Contextual Design – BA2 S2 2026 Genius Loci, or the spirit of the place, refers to the unique identity or essence of a location. In architecture, this principle suggests that the specific characteristics of a place should be reflected and extended in a design. In the case of the second-year graphic design students, they have applied this principle to communication projects focused on promoting or extending the identity of a particular place through design. Their work likely explores how to visually capture and communicate the essence of a space, using graphic design elements that resonate with the architectural features or history of the place. Schloss Rapperswil crepaccio e mulini, PARK ARCH AG, 2025 Four fold-out posters, two languages, a single ascent. A printed object translating the encounter between the medieval stone of Rapperswil Castle and contemporary interventions. Taking the recent renovation of the castle as its starting point, the project distills its essence rather than documenting its image. Structured by verticality, at the core of both the building and its architectural intervention, the series consists of four posters. On the front, four architectural texts. On the back, a medieval tale in eight parts, printed in two layers, retraces the ascent of a female knight to the top of the castle. Designed as an object for reading, the project extends the visit to the castle and reveals the dialogue between these two temporalities. Par Cio che Rimane The Fornaci di Riva San Vitale, on the shores of Lake Lugano, are a former site for the production of clay bricks. The rehabilitation project aims to preserve the existing structures and the traces of this activity, while supporting the transformation of the site through reuse and the conservation of certain elements. Cio che Rimane is inspired by the cycle of clay, extracted, shaped, fired, and reused. From this process, the project develops a series of fragments in the form of bricks. The texts are printed directly into the clay, preserving the trace of the gesture. Each brick functions as an autonomous trace. Once the leporello is unfolded, they reconstruct the place where memory, territory, and material continue to coexist. Par [ La cabane qui murmurait ] The Cabanotel, perched at 1,800 metres in the Val d Hérens in Valais, was born from the transformation of the Hôtel du Col d Hérens, built in 1876. Neither hut nor hotel, but both at once, it retains its outer shell while its interior has been entirely redesigned through a logic of reuse, short supply chains, and territorial anchoring. This book takes the building as its starting point, not to document its architecture, but to give voice to what remains silent within it: reclaimed, moved, and reinstalled materials, and the people involved throughout the construction process. Structured in four chapters—construction, deconstruction, storage, and reconstruction—it brings together the voice of the house and that of the building site. Time is a character in its own right. In the mountains, the seasons slow down the construction process and open up space between stages. This book seeks to make perceptible what cannot be seen, what the house itself remembers. Par Buswartehäuschen Ilanz The project takes as its starting point the dispersion of bus shelters in Ilanz. Separated from one another, they offer a fragmented experience of the territory. Each shelter thus becomes part of a larger whole. The project consists of a series of posters integrated into the bus shelters. They combine timetable information with a fragmented image. As one moves between stops, the images gradually complete and overlap. The whole reflects principles of assembly and layering found in architecture. Each shelter becomes a fragment of an image that users reconstruct through their journeys. Par Cabanotel, mémoire alpine In the heart of the Val d Hérens, the Cabanotel carries on the legacy of the Hôtel du Col d Hérens, built in 1876 and kept within the same family for nearly a century and a half. In 2021, its transfer to the Valais architect Olivier Cheseaux marked the beginning of a careful renovation, respectful of the building and its history. On the occasion of the hotel s 150th anniversary, this book retraces this human story through testimonies, archival documents, mountain narratives, and observations of the surrounding territory. It is structured around three temporalities: that of the Alpine landscape, unchanged and timeless; that of the building, passed down and transformed across generations; and that of the people who have inhabited, passed through, or kept it alive. Par Jardin d enfants Mööslistrasse The Mööslistrasse kindergarten is a transformation project in Zurich, developed from former residential units integrated into a municipal depot from the 1930s. Faced with a lack of space for early childhood facilities, the architects chose to transform the existing rather than build anew. The project is based on reuse and continuity: reclaimed materials, preserved elements, and new interventions coexist within a single spatial system. The removal of partitions allows for a redistribution of uses and an adaptation of the building to a collective function. My editorial project translates these principles into an abstract graphic language. Simple forms, flat colour fields, and minimal compositions aim to make visible the ideas of de-partitioning, reuse, and transformation of the existing. The texts, short and direct, take the form of architectural manifestos. The choice of a cardboard-bound book echoes the world of childhood and reinforces the idea of a simple, tactile, and pedagogical object. The publication becomes an extension of the architectural project: transforming without erasing, building with what already exists, and proposing a new reading of space through minimal interventions. Par
Visual Identity – BA2 S2 2026 As part of the visual identity course with Adeline Mollard, the students developed a visual identity based on a randomly drawn business card. By appropriating a graphic element and its title, each project offers a singular interpretation of it. Each proposal also involves the selection of a tool linked to the associated event (tattoo machine, sander, lithography equipment, etc.), used as a conceptual and graphic extension of the project. The identity is deployed across a range of formats, from business card to F4 size, including posters, flyers, business cards, as well as an animated poster.
