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 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
The RATS Song,29.05.2026, 18:00,Cinéma Bellevaux As part of the "No Sound: Sound Reflection" class of the Fine Arts Bachelor, students present an evening of concerts, performances and talks. Thibault Walter s class, “No Sound: Sound Reflection,” aims to provide a framework for reflecting on the uses of sound and listening in art. This event invites a dialogue with the Bellevaux cinema, whose stage and sound design make it an ideal setting for storytelling. All our thanks to our partners at Bellevaux. Without trying to recruit anyone, without casting a wide net, we re shaking up our activities, drawing on our inspiRATions, and offering you a delicious RATatouille — an original tReAT. An evening of concerts, performances, talks, and other fun exTRAs at the Cinéma Bellevaux on May 29. Be sure to stop by.DATE & TIMES29 May 2026 6pm – 12am Free entryVENUECinéma Bellevaux Route Aloys-Fauquez 4, 1018 LausanneSTUDENTS· Deborah Baumgartner · Tuline Bevilacqua · · · Clara Estevarena · · Enora Fallet · · · Chloé Geoffroy Lamartine · · Adèle Linder · Raquel Ramos Pinto · · · PROFESSOR
Cristallina x ECAL at Design Days,28–31.05.2026,La Rasude, Lausanne For the Design Days 2026, ECAL presents a selection of projects from its collaboration with Cristallina Design, focusing on a rare material: the only marble quarried in Switzerland. Initiated in 2023, the relationship with Cristallina Design offered students of the Master of Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship the opportunity to discover Switzerland s only marble quarry, located at an altitude of over 1,200 metres in the Ticino mountains. The accessories and outdoor furniture resulting from this partnership are directly inspired by Swiss traditions and the unique properties of the material, formed millions of years ago from ancient marine corals. Each block, bearing a unique geological memory, gives rise to unique pieces, part of a sustainable vision of luxury where the material becomes memory and design becomes experience. These creations will be showcased at Design Days 2026, an annual event offering an immersive experience in contemporary design through a diverse program featuring exhibitions, installations, workshops, and educational activities. Image © Albane Durand VielDATES & OPENING TIMES28–31 May 2026 Thursday 28 May : 6:00pm–10:00pm Friday 29 May : 12:00pm–8:00pm Saturday 30 May : 10:00am–8:00pm Sunday 31 May : 10:00am–6:00pmWEBSITEdesigndays.chVENUELa Rasude Place de la Gare 1 1003 Lausanne
ECAL at the Festival des Cabanes,20.05–28.09.2026,Villa Médicis, Rome For the 2026 Festival des Cabanes, ECAL is presenting an installation in collaboration with Mutina and French designer Ronan Bouroullec. For its fifth edition, the Festival des Cabanes brings together six original creations and a multi-disciplinary artistic program, at the crossroads of architecture and landscape. The idea of the hut is the starting point for a dialogue between architects, artists, designers and landscape architects around various concerns, such as sustainability and the coexistence of natural and man-made environments. On this occasion, ECAL Master Product Design and Mutina present Façade, a project in which a single wall becomes architecture, transforming a fragment into a real space that reshapes its surroundings — casting a shadow, offering a place to pause, and carving out a new passage through the landscape. The installation draws inspiration from the pictorial practice of trompe-l œil, which originated in antiquity and was reinvented during the Renaissance. Trompe-l œil, meaning "to fool the eye", aims to blur the line between reality and illusion. Façade perpetuates this Roman tradition further by questionning the boundary between surface and depth through chromatic variations, as well as the repetition of a subtly modulated elementary motif. The project was selected and supported by French designer Ronan Bouroullec.
