ECAL Open Day,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 8.30am – 5pm Free entryADDRESSECAL/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 PROGRAMcoming soon
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: , a student in the Industrial Design Bachelor program, and , a student in the Type Design Master program. Inspired by the rural roots of La Ferme des Tilleuls, the artistic duo propose an exhibition that blurs the lines between human and animal, encouraging us to rethink the ties that bind us. With a touch of humor and a critical eye, the creations presented highlight the often disconcerting interactions between our respective worlds. Through objects and photographs, the exhibition questions the artificial transformation of natural elements, recalling our common origin.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
ECAL at Paris Photo: WARMER VISIONS,14–24.11.2025,Paris Visit WARMER VISIONS at Paris Photo 2025, an exhibition inspired by Moncler s alpine heritage interpreted by ECAL Bachelor Photography students. Drawing inspiration from Moncler s alpine heritage, enduring style, and technical mastery, ECAL Bachelor Photography students crafted their own interpretation of the brand s visual language, blending documentary photography and staging, reality and fiction, under the artistic direction of French photographer . As part of Paris Photo 2025, the students work is presented at Moncler s Champs-Élysées store. The exhibition is open to the public from 14 to 24 November during store hours.ADDRESSMoncler Paris Champs-Elysées 119, Avenue des Champs-Elysées 75008 ParisDATESNovember 14 to 24, 2025 during the store s opening hours Monday to Saturday 10:30 am–7:45 pm Sunday 11 am–6:45 pm Free entryARTISTIC DEPUTYSTUDENTS · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ADJOINT ARTISTIQUE
INNOVATION BY DESIGN 2025,12.11.2025,ECAL, Renens Immerse yourself in innovation and design during an inspiring evening organized by the Municipality of Renens as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, on November 12 at ECAL. This event will be an opportunity to discover how collaboration with designers can transform ideas into concrete projects and contribute to the success of businesses. PROGRAM 6pm Welcome address by Jean-François Clément, Mayor of Renens La valeur du design dans une startup Rencontre entre Melvin Haas, fondateur et CEO d Isochronic, et François Lafortune, designer industriel Collaborer pour transformer : la puissance du design Maxime Zenderoudi, directeur artistique de micasa 7pm Cocktail reception Free admission upon registration: register
Vibrations Forward Based on archives and experiences associated with Vibrations (1991–2013), this research analyses how the magazine s textual, graphic and photographic content provides insight into the challenges of communicating about popular music today. An idiosyncratic and transversal magazine Vibrations was a Franco-Swiss magazine devoted to popular music, created in Lausanne in July 1991 by Pierre-Jean Crittin and Elisabeth Stoudmann. Until it ceased publication in 2013, it remained a beautiful object, innovative both in terms of its artistic direction (hand-painted titles, full-page photographs, and illustrations) and its editorial content. Unique in the French-speaking world at the time, the magazine was not limited to a specific style or genre. From the influences of jazz on hip-hop to the transitions from blues and gospel to RnB and the echoes of African traditions in EDM, the editorial line offered retrospectives and reports that provided a framework for understanding the world through its musical cultures. Cultural (in)visibility and emerging scenes In the 1990s, it was very rare to see black or non-white bodies in the French-language media, and Vibrations is a unique example of bringing minorities to the spotlight. Full-page portraits and reports from American and French suburbs, the Louisiana bayou and the Sahel gave a voice to artists and communities that were invisible. By focusing on black music, world music and emerging scenes, Vibrations documented the emergence of many trends that dominate the music industry today. This was particularly true of hip-hop, which at the time was largely ignored by the French-language press and music industry. Analysing the magazine s pages offers a rare opportunity to decode the changes in systems of representation linked to racial and sexual identities at the turn of the millennium. A media ecosystem to explore Access to the archives — which have been scanned as part of this project — provides an opportunity to examine the evolution of the music publishing industry with the advent of the internet. This research-creation aims to show how Vibrations constitutes a “media ecosystem” connecting Western Switzerland to other music scenes, and how musical tastes are constructed through mediation and collective practices. It revolves around three themes: a) provide a historical and sociological analysis of the evolution of musical tastes and graphic styles in French-speaking Switzerland between 1990 and 2010; b) highlight the contributions of Vibrations magazine to French-language (music) media, particularly with regard to the representation of racial and sexual identities; c) identify the influence of technological changes on the music press with the rise of digital media and the decline of print media.Principal investigatorJoël VacheronResearch teamAngelo Benedetto Olympe Boutaghane Elisabeth Stoudmann Françis BaudevinPeriod01.09.2025-30.08.2026Funded byHES-SO, Réseau de Compétences Design et Arts Visuels RCDAVPartnerCIRCUIT Centre d art contemporain
FALL WORKSHOP LECTURES,03–12.11.2025,IKEA Auditorium, ECAL As part of the Bachelor program workshop weeks, ECAL will host international artists and designers from November 3 to 12, 2025, to present their work. PROGRAM Monday 3 November 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm Verena Panholzer, Graphic Designer, Vienna-Austria Douglas Mandry, Artist, Zurich-Switzerland Geoff Han, Graphic Designer, New York-USA Tuesday 4 November 2025, 1:00pm-1:40pm Maisie Cousins, Photographer, London-UK NORM, Graphic Design, Zurich-Switzerland Monday 10 November 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm Irene Pereyra, Interaction Designer, Barcelona-Spain Yvonne Lebien, Performance Artist, New York-USA Logitech, Lausanne-Switzerland Tuesday 11 November 2025, 1:00pm-1:40pm Rúri, Artist, Reykjavík-Iceland Shitty Rigs, Filmmaker, Ohio-USA Wednesday 12 November 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm On Running, Design, Switzerland Mélanie Courtinat, Game Designer, Paris-France K. Desbouis, Artist, Lisbon-PortugalVisuals: Alice Gillioz and Léa VerbouxDATES & SCHEDULES3–12.11.2025 1:00pm–2:00pm Free entry Catering available on siteVENUEAuditoire IKEA ECAL/Ecole cantonale d art de Lausanne Avenue du Temple 5 1020 Renens
ECAL at GIFF Festival 2025,31.10–09.11.2025,Geneva From 31 October to 9 November, ECAL will be present at the GIFF Festival 2025. 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 31st edition, the Bachelor Media & Interaction Design will be present with: Winning project GIFF 2025 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.VENUEGenève, SuisseDATESFrom 31 Octobre to 9 November, 2025HEAD OF PROGRAMMEWEBSITEgiff.chÉTUDIANT·E·S
EXHIBITION ECAL DIPLOMAS 2025,30.10–05.12.2025,ECAL, Renens From 31 October to 5 December, ECAL presents the Diploma Projects 2025. Opening on Thursday 30 October at 6 pm. ECAL puts the spotlight on its 2025 graduates. The wide variety of diploma projects is presented in an exhibition and an evening screening showcasing all our disciplines. DIPLOMA 2025 PROJECT EXHIBITION OCTOBER 31 TO DECEMBER 5, 2025 at ECAL ECAL presents a selection of Bachelor and Master 2025 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 2025 projects through descriptions, photos and videos on ecal.chDATES & SCHEDULE31.10–05.12.2025 Monday to Friday, 11 am to 6 pm Free entryVENUEECAL/Ecole cantonale d art de Lausanne Av. du Temple 5 1020 RenensOPENINGThursday 30 October at 6 pm
Screening of diploma films 2025,28.10.2025,Cinémathèque suisse, Lausanne On Tuesday October 28, the ECAL presents the graduation films of the Bachelor Cinema at the Cinémathèque Suisse. SCREENING OF THE GRADUATION FILMS Bachelor Cinema 2025 The films presented reflect a variety of identities and perspectives, ranging from fiction to documentary, family drama to investigative film, and dark fantasy. Some films were co-produced by local production companies, including PicFilm, IDIP Films, Imaginastudio, Louise Productions, and GoldenEgg Production. Some films also received support from the Federal Office of Culture (FOC), Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS), and Cinéforom. In the presence of the graduates DATES & SCHEDULETuesday, October 28, 2025 at 7:00pm Doors open at 6:30pm Free entry whitin the limits of available placesVENUECinémathèque suisse Cinéma Capitole Avenue du Théâtre 6 1005 LausanneWEBSITEcinematheque.ch