Editorial Design – BA2 S2 2026 As part of this editorial design course, students developed a research-based project focused on the selection and design of texts around a shared theme. Based on a curated set of sources, each project presents two editions with identical content, produced in both a large and a small format.
Type Design BA2 – S2 2026 Second-year students were required to develop the whole alphabet for one typeface.
AWARDS & GRANTS 2026 The graduation ceremony held on 26 June 2026 was also an opportunity to highlight many diploma projects through the awarding of Grants and Prizes. Congratulations to all the graduates and award winners! GRANTS & AWARDS 2026 – BACHELOR Milove photography mentorship Honouring Milo Keller, whose dedication established ECAL Photography s international reputation, the Milove Photography Mentorship supports emerging talent. Each year, four ECAL BA and MA Photography graduates receive a year of guidance from leading figures on the global photography scene. Presented by Calypso Mahieu, Head of BA Photography – BA Photography TREMPLIN ECAL AWARD SUPPORTED BY FONDATION LEENAARDS – CHF 10 000.- A prize to support graduates in launching their careers or developing concrete artistic or professional projects. Presented by Sabrina Grassi, Executive Director Fondation Leenards – BA Fine Arts – BA Industrial Design FONDATION CASINO BARRIÈRE DE MONTREUX GRANT – CHF 8 000.- Awarded to a student entering their diploma year in September, selected for their creative potential. Presented by Monique Richoz, Board Member, Fondation Casino Barrière de Montreux – 2nd year BA Photography PIERRE KELLER AWARD – CHF 5 000.- In memory of Pierre Keller, ECAL Director from 1995 to 2011. Awarded for a particularly committed diploma project. Presented by Alexis Georgacopoulos, Director of ECAL – BA Photography JAN MICHALSKI FOUNDATION GRANTS – MEMORY DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT + CHF 1 000.- + SPECIAL PRIZES Grants awarded to support and publicly present two Bachelor thesis projects. A public launch will be held in autumn 2026 at the Fondation Jan Michalski in Montricher. Presented by Federico Nicolao, Board Member, Fondation Jan Michalski Grants: – BA Industrial Design – BA Photography Special Prizes: – BA Media & Interaction Design (CHF 5 000.-) – BA Graphic Design (CHF 5 000.-) IMAGES VEVEY X ECAL AWARD – EXHIBITION AT L APPARTEMENT, ESPACE IMAGES VEVEY Awarded to a BA Photography graduate for a first public exhibition and to reinforce ties between ECAL and Images Vevey. Presented by Stefano Stoll, Director, Images Vevey – BA Photography DOWNTOWN STUDIO DE L IMAGE AWARD – POST-PRODUCTION SERVICES + MEMBERSHIP, VALUED AT CHF 5 000.- Awarded to two BA Cinema students (Image specialisation) for artistic and technical excellence. Presented by Dorothée Dray, Account Manager, Downtown Studio – BA Cinema LA FONCIÈRE AWARD – CHF 5 000.- Awarded by La Foncière to a student in BA Photography for outstanding work throughout the academic year. Presented by Vincent Jacquier, Head of Visual Communication – BA Photography WALTER + EVE KENT FOUNDATION GRANTS – CHF 5 000.- Two grants awarded to particularly talented students in Fine Arts. Presented by Stéphane Kropf, Head of BA Fine Arts – 2nd year BA Fine Arts – 2nd year BA Fine Arts GOOGLE ARTS CULTURE LAB INNOVATION AWARD – CHF 5 000.- Awarded to a graduate of the Bachelor s program in Media & Interaction Design for an imaginative and cutting-edge approach to their diploma project. Presented by Alain Bellet, Professor at BA Media & Interaction Design – BA Media & Interaction Design ERNEST MANGANEL AWARD – CHF 3 000.- Awarded by the Ernest Manganel Foundation for research relevance and the quality of a diploma project in BA Fine Arts. Presented by Stéphane Kropf, Head of BA Fine Arts, on behalf of the Ernest Manganel Foundation – BA Fine Arts – BA Fine Arts – BA Fine Arts ART IN THE HOSPITAL STUDIO AWARD – CHF 3 000.