ECAL at Solothurn Film Festival 2026,21–28.01.2026,Solothurn From January 23 to 25, four Bachelor Media & Interaction Design diploma projects will be featured in the immersive section of the 2026 Solothurn Film Festival. The 61st Solothurn Film Festival showcases four interactive projects from the Bachelor Media & Interaction Design, challenging how we perceive stories, space, and our digital lives. In UnBubble, lets a robot explore a user s Instagram activity, questioning how our digital traces construct a fragmented image of ourselves — one that is then used to guide our choices, desires, and attention. s Vulcan takes visitors into volcanic landscapes, contrasting the close-up work of a volcanologist with the fascination of the immensity of natural forces. ESC, by , explores the tension between control and constraint in virtual worlds, while What Lies Behind, by , shifts perspectives in VR to navigate between the immense and the minuscule. The festival also screens Always Wanted To Be God, Never Wanted to Do Good by Photography Bachelor alumni and Noa Epars, winners of the Award for Best Swiss Film 2025, presented by SUISSIMAGE and SSA (Société Suisse des Auteurs).VENUESolothurn, SwitzerlandDATESFrom 23 to 25 January, 2026HEAD OF PROGRAMMEWEBSITEsolothurnerfilmtage.chÉTUDIANT·E·S · · ·
ECAL XMAS MARKET 2025,17.12.2025,ECAL, Renens The ECAL XMas Market is back to light up your festive season, Wednesday 17 December from 6pm to 9pm at ECAL. The ECAL Xmas Market is back! Join us on Wednesday, 17 December, from 6pm to 9pm at ECAL for an evening of design and festive cheer. It s the perfect opportunity to support ECAL talent and find original gifts with a unique touch. You ll discover work from our students and graduates including posters, jewelry, editions, objects, photographs, silkscreens, calendars, confectionery, clothing and accessories. A panoply of unique pieces to offer or to treat yourself to! This year also features a special pop-up presentation of HOMEWORKS, a limited collection designed by students from the Bachelor of Industrial Design in collaboration with the Swiss brand Micasa. Sixteen designers have developed smart, minimalist and characterful pieces for contemporary living from which a selection will be available on site. Extend the fun by booking your place now at our Christmas dinner table to share a fondue in a festive and musical atmosphere.DATES & SCHEDULE17.12.2025 6-9pmVENUEECAL Avenue du Temple 5 1020 RenensXMAS TABLEFondue registration form CHF 22.-/per person
100 BESTE PLAKATE 24,17.12.2025–15.01.2026,Gallery l elac, ECAL From December 17, 2025, to January 15, 2026, come and see the 100 most beautiful posters of 2024 from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at ECAL. This exhibition, organized by 100 Beste Plakate, showcases the award-winning designs from the 2024 competition. Opening, Wednesday December 17 at 6 pm. VENUEGallery l elac ECAL/Ecole cantonale d art de Lausanne Avenue du Temple 5 1020 RenensDATE & SCHEDULESDecember 17 – January 15, 2026 Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm Free entryOPENINGWednesday, December 17, 2025, 6pmWEBSITE100-beste-plakate.deThe 100 Best Posters Germany Austria Switzerland competition is held annually and serves to document and disseminate exemplary achievements in poster design from the three participating countries. Through its yearbook and a series of exhibitions, it provides a curated overview of current design practices and visual communication trends. Now in its 23nd international iteration, the competition has established itself as a significant reference point within contemporary poster design. Every year, numerous graphic designers, students at art academies and