(Re-)Viewing Paik – 2025 A comparative and practice-based study on the transformative effects at play in the digital and hybrid exhibition of a body of non-digital native artworks (some artworks by artist Nam June Paik serving as a mean of understanding). This research project builds on a previous study that produced a prototype of a hybrid exhibition (physical and digital) featuring electronic artworks by Nam June Paik. The project undertakes a comparative analysis of this prototype and its online exhibition format for a selection of the artist s digitized works. It also examines the informal and fragmented online circulation of this corpus (e.g., fragments, low-quality copies, 3D scans) and its effects on the public reception of the artworks. The development of a new digital exhibition based on an adapted corpus promotes further learning and enables the open-access publication and dissemination of results, beyond academic audiences. In parallel, a critical taxonomy derived from a survey of past and current digital exhibitions (1993–present) provides a comparative framework for understanding forms, content, digitization processes, and modes of reception. Together, these insights equip curators, digital exhibition designers, and art historians with a critical understanding of the challenges of transposing exhibitions into networked digital environments.Principal investigatorPatrick KellerResearch teamFrançois Bovier Christian Babski Erika MarthinsAssistantMathilde CouéPeriod01.02.2024–31.01.2028Funded bySwiss National Science FoundationResearcherLívía Nolasco-Roszás
The Assembly of Writings A collective exploration of the new relations between contemporary writing and artistic practice. The Assembly of Writings is a research project conducted at ECAL / University of Art and Design Lausanne, between September 2024 and October 2025. Conceived and directed by Federico Nicolao, assisted by Valentina Parati and Alice Peach, and supported by the HES-SO, the project gathered artists, writers, philosophers, and key figures from the contemporary arts scene to examine the transformations of writing and its dialogue with the arts. Through a year of encounters, workshops, and discussions, the participants explored how writing today extends beyond its literary field to intersect with visual and performative practices. The project culminated in a collective publication, bringing together more than thirty contributions in diverse formats—texts, images, conversations, fragments— each revealing a new way of perceiving and transmitting the experience of the possible synergies between arts and writings. The Assembly of Writings positions writing as both material and gesture, an experimental field where thought and creation merge. This collective inquiry reflects ECAL s commitment to fostering new forms of knowledge at the crossroads of art, literature, and philosophy.Principal investigatorFederico NicolaoResearch teamValentina Parati Alice PeachLecturers and researchersEmmanuel Alloa, Luc Andrié, Micol Assaël, Mathias Augustyniak, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, Mariacristina Cavagnoli, Zoé Cornelius, Roberto Cuoghi, Tacita Dean, Marcelline Delbecq, Camille de Toledo, Suzanne Doppelt, Haytham El Wardany, Lucas Erin, Elein Fleiss, Linda Fregni Nagler, Mathilde Girard, Donatien Grau, Alain Guiraudie, Yannick Haenel, Koo Jeong-A, Jochen Lempert, Angèle Metzger, Stéphanie Moisdon, Gaëlle Obiegly, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Chiara Parisi, Fabienne Raphoz, Francesca Torzo, Carmen et Franco Toselli, Shirin Yousefi, Hanns ZischlerAssistantsValentina Parati Alice PeachStudents and alumniLucas Aulaigner, Francesco de Bernardi, Jean Bourgois, Lorenzo De Bellis, Francesco De Bernardi, Livia De Gumoëns, Ange Frédéric Koffi, Taleb Lacheb, Asia Lapai, Paul R. Levante, Mélody Lu, Marta Morandini, Ludovico OrombelliFunded byHES-SO – Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (RCDAV)Period01.09.2024 – 31.10.2025
ECAL AT KIKK FESTIVAL 2025,23–26.10.2025,Namur, Belgium ECAL Bachelor Media & Interaction Design is taking part in the KIKK Festival 2025 in Namur (Belgium) from October 23 to 26, 2025 with a selection of projects. Students from the Bachelor Media & Interaction Design at ECAL invite you to explore a variety of projects, ranging from the creation of hyperrealistic CGI images to the design of immersive environments. Dive into s “What Lies Behind,” an immersive virtual reality experience exploring the disproportionate scales that separate us from the immense and the minuscule; or s “Get Out 4,” a puzzle game using physical game pieces that encourages players to use their powers of observation and deduction, bringing them together around a shared experience that goes beyond the screen. Through these projects and many others, ECAL students invite the public to question their perception of reality, between contemplation, wonder, and experimentation.VENUENamur, BelgiumDATESOctober 23 to 26, 2025HEAD OF PROGRAMMEWEBSITEkikk.beSTUDENTS, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ASSISTANTS, , ,