ECAL A Typographic Atlas in Paris: exhibition, book and conference,19–27.05.2026,Program/me, Paris As part of the presentation of ECAL A Typographic Atlas at Program/me, the launch of the exhibition s book, as well as a conference with typographers, teachers, researchers, and publishers, will also take place. Conceived as a travelling exhibition, ECAL A Typographic Atlas reflects ECAL s long-standing commitment to contemporary graphic and type design. The project presents a wide selection of 300 typefaces created by ECAL s Type Design Master and Graphic Design Bachelor students from around the world. The exhibition is structured around a single indexing approach, reflected in a modular display system designed by Adrien Rovero . Typography is treated here as a practice that is visual, cultural, and linguistic at once. Produced by and Eurostandard, and published by Empire Books, the 536-page book unfolds like a vast map covering the entire spectrum of contemporary typographic genres. Previous stops Turin – Circolo del Design Leipzig – HGB Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Next stops New York – The Cooper Union Montreal – UQAM Los Angeles – HMCT Gallery Lausanne – ECAL Tokyo – SKWAT Kameari Art Centre and more to come...DATES & OPENING TIMES19.05–27.05.2026 Wednesday–Saturday 2:00pm–6:00pm Free entryADDRESSProgram/me 6 bis rue des Récollets, 75010 Paris, FranceHEADS OF PROGRAMS, CONFERENCETypographic Atlas: Designing, Exhibiting, and Distributing Typefaces Tuesday 26 May, 2026, 6:30pm Musée des Arts Décoratifs In the presence of : Empire Books : Sacha Léopold and François Havegeer ECAL Master Type Design : , head of program and , type designer Eurostandard : , graphic designer Ornamental & Title Type foundry : , type designer BookingBOOK LAUNCH & EXHIBITION OPENINGTuesday 19 May, 2026 6:00pmRELATED EVENTS
ECAL and the Swiss Pavilion at Biennale di Venezia 2026 At the 61st Venice Biennale, the Swiss Pavilion presents The Unfinished Business of Living Together, an exhibition conceived by a collective that includes Yul Tomatala, a graduate of ECAL s Bachelor s program in Photography, and Miriam Laura Leonardi, a faculty member in the Bachelor s program in Visual Arts. The exhibition The Unfinished Business of Living Together explores the concept of "vivre-ensemble" through the lens of approaches and perspectives about tolerance and belonging, as well as various forms of social division. Inspired by the program "Telearena," broadcast on Swiss television in 1978, the project uses homosexuality as a historical entry point to examine how social norms determine who is permitted to speak, revealing broader dynamics regarding the possibilities and tensions inherent to "vivre-ensemble." By revisiting and reproducing the formal structures of television programs, the exhibition uses montage and installation to raise questions related to media infrastructures. Through art, it also reactivates the archives as a space for debate and active engagement. The exhibition was conceived by curators Gianmaria Andreetta and Luca Beeler, in collaboration with artist Nina Wakeford, and developed with artists Miriam Laura Leonardi, Lithic Alliance, and Yul Tomatala. is a Geneva-based artist who holds a Bachelor Photography from ECAL and a Master s degree in Visual Arts from HEAD. His installations combine sculptural elements, photography, and video to explore the interplay between space and image. Conceived in relation to architecture, his works highlight the entropy of a problematic modernity and address various themes related to Western social constructs, particularly their relationship to collective and personal memory. , who studied photography at GOBELINS (Paris) and earned a Master in Fine Arts from the Zurich University of the Arts, is a faculty member at ECAL for the Bachelor Visual Arts. The Unfinished Business of Living Together. Gianmaria Andreetta, Luca Beeler, Yul Tomatala, Miriam Laura Leonardi, Lithic Alliance, Nina Wakeford © Del LaGrace VolcanoDATES & OPENING TIMESFrom May 9 to November 22, 2026 May to September: 11:00am–7:00pm October to November: 10:00am–6:00pm Closed on Mondays, except May 11, June 1, September 7, and November 16VENUEVenice Biennale Swiss Pavilion Giardini della Biennale di Venezia Venice, ItalyWEBSITElabiennale.org