- + production budget An award offering a graduate of the Bachelor in Visual Arts the opportunity to use a studio for four months at the CHUV, in collaboration with one of its departments, and to present an exhibition dedicated to La Mercerie in the spring of 2027. Presented by Agathe Naito and Rosalie Vasey, Program Coordinators at ARTCHUV – BA Fine Arts FONDATION RUSCONI AWARD – CHF 3 000.- Awarded to a Visual Communication graduate for an editorial project (book or magazine) distinguished by subject relevance, content production, layout, and physical prototype. Presented by Sylvie Rusconi, President of the Fondation Rusconi – BA Graphic Design LOGITECH CREATIVE & DESIGN AWARD – CHF 3 000.- + A HIGH-END CREATIVE SOLUTION FROM LOGITECH Awarded to a graduate in BA Media & Interaction Design whose diploma project demonstrates a strong sensitivity to themes dear to Logitech. Presented by Giulio Barresi, UX Lead, Logitech – BA Media & Interaction Design SWISS DESIGN ASSOCIATION BACHELOR AWARD 2026 – 3-YEAR SDA MEMBERSHIP + ENTREPRENEURIAL COACHING Awarded to a Bachelor student for excellence in their diploma project. The prize includes a three-year membership in the SDA and individual entrepreneurial coaching. Presented by Clara Jannet, Committee Member, Swiss Design Association – BA Industrial Design Award of Excellence in Design and Visual Arts HES-SO – CHF 2 500.- Awarded to a Bachelor student for excellence in their diploma project. Presented by Gaetano Massa, Scientific Assistant in the Design and Visual Arts Department at HES-SO – BA Industrial Design CITY OF RENENS AWARD – EXHIBITION AT LA FERME DES TILLEULS + CHF 2 000.- An encouragement prize awarded to a 2nd-year BA student for the quality of their work. The exhibition will take place in December 2026. Presented by Nathalie Jaccard, Municipal Councillor, City of Renens – BA Graphic Design GENEVA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (GIFF) AWARD – CHF 1 000.- Awarded to a BA Media & Interaction Design graduate for an innovative and original approach to storytelling or project execution. Presented by Pauline Saglio, Head of BA Media & Interaction Design, on behalf of the Geneva International Film Festival – BA Media & Interaction Design VISARTE VAUD AWARD – CHF 1 000.- Awarded to a BA Fine Arts graduate for the excellence of their diploma project. Presented by Denis Roueche, Visarte Vaud – BA Fine Arts METAA AWARD – CHF 1 000.- Awarded to a BA Media & Interaction Design graduate for an innovative and experimental approach to their diploma project. Presented by Mylène Dreyer, co-president of METAA – Media Experiments in Technology and Art Association – BA Media & Interaction Design JACQUELINE VEUVE AWARD – CHF 1,000.- An award presented to a Film student for a remarkable graduation work. This prize pays tribute to Jacqueline Veuve, a renowned Swiss documentary filmmaker who passed away in 2013. Presented by Rachel Noël, Educational Advisor MA Cinema – 2nd-year BA Cinema student, for the film “SPARE” PRIX DE L ANNÉE PROPÉDEUTIQUE – CHF 500.- (EX AEQUO) A prize awarded to a student in the Foundation Year who distinguished themselves through outstanding academic results. Presented by David Monnet, Head of the Foundation Year Clara Widmer – Foundation Year, Graphic Design Mia Stauffacher – Foundation Year, Photography Guillem Jehouda – Foundation Year, Photography GRANTS & AWARDS 2026 – MASTER Milove photography mentorship In honor of Milo Keller, whose dedication has shaped ECAL s international reputation in photography, the Milove Photography Mentorship supports emerging talent. Each year, four ECAL photography BA and MA graduates will receive one year of personalized mentorship from renowned figures in the global photography scene. Presented by Clément Lambelet, Head of MA Photography – MA Photography – MA Photography – MA Photography ECAL TREMPLIN AWARD SUPPORTED BY FONDATION LEENAARDS – CHF 10,000.