FIT Impact Grant 2025 for Lena Bernasconi Congratulations to ECAL Bachelor Industrial Design graduates Lena Bernasconi, winner of the FIT Impact Grant 2025, which rewards innovative projects at the intersection of design, sustainability, and social relevance. In a context where sustainable development and related issues have become paramount, the Foundation for Technological Innovation (FIT) is committed to supporting innovative ideas that contribute to a better future for future generations. The FIT Impact programme is aimed at young projects active in impact entrepreneurship. Deployed in collaboration with Vaud s universities and Hautes Ecoles, this programme allocates grants between CHF 10,000 and 20,000 to projects with a strong social and environmental impact. The FIT Impact Grant 2025 was awarded to for her project WWW (Women Work Wear), which rethinks workwear for women in woodworking professions—carpenters, cabinetmakers, and joiners. Designed to address standards long based on the male body, these pants provide comfort, protection, and flexibility while offering a modern and functional aesthetic. WWW embodies an inclusive approach where design becomes a tool for equality and safety in the workplace. The funding provided by the FIT Impact Grant will be used to refine the commercial strategy, protect the design, conduct textile research, and develop a pilot collection tested by users. @lenaberna fondation-fit.ch
Design for Recycling through Automation and Robotics in Apparel Accessories and Footwear This project develops design for recycling textile-based goods, one of the most damaging waste streams, using contemporary toolsets to dismantle products into pure fractions. Recycling textile-based goods after use is extremely difficult with current methods. To improve recycling outcomes, it is essential to recover pure materials—known as fractions—from post-consumer waste. However, due to the fibrous nature of textiles, mixed materials, varied constructions, flexibility, and product diversity, achieving pure fractions is nearly impossible using existing processes. As a result, the textile industry generates vast amounts of waste and significantly harms the environment, especially through its heavy reliance on virgin resources. This project develops robotic and automated tools to dismantle post-consumer textile products into pure fractions, complete with the data and traceability needed for effective material recycling. To make this possible, design and manufacturing processes must consider the constraints of automated disassembly. The systems developed are intended for adoption by large-scale producers of textile-based goods, helping to significantly reduce environmental impact. Image: Robotically disassembled material fractions. © Maxwell AshfordPrincipal investigatorMaxwell AshfordPeriod01.09.2025 - 31.08.2026Funded byBRIDGE Proof of Concept
Masterclass ECAL – JAZMÍN LÓPEZ,15.10.2025,Leenaards Auditorium, ECAL ECAL Cinema Department welcomes Argentine filmmaker and artist Jazmín López for a lecture as part of her ECAL residency at La Becque. Born in 1984 and living between New York and Buenos Aires, Jazmín López is a filmmaker and visual artist who resists labels. A multidisciplinary artist, her visual approach departs from classical narratives. By playing with cinematic devices, she moves beyond reality to explore sensation and emotion. Through a formal approach combining objects, places and temporality, she examines the history of political struggles. Recognized on the international stage, she has exhibited at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, the Fondation Pernod Ricard, the San Jose Museum of Art and Art Basel. Presented at the Venice Film Festival and the International Film Festival Rotterdam, her first feature film Leones (2012) explores the transition to adulthood. The Origin of the World (2025), her latest short film, was also selected in Venice this year. Jazmín López is an ECAL resident at La Becque during the autumn semester of 2025. Discussion moderated by Jasmin Basic, Co-head of the ECAL–HEAD Master Cinema.DATES & SCHEDULE15.10.2025 5:30 pm Free entryVENUELeenaards Auditorium, ECAL