Innovation by Design Challenge 2026 – Awards Night,18.11.2026,ECAL, Renens Dive into the heart of innovation on November 18th at ECAL, and discover the collaborations that turn design into a tool for transformation. This event will be an opportunity to discover how collaborating with designers can turn ideas into concrete projects and contribute to companies success. Programme 18h00 – Start of the event 18h05 – Pitch session: Results of the five teams design sprints 18h20 – Talk: Hervé Rigal, founder and CEO of Base Design 18h50 – Awards ceremony 19h15 – Cocktail reception Free entry upon registration: register here Visuel ©Mylène Dreyer WEBSITEInnovation by Design ChallengePARTNERSECAL · PRISM · Ville de Renens · Canton de Vaud · Canton du Valais · EPFL · Pro Helvetia
ECAL at GIFF Festival 2026,30.10–08.11.2026,Geneva From October 30 to November 8, ECAL Bachelor Media & Interaction Design will be present at the GIFF Festival 2026. The largest space in Switzerland dedicated to immersive arts, GIFF is Geneva s oldest film festival and one of Europe s leading events. A crossroads of genres and disciplines, it is a place of experimentation and exchange. Each year, for ten days, it presents films, series, interactive installations, and virtual reality works to around 50,000 visitors. For its 32st edition, the Bachelor Media & Interaction Design will be present at the GIFF Swiss Interactive Sessions (GIFF pro) with: She Kept Playing by While women make up half of all gamers in Europe, they account for only 7% of participants in esports competitions. The VR project "She Kept Playing" explores the causes of this disparity. Although esports is a relatively young sector, gender stereotypes and misogyny remain. By listening to short stories based on testimonials from professional female gamers, participants directly discover the systemic obstacles these women face. Carried by influential players like Kayane and Loupiote, they serve as powerful role models for the next generation, empowering female gamers to carve out a place in the field without having to worry about gender bias. Memory Pieces by and Memory Pieces is an immersive virtual reality experience set in a world in ruins. Fragments of memories and ancient streets intertwine, forming a fictional and abstract universe in constant flux. Here, destruction becomes creation: each collapse gives rise to new forms, revealing an unexpected and vibrant world.VENUEGeneva, SwitzerlandDATESFrom 30 Octobre to 8 November, 2026WEBSITEgiff.ch
EXHIBITION ECAL DIPLOMAS 2026,30.10–04.12.2026,ECAL, Renens From 30 October to 4 December, ECAL presents the Diploma Projects 2026. Opening on Thursday 29 October at 6 pm. ECAL puts the spotlight on its 2026 graduates. The wide variety of diploma projects is presented in an exhibition and an evening screening showcasing all our disciplines. DIPLOMA 2026 PROJECT EXHIBITION OCTOBER 30 TO DECEMBER 4, 2026 at ECAL ECAL presents a selection of Bachelor and Master 2026 diploma projects. Through editions, photographs, typography, artistic and interactive installations, films and objects, this exhibition invites visitors to discover the talents of tomorrow. & AT ANY TIME ONLINE Discover all Diploma 2026 projects through descriptions, photos and videos on ecal.chDATES & SCHEDULE30.10–04.12.2026 Monday to Friday, 11 am to 6 pm Free entryVENUEECAL/Ecole cantonale d art de Lausanne Av. du Temple 5 1020 RenensOPENINGThursday 29 October at 6 pm
ECAL at Glass Days,30–31.10.2026 ECAL is organising a live workshop during the Ariana Museum s Glass Days on 30 and 31 October 2026 in Geneva. Glass surrounds us, passes through us, and connects us. Both an ancient material and resolutely contemporary, it lies at the intersection of artistic, technological, and societal issues. The Journées de verre invite you to dive into the heart of the world of glass. The perspectives of artists, the craftsmanship of artisans, and the visions of designers, historians, researchers, collectors, enthusiasts, and the simply curious all intersect, engage in dialogue, and enrich one another. ECAL LIVE WORKSHOP Students in ECAL s Master in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship are taking over the museum space to explore their ideas and create glass pieces, using a portable kiln provided by NiesenGlass. Combining research, materials, and craftsmanship, this is a rare opportunity to witness the art of glassblowing right in the heart of the museum.DATE & TIME30–31.10.2026 10pm–5am CHF 10.- for both days Free entry for studentVENUEMusée Ariana Swiss Museum of Ceramics and Glass Avenue de la Paix 10 1202 GenevaWEBSITEmusee-ariana.ch