universities, as well as agencies, studios, and printing companies participate in the competition. In the current edition, 711 entrants submitted a total of 1,498 works – including 1,103 individual posters and 395 series containing 1,406 posters – resulting in an overall total of 2,509 posters. Jury Adeline Mollard, CH–Zurich Anouk Rehorek, AUT–Wien Prof. Hans Günter Schmitz, D–Wuppertal Prof. Stephanie Specht, BE–Antwerp Jonas Wandeler, CH–Zurich Winning ECAL Alumni Federico Barbon chez Federico Barbon Studio Nicolas Bernklau Alix Debraine & Martial Grin Aude Gunzinger Raphaela Häfliger Robert Huber Aurore Huberty chez Shelf & File Guy Meldem, Julien Tavelli, Daniel Haettenschwiller & David Keshavjee chez Maximage Chi-Binh Trieu & Chi-Long Trieu chez Office for Typography Jonas Zesiger David Zwicker
Jan Michalski Foundation Grants 2025 The Jan Michalski Foundation and ECAL highlight the most outstanding Bachelor final-year thesis projects. On 9 December 2025, the Jan Michalski Foundation for Writing and Literature proudly highlighted its ongoing commitment to nurturing creative talent. Located in Montricher, Switzerland, the foundation brings together a writers residence, a library, an auditorium, and an exhibition hall – all dedicated to the promotion of the written word. In a continuing partnership with ECAL, the foundation awarded its 2024 grants, supporting the final-year thesis projects of students from the Bachelor programs. These scholarships are designed not only to provide financial support but also to offer emerging artists and designers greater public visibility for their work. We warmly congratulate the recipients: , graduate of Bachelor in Graphic Design – CHF 5,000 , graduate of Bachelor in Industrial Design – CHF 5,000 The laureates were celebrated at an event at the Jan Michalski Foundation, where their projects were presented.
Glass Reflections at Design Miami 2025 Bringing together craft, experimentation, and contemporary design, ECAL designers and alumni contribute to NOUVEL s Glass Reflections showcased at Design Miami 2025. The Glass Reflections exhibition, presented by NOUVEL, was selected as a special project by Glenn Adamson, Director of Curation at Design Miami, and showcased during the 20th edition of Design Miami, under the theme Make. Believe. Combining craftsmanship, experimentation, and contemporary design, this exhibition is a cross-cultural exploration of glass practices between Mexico and Switzerland. It features the following Swiss designers and graduates from ECAL: Grid – Nicolas Le Moigne A modular glass-brick system that enables a wide ange of architectural configurations. Beyond spatial solutions, it serves as a building element for creating furniture and accessories. Licorice – Dimitri Nassisi Inspired by the sweet candy of our youth. These vases draw a parallel between industrial caramel production and manual glass-shaping techniques. Isla – Julie Richoz It is a metaphor, as its name in Spanish indicates. The dot in the center represents an island with an irregular shape resulting from the artisanal process of encapsulating a pre-cut round piece. nouvel.glass
WORKSHOP - CGI WITH AREA OF WORK – 2025 The Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) Workshop is an introduction to 3D creation software that allows you to create images with photographic qualities that are not photographs. This workshop centers on the theme of “Minimal,” inviting students to explore the creative and technical foundations of contemporary CGI image-making. It emphasizes materiality and the expressive impact of reduction. Every form, light, and texture has a specific role, negative space guides the emotional tone, and fine details unify the composition.
