitarian crisis, simultaneously wanting to find the cause that has led to our current state of separateness, in which we distance ourselves from others and from nature. I understood quite rapidly that socio-political problem-solving is undoubtedly urgent and indispensable, however it remains shallow and incomplete by treating symptoms without curing the cause. ------ AUTHOR: Zhang Manqin TITLE: A diamond-shaped egg This master thesis is based on different tools that can be used to explore the power of memory. Closely related to the author’s “I’m not a loner” photo installation, this research project combines fictional writing with the documentary approach of a diary.

Swiss Graphic Design and Typography Revisited

Swiss Graphic Design and Typography Revisited

with Davide Fornari, Jonas Berthod

The research project Swiss Graphic Design and Typography Revisited is divided into three sub-projects: ‘Principles of Education’, ‘Networks of Practice’ and ‘Strategies of Dissemination’. This three-year project is the biggest research collaboration established in the design field since the SNSF began its activities.

ECAL x MEHARI EDEN - Hyères Design Parade

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

ECAL x MEHARI EDEN - Hyères Design Parade

with Elric Petit

A series of accessories that will make up the electric Mehari of tomorrow. The 2CV Mehari Club Cassis has developed an electric version of the iconic Citroën car released in 1968: the EDEN. From the outset, this car was intended for summer sports and leisure activities. Today, our renewed interest in outdoor activities combined with electric technology makes this vehicle all the more attractive. With this in mind, the 2nd year Bachelor of Industrial Design students, under the direction of designer Elric Petit, are proposing a series of accessories that will make up the electric Mehari of tomorrow. This project was realized in partnership with the 2CV Mehari Club Cassis, at the initiative of Massilia.design and Nathalie Dewez, with the precious support of Bananatex® and the Hyères Design Parade Festival.

Grand Palais Éphémère - Palais Augmenté

MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

Grand Palais Éphémère - Palais Augmenté

with Robin Bervini, Milo Keller, Kylan Luginbühl, Pauline Saglio

Co-produced by Fisheye and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux - Grand Palais, the Palais Augmenté festival takes place inside the Grand Palais Éphémère. Exceptionally, in partnership with ECAL, augmented reality projects will be accessible from this point, on the façade of the Grand Palais Éphémère on 19 and 20 June 2021.

Ciné-photographie

PHOTOGRAPHY

Ciné-photographie

with Marco Poloni

Projects realized by the second year class of the Bachelor of Photography, within the framework of the course Cine-photography directed by Marco Poloni during the first and second semester 2020-2021.

AIZI / AI字 / 爱字

AIZI / AI字 / 爱字

Artificial Intelligence-Aided Type Design AIZI research projects is a collaboration between ECAL and EPFL Computer Vision Laboratory. Its aim is to develop an artificial intelligence tool to help the creation of hanzi. The idea is to train an AI to generate glyphs from a small number of ‘seed’ characters, using Generative Adversarial Network (GAN): two algorithms fighting each other, endlessly attempting to outperform one another. Chinese script is rich of thousands of hanzi, but their construction is, on many point, very logical and systematic. It processes by assembling a limited number of radicals in order to produce new signs. For the designer, a major difficulty is that depending of the surrounding components, the design of the radicals changes, always self-adapting to the context, in order to achieve harmonious forms.

The Sources of Jan Tschichold’s The New Typography

The Sources of Jan Tschichold’s The New Typography

with Davide Fornari, Matthieu Cortat, Jonas Berthod, Chiara Barbieri

Jan Tschichold’s essay Die neue Typographie (The New Typography, 1928) is a game-changing book, acclaimed as the curtain raiser of modern graphic design. While it takes the form of a critical essay and an operative manual, its sources have been understudied because of their difficult identification. This project aims to reconstruct the body of sources that Tschichold drew on to understand the broader cultural context of the book, through an international conference on its impact and a travelling exhibition.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau inspires the ECAL/HEAD Master in Cinema

FILM STUDIES

Jean-Jacques Rousseau inspires the ECAL/HEAD Master in Cinema

On the occasion of the reopening of the Maison de Rousseau et de la Littérature (MRL) in Geneva on April 21, 2021, students of the ECAL/HEAD Master's degree in Cinema are presenting a series of films as part of the Parcours Rousseau, which was designed by the Zurich architect Tristan Kobler of the Holzer Kobler office and co-written by two Rousseau specialists - Martin Rueff and Guillaume Chenevière.

Words form language – Typography forms meaning

Words form language – Typography forms meaning

This research focusses on ways explored in typography to use letters as means of expression in order to emphasize the semantic, phonetic or visual qualities of language.

HERE AND THERE

MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

HERE AND THERE

with Marcelo Coelho, Gaël Hugo, Pauline Saglio

A new educational model for a post-pandemic world

Mobile Fan

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

Mobile Fan

with Christian Spiess

Fans with USB power supply for mobile use, for the Swiss brand Stadler Form. Stadler Form is a Swiss company that produces fans, humidifiers, purifiers and other air treatment devices. For this project, the students in 2nd year Bachelor Industrial Design, directed by designer Christian Spiess, had to make a “personal” fan, equipped with a USB power supply for mobile use. They had to think of new scenarios and contexts where a small fan would be useful. They were free to explore different usage scenarios, materials, etc. other than those currently in the Stadler Form catalog. The projects had to meet Stadler Form’s high standards of industrial design, but also challenge and question their existing products. Vidéo ECAL x Stadler Form - Agnes Murmann Vidéo ECAL x Stadler Form - Alex Nguyen Vidéo ECAL x Stadler Form - Stéphane Mischler Vidéo ECAL x Stadler Form - Lucie Herter Vidéo ECAL x Stadler Form - Alexandre Desarzens Vidéo ECAL x Stadler Form - Constance Thiessoz

collaboration with EHL

DESIGN FOR LUXURY & CRAFTSMANSHIP

collaboration with EHL

with Nicolas Le Moigne, Xavier Perrenoud

On the occasion of a new partnership between ECAL and EHL, the students of the program are currently working on the theme of cheese through three specific situations: the cheese cellar, the trolley and tasting at the table.

Phantom Power

Phantom Power

with Stéphane Kropf, Thibault Walter

Phantom Power questions the social configurations of the non-audible narratives of aural practices in performances and public sound installations.

The Emergence of Video Art in Europe (1960–1980): history, theory, sources and archives.

The Emergence of Video Art in Europe (1960–1980): history, theory, sources and archives.

with François Bovier

To date, there is no European-wide history of video art. It is this gap that the present research programme proposes to fill. Firstly by gathering data on the artists, the works and the events that enabled the emergence of this new artistic practice in the 1960s, or that were important in its development in the following years in Europe, and by bringing to light specific national conditions of production and distribution.

Furniture under pressure

Furniture under pressure

with Younès Klouche Camille Blin, Christophe Guberan, Anniina Koivu, Julie Richoz, Anthony Guex, Chris Kabel

The potential of shape memory materials in furniture design.

Automated Photography

Automated Photography

with Florian Amoser, Claus Gunti, Milo Keller

The Automated Photography research project (2019–2021) is conducted by Milo Keller in the framework of the MA in Photography at ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne. It is a continuation of the research project Augmented Photography, equally conducted at ECAL (2016–2017), which aimed to question the mutability of the digital image, transformed both in its physical materiality and in its virtual expression.

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