- The Tremplin Award supports the career launch of talented ECAL graduates by helping them establish a long-term professional artistic or design practice. It supports the implementation of a concrete project or their entry into professional life. Presented by Sabrina Grassi, Executive Director Fondation Leenards – MA Type Design – MA Photography – MA Product Design GRANT NESTLÉ-ECAL – CHF 10,000.- Two CHF 10,000 grants awarded to 2nd-year students in Product Design, Photography or Type Design who have distinguished themselves through the quality of their diploma projects, particularly on themes such as technological or social innovation, sustainability, or health. Presented by Alexis Georgacopoulos, Director of ECAL – MA Photography – MA Product Design DE BETHUNE AWARD – CHF 6,000.- A prize awarded to a graduate of the Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship for the quality of their work. De Bethune is an independent Swiss watch manufacturer based in L Auberson, in the Jura region of Vaud. Presented by Anne Csank, Customer Experience Manager De Bethune – MAS Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship GRANT WALTER + EVE KENT FOUNDATION – CHF 5,000.- Two grants awarded to particularly talented 1st-year Master Fine Arts students in the fields of painting and sculpture, in support of their continued studies at ECAL. Presented by Stéphanie Moisdon, Head of Master Fine Arts Tristan Duval – 1st-year MA Fine Arts student Zora Decherf – 1st-year MA Fine Arts student HES-SO DESIGN & FINE ARTS EXCELLENCE AWARD – CHF 2,500.- A prize awarded to an ECAL student who has distinguished themselves through the excellence of their diploma project. Presented by Gaetano Massa, Scientific Assistant in the Design and Visual Arts Department at HES-SO – MA Type Design MASÉ STUDIOS SOUND AWARD – MIXING SERVICES IN GENEVA, VALUED AT CHF 5 000.- Awarded to a graduate for a film recognized for its sound quality and artistic and technical execution. Presented by Ivan Ruet, Representative, Masé Studios – MA Cinema, for the sound of the film "Toilet" of PROFOT-ELINCHROM PRIZE – EQUIPMENT WORTH CHF 2,124.- A prize awarded to a Master Photography student who has produced an excellent diploma project. Presented by Sandro Bizzarro, Sales Consultant, Profot – MA Photography ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD – CITY OF RENENS – EXHIBITION AT LA FERME DES TILLEULS IN RENENS + CHF 2,000.- An encouragement prize awarded to a 1st-year Master student for outstanding work. The winner will exhibit at La Ferme des Tilleuls in Renens in December 2026. Presented by Nathalie Jaccard, City Councillor of Renens – MA Cinema BCV AWARD – CHF 2,000.- A prize awarded to a Master s graduate for the overall quality of their work. Presented by Stéphanie Moisdon, Head of Master Fine Arts – MA Fine Arts DAVID RUST PRIZE – CHF 1,000.- A prize awarded by the association "In Rust We Trust" to a graduate for outstanding typographic work. The winner is given the opportunity to publish a visual used to raise donations for the Design Against Cancer initiative. Presented by Maude Rust – BA Type Design EXECAL AWARD – CHF 1,000.- A prize awarded to a graduate who has produced a distinguished Master s thesis project. Presented by Camille Blin, Head of MA Product Design – MA Product Design
Awards at Design Parade 2026 for ECAL alumni Congratulations to Blanche Mijonnet, MAS in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship alumna, and Eduardo Altamirano, Master in Product Design alumnus, on their outstanding achievements at Design Parade 2026 at Villa Noailles. Celebrating 20 years of product design and 10 years of interior architecture, Design Parade is one of the leading international festivals dedicated to emerging design. Each year, ten product designers and ten interior architects from around the world are selected to present their work through exhibitions, professional encounters and a prestigious