ECAL AT KIKK FESTIVAL 2026,22–25.10.2026,Namur, Belgium ECAL Bachelor Media & Interaction Design is taking part in the KIKK Festival 2026 in Namur, Belgium, from October 22 to 25, 2026 with a selection of projects. At the heart of the Interactive Lab exhibition, Bachelor Media & Interaction Design students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne invite you to explore a wide range of projects, spanning from hyperrealistic CGI images to interactive environments. Featuring a rich selection of game experiences developed in Unreal Engine, virtual reality films, animated music videos, interactive sound toys on tablets, and web portfolios with hyper-experimental interfaces, this exhibition offers a comprehensive and forward-looking view of new media. The exhibition also addresses contemporary themes, such as the implications of AI-driven personalization (How Do They Know? by ) or the tangible representation of digital filter bubbles (Unbubble by ). By bringing together these diverse approaches combining technology, play, and critical thinking, ECAL s Interactive Lab invites you to reconsider your relationship with digital tools and play with your perception of everyday digital interactions. The following student and assistants projects will be featured: (Soundverse et Idle Car) (Pluck) (RivalConsoles Melodica) Steve Bouillant (Memory Arc) (Parapluie) (How do they know?) (Papillons) (Statuette) Théo Déchanez (Memory Pieces) (Unbubble) Nyria Graber Teo Grajqevci (Château sable et Sur la route des vacances) (Anémone) (Low) Clara Hoya (Memory Arc) (RivalConsoles Melodica et Iteration Protocol) Joanna Metz (Vision of self et Iteration Protocol) (Memory Pieces et The road of Solisya) Melanie Rengifo Daniel Rocha (Trail Sync) (Truchet Soundtoy et Homme Tirroir) (Spira Memoriae) (Chrome) (Vision of self et The road of Solisya) VENUENamur, BelgiumDATESOctober 22 to 25, 2026HEAD OF PROGRAMMEWEBSITEkikk.beASSISTANTS,, ,
ECAL A Typographic Atlas in Los Angeles,21.10–18.12.2026,Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography Third stop of its North American tour, the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography, ot the ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles, presents the exhibition ECAL A Typographic Atlas. RELATED EVENTSADDRESSHoffmitz Milken Center for Typography 950 South Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105HEAD OF PROGRAMS, OPENING & ROUNDTABLEWednesday October 20, 2026 Talk at 6:00pm, "Looking at Typography", with: (ECAL) Greg Lindy (ArtCenter) Moderated by Pamela Olecki Cocktail Reception: 7–9pm DATES & OPENING TIMES21.10–18.12.2026 Open daily from 8:00am to 7:00pm Free entryWEBSITEHMCT ArtCenterWITH THE SUPPORT OFPrésence SuissePARTNERConsulate General of Switzerland in San FranciscoCurated by Master Type Design and Bachelor Graphic Design programmes, the ECAL A Typographic Atlas project takes the form of a traveling exhibition and a book that present a wide selection of 300 typefaces created by ECAL students from around the world. 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 exhibition is structured around a single indexing approach, a system translated into a modular display designed by , which forms a navigational framework that invites visitors to move through a typographic territory. For its third stop of its North American tour, ECAL A Typographic Atlas passes through the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography (HMCT). Located at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, the HMCT is an internationally recognized center dedicated to the study, research, and advancement of typography, graphic design, and visual communication. Founded in 2015 in memory of renowned type designer and educator Leah Hoffmitz Milken, the center serves as an educational forum, creative laboratory, and research hub for students, educators, designers, and scholars from around the world. In Pasadena, the exhibition is complemented by a selection of work created over the past ten years by ArtCenter College of Design students as part of Greg Lindy s Font Design 1 & 2 courses. Bringing these two bodies of work together highlights the role of education in shaping contemporary type design practices and the diversity of approaches to the field. The classroom becomes a kind of archive, one that records how tools and ways of thinking about letters change over time. Produced by Giliane Cachin and Eurostandard, and published by Empire Books, the 536-page book unfolds like a vast map covering the full range of genres across the contemporary typographic spectrum. It is available to purchase on the ECAL shop. Previous stops Turin – Circolo del Design Leipzig – HGB Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Paris – Program/me New York – The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Montréal – Université du Québec Next stops Lausanne – ECAL Zurich Tokyo – SKWAT Kameari Art Centre and more to come...