Marvin Merkel and Noa Epars film at 2026 Cannes Film Festival Congratulations to Marvin Merkel, graduate of ECAL s Bachelor Photography, and Noa Epars on the selection of their film Always Wanted to Be God, Never Wanted to Do Good for the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The Bachelor s thesis film by HEAD student Noa Epars, co-directed with , graduated with an ECAL Bachelor Photography, will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Cinef selection. This year, in this category dedicated to films made by film schools students from around the world, 19 short films were selected from over 2,450 submissions. At the intersection between fiction, documentary, and experimental cinema, this short film revisits acts of vandalism committed in 2009 by mountain guide Patrick Bussard, who sawed down a cross in the Fribourg Alps and was severely punished by the courts. Always Wanted To Be God, Never Wanted To Do Good won the "Best Swiss Film 2025" award at the Winterthur International Short Film Festival, as well as the "SSA/Suissimage Young Talent Award 2026" at the Solothurn Film Festival, and was screened at the Tampere Film Festival in Finland. "On the summits of Swiss mountains, Christian crosses stand tall. In the cities, billboards displaying Bible verses occupy public space. We have never felt comfortable with the presence of these religious symbols." Film screening 21.05.2026, 11:00am, Buñuel Theatre Palais des Festivals et des Congrès Cannes, France @marvmerkel @noaepars Visual © Marvin Merkel
New leadership for the Bachelor and Master Photography In keeping with the legacy of Milo Keller, whose passing deeply affected the school, Calypso Mahieu and Clément Lambelet have been appointed to lead ECAL s Photography programmes. As of the 2026–2027 academic year, will head the Bachelor Photography, while will take on leadership of the Master Photography. Both bring in-depth knowledge of the programmes, having contributed to and supported them at various levels in recent years. A graduate of ECAL s Bachelor Photography in 2016, Calypso Mahieu has since developed an independent photography practice recognised in Switzerland and internationally. Alongside her artistic work, she began teaching within the Bachelor programme in 2019, became Artistic Deputy in 2022, and has been serving as interim head since January 2026. Her background, rooted in both practice and pedagogy, positions her ideally to support students in developing their vision and approach. An artist and educator, Clément Lambelet earned a Bachelor Photography from ECAL in 2016 and holds a Master Fine Arts from EDHEA since 2024. His work, exhibited in Switzerland and internationally, explores contemporary transformations of the image, particularly in the era of digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Alongside his artistic practice, he conducts research and is notably involved in the Soft Photography project, which investigates new forms and materialities of the image in the computational age. He has been actively involved in teaching at ECAL for several years, particularly at the Master level, where he has served as Artistic Deputy since 2022. These appointments reflect a commitment to strengthening the pedagogical foundations of the Bachelor and reinforcing the positioning of the Master in relation to current issues in photography. They also open new perspectives for developing the programmes, supporting transformations of the medium, and enhancing their visibility on both national and international stages.
Changes in Leadership for the Design Programs After over than ten years as head of the Bachelor Industrial Design, Stéphane Halmaï-Voisard will hand over responsibility for the program to Camille Blin, director of the Master Product Design program. Since 2014, has made a decisive contribution to the development of the Bachelor Industrial Design program, strengthening its educational foundations and and guiding numerous generations of students. He will continue his involvement at ECAL as a faculty member in the Bachelor Industrial Design. Starting with the 2026–2027 academic year, will take over as head of the Bachelor Industrial Design, while continuing in his role as head of the Master Product Design, a position he has held since 2017. In this capacity, he will be supported by and , the respective artistic directors of the Bachelor and the Master, who will continue in their roles within the programs. An ECAL graduate and teacher within the Bachelor Industrial Design program for over ten years, Camille Blin has an in-depth knowledge of the curriculum and has guided numerous students in the development of their projects, notably in the context of prestigious collaborations. These changes strengthen the coherence and complementarity between the Bachelor and the Master, while affirming their respective distinctiveness within the design field.
ECAL at Mapping Festival 2026,07–17.05.2026,Geneva On the occasion of the Mapping Festival 2026, ECAL presents the ECAL 360 LAB for the third consecutive year. DATES & SCHEDULEECAL 360 LAB 09.05.2026 2:30pm / 5:00pm / 7:30pm / 10:30pm 10.05.2026 2:30pm / 5:00pm / 7:30pm Duration: 30 min. Festival 07.05–17.05.2026ADRESSESyllepse Jardin des Nations 2, Route des Morillons 1202 GenèveSITE INTERNETmappingfestival.comRESPONSABLE DU PROGRAMMEECAL 360 LAB The ECAL 360 LAB takes over Syllepse, the cistern at the Jardin des Nations, to present a series of immersive projects that explore representation and the viewer s role in a 360° sequence. The projects, created by Bachelor Media & Interaction students, focus on the connection between moving images, visual effects, rhythm, and immersion. Projects Vision of Self by & Memory Pieces by & Memory Arc by & Melodica by & Dream Landscapes by & Orbit Trash by & Psychemorphosis by , & What Lies Behind by Image: Melodica, Léon Bonnet & Blendi Mazreku