competition. Eduardo Altamirano, Master Product Design alumnus, received the Ville de Hyères Audience Prize for Sonido Material. His project explores sound as a physical and spatial phenomenon by reducing the loudspeaker to its essential components, a handmade transducer composed of a coil, magnet and paper membrane. Blurring the boundaries between product, material and installation, Sonido Material invites a more tangible and intuitive relationship with technology, where sound emerges directly from the behaviour of matter itself. Blanche Mijonnet, MAS Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship alumna, was awarded the CHANEL Visual Merchandising Prize. Created in 2019, the prize recognizes one of the ten finalists in the Interior Architecture competition for the design of a display window inspired by the Mediterranean, fostering a dialogue between fashion and design. @blanchemijonnet @enlasuperficie @villanoailles villanoailles.com
ECAL Talent Day,24.06.2026,ECAL, Renens Dedicated to young graduates and professionals alike, the “ECAL Talent Day” event aims to build bridges between academia and the professional world by offering the opportunity to meet and network. This annual event, open to professionals only, enables them to connect with our 2026 Bachelors and Masters graduates in Fine Arts, Cinema, Industrial & Product Design, Graphic & Type Design, Media & Interaction Design, and Photography. ECAL Talent Day creates a unique opportunity to meet the next generation of creative talents and explore their latest work. Spanning across all sectors of the creative industries, the event provides a dynamic and enriching networking environment for both attendees and graduates.DATES & SCHEDULEWednesday, June 24, 2026 From 10am to 4pmVENUEECAL Av. du Temple 5 1020 RenensREGISTRATIONRegistration required by Friday, June 12, 2026. Registration formCONTACTStalentday@ecal.ch
ECAL A Typographic Atlas in New York,22.06–02.08.2026,The Cooper Union, New York For its fourth stop, the exhibition ECAL A Typographic Atlas is presented in New York by The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and the Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography. Presented as a typographic atlas, this traveling exhibition features a selection of 300 typefaces created by ECAL s Master Type Design and Bachelor Graphic Design students. The exhibition is structured around a single indexing approach, a system translated into a modular display designed by Adrien Rovero. Alphabetical entries and numerical coordinates form a navigational framework, inviting visitors to move through a typographic territory. Typography is treated as a visual, cultural and linguistic practice, from experimental forms to functional families and multiscript projects, encouraging us to reconsider how type mediates everyday communication. The project also takes the form of book of the same name, produced by Giliane Cachin and Eurostandard and published by Empire Books, which unfolds like a vast map covering the full range of genres across the contemporary typographic spectrum. The showing of this exhibition at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science is part of the 12th edition of the Typographics Festival, an annual event series focused on contemporary typography and where its future may lie. The opening will be accompanied by a talk by four graphic and type designers from ECAL s staff and alumni. It will introduce the audience to the mixed practices of graphic and type design through the diploma projects of three graduates and the evolution of their practice, bridging the skills of font production with the broader perspectives of art directors and graphic designers. Previous stops Turin – Circolo del Design Leipzig – HGB Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Paris – Program/me Next stops Montreal – UQAM Los Angeles – HMCT Gallery Lausanne – ECAL Zurich Tokyo – SKWAT Kameari Art Centre