ECAL at MESH Festival 2026,14–18.10.2026,Basel From 14 to 18 October, ECAL will be present at the Mesh Festival 2026. Held in Basel, Mesh is a biennial festival dedicated to art and technology in Basel. Through exhibitions, performances, screenings, workshops and talks, this year s edition asks the following questions: how is technology changing the way we live together? For its second edition, the Bachelor Media & Interaction Design will be present with: SPIRA MEMORIAE by In a world where ecosystems are dying out and certain smells are evaporating, what is happening to the places and stories that gave them form? Spira memoriae is an immersive olfactory experience in virtual reality that invites users to journey through a fragmented sensory world. Original fragrances, created in collaboration with perfumer Tennessee Macdougall, extend the reflection through the language of odours. Beacons of an abstract landscape, they reveal rare materials, sometimes extinct, but still present in our collective memory. Spira memoriae explores the tensions between disappearance and persistence, industry and territory, reality and reconstruction. Smell becomes a vehicle for storytelling, transmission and shared fiction. UNBUBBLE by Unbubble is an interactive installation in which a robot explores a user s smartphone to analyze their Instagram usage. This intrusive act highlights a paradox: if it s rare to hand one s phone to a machine, we nonetheless do so every day by letting algorithms collect our data. Our online habits shape a tailor-made reality that filters, sorts, suggests, and sometimes limits our horizons. Unbubble questions how our digital traces construct a fragmented image of ourselves — one that is then used to guide our choices, desires, and attention. The installation invites us to become aware of these mechanisms and opens up a space to imagine other narratives, other ways of navigating, and other worlds to explore beyond the paths laid out by algorithms.VENUEBasel, SwitzerlandDATESFrom 14 to 18 October, 2026WEBSITEmeshfestival.ch
Trampolino for the Future,09–31.10.2026,New Galerie, Paris Trampolino for the Future is a project created for New Galerie in Paris by students of ECAL s Master Fine Arts program. Taking as its starting point the evolution of the arbitrary conventions of the group show — thematic, aesthetic, geopolitical, or generational groupings —t he exhibition poses a simple question: What can still bring together works that share neither form, subject, nor program? Here, the school serves as both a space and a temporary connection — a source of collective inventiveness — where practices, genres, and ideas develop through proximity and influence, without seeking to create unity or guarantee a sense of community. A project by students of ECAL s Master Fine Arts programDATES & OPENING TIMES09.10–31.10.2026 Tuesday–Saturday : 2:00pm–7:00pm Free entryADDRESSNew Galerie 2 Rue Borda, 75003 Paris, FranceSTUDENTSRoberta Argenta · · Mykola Churmantaiev · · Zora Decherf · Tristan Duval · · Axel Ganesh Gradito · Sophia Haid · Martin Herengt · · · · · Jana Mosconi · Olguniyaz Muhammetgulyyeva · Fotima Sharipova · CURATORS · OPENING RECEPTIONOn October 9 at 6 p.m
ECAL MASTERCLASS – Wim Wenders,05.10.2026,IKEA Auditorium, ECAL To mark the retrospective dedicated to his work by the Cinémathèque suisse, the ECAL Cinema Department is hosting German filmmaker Wim Wenders for a public discussion. Shaped by postwar Germany and a critical fascination with American culture, Wim Wenders established himself in the 1970s as one of the leading figures of the New German Cinema. With Alice in the Cities (1974), Wrong Move (1975), Kings of the Road (1976), and then The American Friend (1977), he developed a cinematic style centered on movement, landscapes, and wandering that profoundly