ECAL MASTERCLASS – Alain Gomis,07.05.2026,IKEA Auditorium, ECAL On the occasion of the Swiss release of his latest feature film, Dao, the Cinema Department at ECAL is hosting French-Senegalese director Alain Gomis for a masterclass. Born in Paris in 1972, Alain Gomis is a Franco-Senegalese filmmaker. He studied art history and film at the Sorbonne University, where he earned his master s degree. Through video workshops, he initially produced several documentaries focusing on the experiences of young people from immigrant backgrounds, a recurring theme in his subsequent filmography. In 1999, Alain Gomis directed Tourbillons, which was notably screened at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and the African Film Festival in New York. L Afrance, his first feature film, won the Silver Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival in 2001. He also directed Petite lumière (2003), Ahmed (2006), Aujourd hui (Berlinale 2012, official competition), and Félicité (2017, Berlinale, Toronto International Film Festival). Dao, his latest film, was selected for the official competition at the Berlinale in 2026. It was also screened at the 57th edition of the Visions du Réel festival in Nyon. Discussion moderated by .DATE & TIME07.05.2026 5:00pm Free entryVENUEAuditoire IKEA ECAL Avenue du Temple 5 1020 RenensHEAD OF PROGRAMSCREENINGDao: Screening with the director in attendance Wednesday 6 May, 7:00pm Cinéma CityClub Pully Avenue de Lavaux 36, 1009 Pully
Portfol.io Hello World! Goodbye predictable, standardized and interchangeable web. Students questioned the conventions of the digital World, explored the Wide possibilities of the medium, and even invented new approaches to interact with the Web. And what better way to give web design meaning than through the students own portfolios, understood as expressions of attitude and personality. https://websites.ecal-mid.ch/ Website website website website website website website website website website
Symposium – Don t Die Now! : Cinema & artificial intelligences,05–06.05.2026,Auditoire IKEA, ECAL This two-day symposium is part of a research project by the Cinema Department at ECAL focusing on the impact of artificial intelligence on cinema. Artificial intelligence technologies are now playing an increasingly prominent role in discourse, as well as in creation practices, production and distribution of works, and in film education. This symposium therefore aims to shed light on the potential and challenges of these tools in order to understand how to use them — or decide not to — in full awareness, and to explore critical perspectives or possible alternative models. Discussions will also address the ethical and environmental issues raised by their development. This inaugural meeting will bring together film professionals and researchers to collectively reflect on the transformations brought about by these new tools. Directors, producers, screenwriters, historians and philosophers will share their experiences of how AI — whether analytical or generative — is transforming and sometimes disrupting the film production chain, and how they are adapting to it. These two days of presentations and discussions were conceived as the starting point for a research project led by the Cinema Department at ECAL. Three practical trials will follow from autumn 2026 onwards, with the aim of drawing lessons and making recommendations regarding the use of these tools. The trials and their results will be presented at a second symposium in spring 2027.Roberto Beragnoli, Florence Director, artist, and educator. He explores contemporary practices in design and digital technology and is currently producing a feature-length documentary created entirely by AI. Gilles Gaillard, Paris Director of Photography and former director of MIKROS (2013–2020). Founder and partner of the NIN9E Studio investment fund, he served as chair of the CNC s "Commission modernisation de l appareil de production". Andrea Gatopoulos, Rome Director, founder of Il Varco Cinema and the distribution company Gargantua Films, as well as the international residency program Nouvelle Bug dedicated to avant-garde cinema. He has taught at Stanford, the Doha Film Institute, and TorinoFilmLab. Philippe Lasry, Paris Screenwriter and Head of the Screenwriting Department at FEMIS (Paris). Alice Leroy, Paris Film historian and critic at Cahiers du Cinéma, specializing in contemporary imagery. She analyzes the aesthetic and political issues posed