and more to come...ADDRESSThe Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art The Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography 41 Cooper Square, New York, United StatesHEAD OF PROGRAMMES, DATES23.06–02.08.2026 Closed on July 3 & 4 Free admissionEXHIBITION OPENING & TALK22.06.2026 5:00pm-9:00pm Talk in-person & livestreamed, 6:30pm The Rose Auditorium, Cooper Union Inscription In the presence of: Angelo Benedetto , Head of ECAL Bachelor Graphic Design Rebekka Hausmann , type & graphic designer, alumna and assistant of ECAL Master Type Design Sean Kuhnke , type & graphic designer, ECAL Master Type Design alumni Nayoung Kim , type & graphic designer, ECAL Master Type Design alumni OPENING TIMESMonday to Friday: 12:00–7:30pm Saturday: 12:00–5:30pmSUPPORTED BYPresence SwitzerlandRELATED EVENTS
Création photographique– 2026 Documentary, the power of make-believe Based on projects developed around a common theme, the students develop a personal, in-depth project around the theme of pretense. They build a project that plays with the limits of veracity in photography, using it as an artifice of deception.
Création cinématographique– 2026 Off-camera By exploring what lies outside the frame, students develop a sensitive and reflective approach to audiovisual creation. Throughout the semester, students are encouraged to reflect on the political and formal issues surrounding the moving image, as well as the relationship between the visible and the invisible.
Analog Medium format workshop – 2026 Deconstructed Portrait The goal of this workshop, led by photographer Anoush Abrar, is to explore the meaning of the contemporary portrait. Working with the concept of the “deconstructed portrait,” the students created an image in pairs. The Digital Medium Format workshop week serves as an introduction to both photography equipment and specialized software.
Lea Favre s film at 2026 Nuits en Or Congratulations to Lea Favre, graduate of the Bachelor Cinema, whose film Hunting was selected by the César Academy for the 2026 Nuits en Or. Les Nuits en Or is an yearly event which brings together a selection of films honored by Cinema Academies around the world. In 2026, the program features 36 short films and is presented in several major cities: Athens, Lisbon, Luxembourg, Madrid, Mexico City, Rome, Vienna, and others. The program for Les Nuits en Or 2026 was unveiled for the first time during a screening event at MK2 Nation in Paris. Hunting (2025), the Bachelor Cinema graduation film directed by , is part of this selection. In this animated short film, Lea sets out in search of a subject for a documentary film. Upon arriving at the stadium overlooking the city — her hunting ground for the day — she meets an older man who is unlike any other. Just as she thinks she has finally caught her prey, the tables turn. The hunter becomes the hunted. Hunting has already won numerous awards, including Best Film at the 2025 Fantoche Internationales Festival für Animationsfilm (Baden), Best Graduation Film at the 2026 Swiss Film Awards, and the Golden Horseman Youth Jury at the 2026 FilmFest International Short Film Festival (Dresden). The film has also been screened at numerous festivals in Europe and around the world. @leafre_ @academiedescesar Image: Valentin de Steur
Staged Photography – 2026 Unseen This course introduces students to the creation of a seven-image series built around the theme Unseen. They will learn to combine set design, characters, and lighting to produce strong, coherent staged images. Through a practical and technical approach, the course develops their ability to conceive and manage a complete photographic project, direct models, work with natural and artificial light, and collaborate under conditions similar to professional editorial or commercial shoots. Students will refine their photographic vision while preparing for the creative and technical demands of the industry.