reinvented the road movie genre. International acclaim came with Paris, Texas, which won the Palme d Or at Cannes in 1984, followed by Wings of Desire (1987). In 1991, the ambitious Until the End of the World further explored his themes of travel, imagery, and technology. With Buena Vista Social Club (1999), a massive international hit, Wenders also created one of his most iconic documentaries. More recently, Perfect Days (2023), presented in competition at Cannes — where Kōji Yakusho received the Best Actor Award — demonstrates the enduring nature and vitality of his cinema. This event is a collaboration with the Cinémathèque suisse and forms part of the first installment of a retrospective dedicated to the work of Wim Wenders. The retrospective will take place from October 6 to 31, 2026. The director will be present on October 6 at the Capitole Cinema at 8:00pm for a screening of The State of Things (1982). In collaboration with the Cinémathèque suisse. Discussion moderated by Paolo Moretti. Crédit photo © Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles TimesDATE & TIME05.10.2026 6:00pm Free entryVENUEIKEA Auditorium ECAL Avenue du Temple 5 1020 RenensHEAD OF PROGRAMPARTNERCinémathèque suisse
Productivity as an Aesthetic Object Online Audiovisual Representations of “Fast Work”, 2013-2025 This research project aims to investigate the variations in the representations of productivity, as they appear in Youtube compilation videos associated in titles with the word Fast Work , from 2013 to 2025, based on a multi-disciplinary study. These audio-visual practices are studied with and through the context of the current mode of production and its economic realities, its international division of work between immaterial/material, waged/informal working conditions, its structurally low productivity rates in the very sectors in which feature in these videos, that is to say, so-called low-skilled, precarious production or service sector jobs. At stake within these representations lies a multimodal mediated look and earshot: individuals watching and listening to individuals work. By linking film studies, sound studies, cultural studies, online data analysis and socio-semiotic analysis, it examines these practices not as isolated objects, but as the results of an interconnection between the subjects who feature in them, those who produce them, those who edit them and those who consume them. The project investigates the manners in which the relationship at play in our source material generates contemporary representations of what work.Principal investigatorThibault WalterResearch teamDimitri de Preux Julien Mercier Pierre Nicolas Oberhauser Anna-Marija Adomaityte François BovierPeriod01.06.2026–31.05.2030Funded byFonds National Suisse pour la recherche scientifique (FNS)
FWD – Improvisations,03.10–14.11.2026,CIRCUIT - Centre d art contemporain The exhibition, result of the Vibrations Forward research project, delves into the archives of the Swiss magazine Vibrations, published in Lausanne from 1991 to 2013. A collaboration with CIRCUIT Contemporary Art Center and the On The Vibe association. The result of a year-long research project conducted at ECAL, the exhibition FWD – Improvisations brings together numerous archival documents from the Vibrations magazine (photographs, films, paintings, posters, vinyl album covers, etc.), placed in dialogue with contemporary works. These juxtapositions reveal connections between different eras, practices, and sensibilities, while opening up a space for reflection on the ways in which musical cultures are constructed, circulated, and transformed. An exhibition featuring Francis Baudevin and in partnership with the On the Vibe association. The publication, which is the result of the research project, is available on the ECAL shop.