by technology, particularly AI. André Ourednik, Lausanne Philosopher, geographer, and science fiction author. His work lies at the intersection of the social sciences and fiction, exploring territories and data systems. Nicolas Saada, Paris Screenwriter and director of several feature films, including Espion(s) (2009) and Taj Mahal (2015), he is also a film critic. Eva Thelisson, Lausanne Executive director and co-founder of the AI Transparency Institute. She holds a Ph.D. in law focusing on data protection in the digital age. She has earned the CAIDP certification in AI policy. , Lausanne She studied law before pursuing a degree in photography at ECAL. Morgane Baffier, Paris Artist. Her work explores the nature of social media and the production of contemporary images, as well as the political and aesthetic issues surrounding digital technologies.FULL PROGRAMTuesday, May 5 9am · Welcome 9:15am · Lecture Andrea Gatopoulos: Wearing Anti-AI Shoes 10am · Experience feedback Nicolas Saada: What I learn with AI 11am · Lecture André Ourednik: AI Geographies Break 1:30pm · Lecture Eva Thelisson: Towards AI transparency 2:15pm · Experience feedback Shiny Vallenas: Fluids confusion 3:15pm · Roundtable: AI in the creative process — what s the point? with Andrea Gatopoulos, Philippe Lasry, André Ourednik, Nicolas Saada, Shiny Vallenas 5pm · End Wednesday, May 6 9am · Experience feedback Philippe Lasry: Practice and teaching of screenwriting in the age of AI 9:45am · Lecture Roberto Beragnoli: Non Existent Studio 10:45am · Lecture Gilles Gaillard: What are AIs made of? Break 1:30pm · Lecture Alice Leroy: Ecological approaches to AI 2:15pm · Performed lecture Morgane Baffier: Lecture on A(m)I 3:15pm · Roundtable: How to Build Connections with AI? with Morgane Baffier, Roberto Beragnoli, Gilles Gaillard, Eva Thelisson, Shiny Vallenas 5pm · EndBOOKINGRegistration formDATES05–06.05.2026VENUEAuditoire IKEA, ECAL Avenue du Temple 5 1020 RenensHEAD OF RESEARCH PROJECTBenoît Rossel
ECAL Conferences – Parasonic,30.04–04.05.2026,Espace Sébeillon, Lausanne As part of the Parasonic : the transmission of fugitive aural practices research project, ECAL s Fine Arts Bachelor proposes two public events. The research project Parasonic: transmission of fugitive aural practices examines the hegemonic mechanisms of racialisation at work in listening practices within art, music and everyday life. As part of this research, and are presenting a PARA-program, a think tank conceived as both a temporary space for dialogue and a forum for collective reflections. From April 27 to May 5, it brings together several invited artists and researchers for public talks and workshops. In this first iteration, DSoñ Gehwa, Sandra Jean Pierre, Taylor L. Lemelle, Chooc Ly Tan and Dominique White will lead discussions, workshops, and listening sessions. DATES & TIMES30 April 2026, 6pm: Dominique White, Chooc Ly Tan & Soñ Gehwa 5 May 2026, 6pm: Sandra Jean Pierre & Taylor LeMelle Free entry 4 May 2026, 9am–5pm: Workshops with Sandra Jean Pierre / Taylor LeMelle Free entry, by registration: parasonic@ecal.chVENUEEspace Sébeillon Halle de Sébeillon Rue de Genève 101-103, 1003 LausanneADDITIONAL INFORMATIONvisioncreationnewsound.chRESEARCH TEAMRachel Bolle Nora Hofer With the support of the Design and Visual Arts Competence Network of HES-SO.
The Mechanics of Cinema in the Age of Artificial Intelligence This research project by the Film Department at ECAL aims to assess the impact of artificial intelligence on cinema and film education. Artificial intelligence technologies are now playing an increasingly prominent role in discourse, as well as in the creation, production and distribution of works, and in film education. This recherche project therefore aims to shed light on the potential and challenges of these tools, in order to understand how to use them – or decide not to – in full awareness, and to explore critical perspectives or possible alternative models. Discussions will also address the ethical and environmental issues raised by their development.Principal investigatorBenoît RosselResearcherAlice LeroyPeriod1.02.2026–30.06.2027Supported byHES-SO – Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (RCDAV)Lecturers and researchers Morgane Baffier, Artist, Paris Roberto Beragnoli, Director, Florence Gilles Gaillard, Director of Photography and former director of Mikros. Partner at the NIN9E Studio investment fund, Paris Andrea Gatopoulos, Director, Rome Philippe Lasry, Screenwriter and Head of the Screenwriting Department at FEMIS, Paris Alice Leroy, Film historian and critic at Cahiers du Cinéma, Paris André Ourednik, Researcher and science fiction author, Lausanne Nicolas Saada, Screenwriter and director, Paris Eva Thelisson, Executive director and co-founder of the AI Transparency Institute, Lausanne Shiny Vallenas, Photographer (ECAL graduate), Lausanne AssistantOlivia Capol