Masterclass ECAL – Thierry De Peretti,01.12.2025,Leenaards Auditorium, ECAL The ECAL Cinema Department welcomes filmmaker Thierry de Peretti for a masterclass, offering a unique insight into his approach to cinema and storytelling. Originally from Ajaccio, Thierry de Peretti is an actor, stage director, and filmmaker. Trained at the Cours Florent, he began his career in theater, directing authors such as Koltès and Fassbinder, and received the Prix Révélation du Syndicat National de la Critique in 2001. In cinema, he is known for notable roles in Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train by Patrice Chéreau and Yves Saint Laurent by Bertrand Bonello, before turning to directing. His career as a filmmaker includes several acclaimed works: Les Apaches (Directors Fortnight 2013), Une vie violente (Critics Week 2017), Enquête sur un scandale d État (San Sebastian Film Festival 2021), and À son image (Directors Fortnight 2024). Often set in Corsica, his films depict the island s social, political, and intimate tensions with a mix of realism and poetic sensibility, confirming his position as an engaged and committed filmmaker. Thierry de Peretti has a distinctive approach to casting and acting, combining professional and non-professional actors to create a collective energy that serves the story. His direction emphasizes authenticity: performers draw on their personal connection to the story and the filmed location, enriching the narrative with a genuine emotional truth. The discussion will be moderated by , Head of ECAL Cinema Department.DATES & SCHEDULE01.12.2025 1:30 pm Free entryVENUELeenaards Auditorium, ECAL
ECAL x PAPERBOY Paperboy ECAL is the result of a close collaboration between Paperboy Magazine and first-year students of the Master Photography program. Under the guidance of photographer Charles Negre , they explored the potential of everyday objects to create mysterious and playful still lives.
ECAL at OFFPRINT Paris 2025 During Paris Photo 2025, ECAL will present a selection of its books at OFFPRINT Paris. ECAL Master Photography is pleased to present a selection of books created by its second-year students. This event offers an opportunity to engage live with the young photographers, exploring the origins of their projects and the stories behind each of these publications.
ECAL Open Day 2025,29.11.2025,ECAL, Renens ECAL opens its doors and invites you to discover its activities in the fields of Fine Arts, Cinema, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Digital Design, and Photography. ECAL opens its doors for you to discover its activities in the fields of Fine Arts, Film, Industrial Product Design, Graphic & Type Design, Media & Interaction Design and Photography. Lectures given by department heads will present our courses. Graduates will be on hand to talk about their experiences in the professional world, shedding light on career opportunities. The variety of our disciplines will be highlighted by the Diplomas 2025 exhibition, featuring editions, photographs, typography, art and interactive installations, films and objects. Activities will invite you to explore the building and its infrastructure: gallery, workshops, printing and technology centers, photo and film studios. The results of the latest works in progress will give you a glimpse of the diversity of projects created by students. Academic Service will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have about admission requirements, prerequisites and application deadlines.DATES & SCHEDULESSaturday 29 November 2025 9am – 5pm Free entry from 8.30amADDRESSECAL/Ecole cantonale d art de Lausanne Av. du Temple 5 1020 RenensCONFERENCES PROGRAM09:00am - 10:00am Foundation Year – IKEA Auditorium 10:15am - 11:00am Bachelor Graphic Design – IKEA Auditorium Bachelor Cinema – Leenaards Auditorium 11:15am - 12:00pm Bachelor Photography – IKEA Auditorium Master Cinema – Leenaards Auditorium 12:15pm - 1:00pm Bachelor Media & Interaction Design – IKEA Auditorium Master Photography – Leenaards Auditorium 1:15pm - 2:15pm Foundation Year – IKEA Auditorium Master Fine Arts – Leenaards Auditorium MAS Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship – Nussbaumer Auditorium 2:30pm - 3:15pm Bachelor Industrial Design – IKEA Auditorium Bachelor Visual Arts – Leenaards Auditorium Master Digital Experience Design – Nussbaumer Auditorium 3:30pm - 4:15pm Master Product Design – IKEA Auditorium Master Type Design – Leenaards Auditorium CAS Creative Leadership – Nussbaumer Auditorium NB: If you would like to start a course in the arts, we recommend that you attend the Propaedeutic Year lecture, as well as the Bachelor lectures in the fields that interest you.WORKSHOP & EXHIBITION PROGRAMECAL Open Day 2025 Programme (PDF)
Dark Matter – CITY OF RENENS 2025 ENCOURAGEMENT PRIZE,21.11–14.12.2025,La Ferme des Tilleuls, Renens From November 21 to December 14, Ferme des Tilleuls hosts "Dark Matter", an exhibition by Laura Cipriano and Yannick de Kalbermatten, winners of the City of Renens 2025 Encouragement Prize. The Prix d encouragement 2025 de la Ville de Renens was awarded to two emerging talents from ECAL: , student in the Industrial Design Bachelor, and , student in the Type Design Master. In Dark Matter, the two designers investigate the meeting point between rural life and industrial modernity. The exhibition reflects on how progress reshapes both materials and meaning, leaving traces of labor, warmth, and machinery in its wake. Through objects and typographic interventions, it highlights the tension between the handcrafted and the mechanical.VENUELa Ferme des Tilleuls – Le Rural Rue de Lausanne 52 CH-1020 Renens WEBSITEfermedestilleuls.chOPENINGThursday, November 20, 2025 - 6:30pmDATES & SCHEDULENovember 21 to December 14, 2025GUIDED TOURSSunday, November 23, 2025 - 2:00pm Sunday, December 7, 2025 - 2:00pm
Maisie Cuisine Book The aim of this workshop, led by photographer Maisie Cousins, is to use photography as a tool to broaden our powers of observation. During the week, students explored macro photography to create miniature and abstract worlds using everyday objects and accessories. This invites us to reflect: what else are we overlooking in our immediate environment?