ECAL MASTERCLASS – Richard Linklater,30.09.2026,IKEA Auditorium, ECAL The ECAL Cinema Department is hosting Richard Linklater, a leading figure in contemporary American cinema, for a masterclass open to the public. Capable of moving from independent film to mainstream comedy, from musicals to animation, Richard Linklater has, for more than thirty years, been developing a body of work deeply rooted in American culture, in which formal experimentation remains inseparable from a great freedom of tone. Born in Texas in 1960, Richard Linklater established himself in the early 1990s as one of the key figures in American independent cinema. With Slacker (1990) and then Dazed and Confused (1993) — which became a defining film of a generation — he crafted a cinematic style attuned to groups, conversations, and the passage of time, while revitalizing the forms of the American coming-of-age narrative. This artistic exploration runs through the "Before" trilogy — Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013) — which follows the same characters over nearly twenty years and makes duration and dialogue the very fabric of the narrative. It finds another form of culmination in Boyhood (2014), filmed over twelve years with the same cast, a unique exploration of aging, childhood, and the transformation of the body. This event is a collaboration with the Cinémathèque suisse and is part of a retrospective dedicated to the work of Richard Linklater. The retrospective runs from September 23 to October 31, 2026. Following his masterclass at ECAL, the Cinémathèque suisse will host the director on September 30 at 8:30pm for a screening of his latest film, Blue Moon (Berlinale, 2005). The filmmaker will also present Boyhood on October 1 at 8:00pm. In collaboration with the Cinémathèque suisse. Discussion moderated by Paolo Moretti. Photo credits © Vicente ParedesDATE & TIME30.09.2026 06:00pm Free entryVENUEIKEA Auditorium ECAL Avenue du Temple 5 1020 RenensHEAD OF PROGRAMPARTNERCinémathèque suisse
ECAL × Victorinox : Design Talk,29.09.2026,The Resident, Zurich As part of the collaboration between ECAL and Victorinox, this roundtable discussion explores the legacy of the Swiss cutlery brand and how its values can be embraced by contemporary designers. Representatives from the fields of design, industry, and education will explore how stribg design principles continue to inspire professionals in the field, as well as the essential role of craftsmanship and innovation. GUESTS Yvonne Fischer Chief Product Officer, Victorinox Denisse Riner Head of Design Strategy, Victorinox Industrial and Product Designer Project Lead, ECAL Moderation : Marina Villa Conference in english Register at pressoffice.hq@victorinox.comDATE & TIMETuesday, September 29, 2026 6:00 PMLOCATIONThe Resident Kreuzstrasse 24 8008 Zurich
ECAL × Point Bleu — Multiverse,26.09–16.10.2026,Point Bleu, Chavannes-près-Renens As part of a collaboration with the Point Bleu, students in the Foundation Year were invited to imagine their own worlds and bring them to life through images using secondhand objects. The multiverse refers to the hypothetical set of all possible universes, including our own. It is conceived as a plurality of parallel worlds or distinct regions of the space-time continuum. In this exhibition at Le Point Bleu, each student explores the concept of the multiverse by choosing a unique approach to construct their own space. Through portraits, staged scenes or still lifes, the everyday objects they have selected are transformed into poetic and surprising visual narratives. The result of a project led by , this work is presented as a patchwork that brings their different worlds together.DATES & OPENING TIMESExhibition opening Friday September 25, 2026, 5:30pm 26.09–16.10.2026 Tuesday–Friday: 9:30–12:00am, 1:00–6:00pm Satudray: 10:00am–5:00pm Closed on Sunday and Monday Free entryADDRESSPoint Bleu Avenue de la Gare 31, 1022 Chavannes-près-RenensSTUDENTSSébastien Bard · Simon Boillod · Théa Cipolat Mis · Alyssia Heizmann · Guillem Jehouda · Sofiia Krepets · Gawad Mancini-Fahim · Malika Schwob · Mia Stauffacher · Maria Villegas PrietoPROFESSOR
Victorinox x ECAL In collaboration with the renowned cutlery brand, students from the Bachelor in Industrial Design drew inspiration from the iconic Swiss Army Knife to create original and innovative concepts. What happens when an icon inspires a new generation of designers? Taking the design principles of the Original Swiss Army Knife as a starting point, students from the Bachelor in Industrial Design developed original concepts adapted to contemporary lifestyles. DISCOVER THE FINALISTS Five projects have been shortlisted, each offering its own interpretation of the design principles underlying the original Swiss Army Knife. VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE PROJECT From September 15 to 30, 2026, vote online for your favorite design! Check back on October 5, 2026, to see the results. SET – Swiss Eating Tools A compact cutlery kit that makes meals on the go cleaner and more convenient. Practical, durable and easy to carry, it is designed for everyday use wherever you eat. By Noa A collection of lightweight padlocks with adaptable straps inspired by macramé. Designed to secure everyday belongings with a balance of strength, flexibility and comfort. By Card Case A durable stainless steel case that protects a deck of playing cards while celebrating the moments of connection they create. A simple object designed to accompany everyday rituals for years to come. By Whisp A discreet emergency whistle inspired by jewellery. Designed to be worn every day, it offers a reliable way to attract attention when it matters most. By ZOoM A versatile bag that expands or contracts in seconds thanks to a simple sliding mechanism. One adaptable solution designed to keep pace with changing everyday needs. By