8 ECAL graduates win the Swiss Design Awards 2026 Following the nomination of 16 of its graduates as finalists for the Swiss Design Awards 2025, ECAL is proud to announce that 8 have been awarded this prestigious distinction by the Federal Office of Culture. ECAL is particularly proud to see 8 of its graduates honoured at the 2026 Swiss Design Awards – winners who were already among 16 finalists from ECAL, including renowned names from the art and design scene as well as recent graduates: Product Design Carlo Clopath , Bachelor Industrial Design graduate iiode, Lucas Uhlmann , Bachelor Industrial Design graduate Lion Sanguinette, Master Product Design student Titouan Longatte , Bachelor Industrial Design graduate VITA Mini Sensor — A miniaturized plant electrophysiology sensor developped by the research project Arboricrop, conducted by a multidisciplinary consortium bringing together Vivent Biosignals, Changins – University of Viticulture and Oenology, and ECAL with the support of Innosuisse. Research team: Pietro Alberti, Bachelor Media & Interaction Design graduate / Maxwell Ashford , Master Product Design graduate / Alain Bellet , Bachelor Media & Interaction Design lecturer / Stéphane Halmaï-Voisard , MAS Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship graduate and head of Bachelor Industrial Design / Laurent Soldini , certified industrial designer Graphic Design Dorian Pangallo , Bachelor Graphic Design graduate Outline Online, Samira Schneuwly & Laura Zsófia Csocsán , Master Type Design graduates Sophie Wietlisbach , Master Type Design graduate Media and Interaction Design Livia Schmid , Bachelor Media & Interaction Design graduate Mario Von Rickenbach , Bachelor Media & Interaction Design lecturer Photography Cedric Zellweger , Bachelor Photography graduate Eriko Miyata , Master Photography graduate Florian Amoser , Bachelor Photography graduate Inès Mermoud , Bachelor Photography graduate Karla Hiraldo Voleau , Master Photography graduate Sara De Brito Faustino , Bachelor Photography graduate Design research Beyond Bézier, Nicolas Bernklau , Master Type Design graduate; Matthieu Cortat , head of Master Type Design; Roland Früh , Master Type Design lecturer; Raphaela Haefliger , Master Type Design graduate This wide range of disciplines reflects ECAL s cross-disciplinary approach, where creative excellence is expressed both individually and in collaborative and interdisciplinary projects. ECAL warmly congratulates its graduates on this wonderful recognition. swissdesignawards.ch
Kiefer Hablitzel Göhner Art Prize for Iulia Bucuresteanu Congratulations to Iulia Bucuresteanu, ECAL Master Fine Arts student, for winning the Kiefer Hablitzel Göhner Art Prize. Master Fine Arts student brings together a video, two cast-aluminium sculptures, and a concrete relief in a project that examines the complexities of post-socialist transformation. Her installation offers a lucid, unsentimental, and non-prescriptive perspective on a society negotiating the transition from its Soviet legacy toward aspirations of prosperity and self-determination. In the video Megalomania, the camera traverses a succession of urban landscapes, moving from monumental Soviet architecture to the remnants of unrestrained capitalism. The work unfolds through a series of striking contrasts: from the promise of consumer abundance embodied in oversized advertisements for luxury goods to the vacant stalls of covered markets; from intimate domestic interiors to the presence of stray dogs inhabiting public space. Through its dynamic editing and carefully constructed soundtrack, the film infuses this portrait of contemporary Romania with a sense of vitality and subtle irony. Drawing on emblematic sites, symbols, and everyday objects associated with Eastern Europe, Bucuresteanu foregrounds the marginal position to which these regions are often consigned within the enduring narrative of a cohesive and unified Europe. Her practice resists reductive binaries and familiar clichés, instead rendering visible the fractures, contradictions, and tensions that emerge between political and economic ambitions, the construction of national identities, and the lived realities of individual experience. In February 2026, the jury selected seventeen artists from a pool of 175 applicants in an initial round and invited them to participate in the exhibition presented as part of the Swiss Art Awards in Basel. Following a second round of evaluation, seven emerging artists were awarded the Kiefer Hablitzel | Göhner Art Prize 2026, each receiving CHF 15,000. The prize is open to Swiss artists, artists based in Switzerland, and artists enrolled at Swiss universities, and is awarded in close collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (BAK) and the Ernst Göhner Foundation. kieferhablitzel.chImage (c) BAK/OFC, Gina Folly, 2026