ECAL Conference & Performance – Parasonic,20.11.2025,IKEA Auditorium, ECAL ECAL Bachelor Fine Arts invites you to a two-phase day as part of the Parasonic : the transmission of fugitive aural practices research project. Led by the ECAL Bachelor Fine Arts, Parasonic: transmission of fugitive aural practices research project, explores the hegemonic mechanisms of racialisation at work in listening practices in art, music, and everyday life. An event organized in collaboration with La Becque and Arsenic. Daytime 2:00 PM – Sounds of Black Switzerland. Blackness, Music and Unthought Voices (Duke University Press, 2025) : a provocative and inspiring monograph. Presentation by Jessie Cox, percussionist, composer, and professor at Harvard University. 3:00 PM – Collective study of the relationship between racialisation and listening in contemporary Switzerland. Moderated by Pamela Ohene-Nyako, founder of Afrolitt , historian of Black-European feminisms and internationalisms, and co-editor of the collective work Un/doing Race. Racialisation in Switzerland. IKEA Auditorium, ECAL Nighttime 9:30 PM – Voice and double bass performance by Fred Moten, poet, cultural theorist, author, and professor of performance studies and comparative literature at New York University, and Brandon López, a key double bassist in the New York improvisation scene. Café de l ArsenicDATES & SCHEDULE20.11.2025 Daytime 2:00 pm Nigthtime 9:30 pm, doors open one hour before Free entryVENUEDaytime IKEA Auditorium, ECAL Av. du Temple 5, 1020 Renens Nighttime Café de l Arsenic Rue de Genève 57, 1004 LausannePARTENAIRESLa Becque - résidence d artistes Arsenic - centre d art scénique contemporain
ECAL x Moncler Drawing on Moncler s Alpine heritage, its timeless style, and its technical mastery, the ECAL Bachelor Photography students developed their own interpretation of the brand s visual language, blending documentary photography with staged scenes, and merging reality with fiction, under the artistic direction of French photographer Philippe Jarrigeon. As part of Paris Photo 2025, the students work was showcased at the Moncler boutique on the Champs-Élysées.
ECAL x Polaroid Foundation This workshop brought together ECAL graduate artist Douglas Mandry, the Polaroid Foundation, and around thirty Bachelor Photography students. They had the exceptional opportunity to work with a camera that produces Polaroid films in a 40 × 60 cm format and weighs nearly 200 kg. This experience was made possible thanks to its operators, John Reuter and Harriet Browse, who introduced the students to the use of this unique device and the Polaroid Foundation team. Douglas Mandry provided the project s artistic direction and supported the students in their experiments carried out directly with and on the films. The final result was presented as a collective exhibition on ECAL s premises, revealing a particularly rich diversity of approaches and visions.