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 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
FWD – Improvisations,03.10–14.11.2026,CIRCUIT - Centre d art contemporain The exhibition, result of the Vibrations Forward 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 project, 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.
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 × 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
ECAL × Chillon — Relics of the Future,17.09.2026–24.04.2027,Château de Chillon In this exhibition organized in collaboration with the Chillon Castle, ECAL students offer a contemporary perspective on its medieval symbols. What will the traces left behind by our era look like? In this temporary exhibition, Chillon Castle invites ECAL to take a contemporary look at its rooms, objects, inscriptions and atmospheres. Students from the Bachelor Graphic Design, Media & Interaction Design and Photography, as well as the Master Type Design, explore this living heritage, capturing its forms, images, letters and motifs. From this fruitful collaboration, the students imagine "Relics of the Future" that blend heritage and innovation. Drawing on their observations of the site and historical documents, they have gathered images, shapes, materials, and references related to the castle to inform the development of their projects. Each ECAL department thus offers a different approach: "Resonating Patterns", Graphic Design Bachelor The castle s shapes, patterns, painted decorations, coats of arms, and traces serve as the starting point for printed compositions — whether fragmented or reassembled. "Life in the Castle", Photography Bachelor The spaces of Chillon are transformed into narrative scenes where characters, props, and imagined situations offer a personal interpretation of the site. "Parallel Chronicles", Media & Interaction Design Bachelor Animated sequences develop a visual universe where the past, future, and imagination interplay. "Scripta Manent", Type Design Master Through inscriptions carved in stone, students explore the letter as a trace, bridging ancient references and contemporary typography. Through these contemporary and sensitive works, created especially for the occasion, the exhibition "Relics of the Future" invites the public to rediscover Chillon Castle as a living heritage and a source of inspiration for the creators of tomorrow. Graphic design ©Gilian Cachin, Clément Rouzaud (Eurostandard)
ECAL A Typographic Atlas in Montreal,10.09–04.10.2026,UQAM, Montréal Second stop of its North American tour, the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) presents the exhibition ECAL A Typographic Atlas. Curated 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. The presentation of the exhibition in Montreal features a special collaboration with the UQAM Centre de design in the form of a site-specific installation. This 360-degree typographic projection, which unfolds across the walls of the exhibition hall, offers reflections on contemporary type design practices by giving a voice to members of the typographic community. 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 Next stops Los Angeles – HMCT Gallery Lausanne – ECAL Zurich Tokyo – SKWAT Kameari Art Centre and more to come...RELATED EVENTSADDRESSCentre de design – UQAM 1440, rue Sanguinet, Montréal, QuébecHEAD OF PROGRAMS, OPENING & ROUNDTABLEWednesday September 9, 2026 Roundtable with Étienne Aubert Bonn, type designer at Coppers and Brasses Matthieu Cortat-Roller, Head of ECAL Master Type Design Jessica Ledoux, graphic and type designer Alexandre Saumier Demers, letterer and type designer Moderated by Louise Paradis, professor, researcher, and graphic designer. 4:00pm: Doors opening for the roundtable 4:30–5:45pm: Roundtable discussion 6:00–9:00pm: Speech and exhibition openingDATES & OPENING TIMES10.09–04.10.2026 Wednesday to Sunday, 12:00am–6:00pm Free entryWEBSITEUniversité du Québec à MontréalWITH THE SUPPORT OFPrésence SuissePARTNERSwiss Consulate in Montreal
ECAL × MHL : Photo-sensible Exhibition,10.09.2026–14.03.2027,Musée Historique Lausanne As part of the Photo-sensible exhibition, dedicated to the work of photographer André Schmid, the Lausanne History Museum presents works by students of ECAL s Bachelor Photography. A remarkable testament to the work of a 19th-century photographer, the glass negatives of Lausanne-based artist André Schmid have everything it takes to captivate. Shown in a setting that highlights their expressive and timeless potential, these images charm viewers with their unique aesthetic, reminding us that, at its core, a photographic image is also a physical object. Presented alongside, the works by Léonore Baud and Olivier Jeannin, as well as the projects by students of ECAL s Bachelor Photography program, foster an inspired dialogue between past and present while creating a subtle interplay with André Schmid s work. For this exhibition, the students worked with the photographer s archives to freely develop a photography or video project centered on a recurring theme found in his body of work — such as his studio setups, portraits of his granddaughter, photographs of animals, and images of the city of Lausanne.ADDRESSMusée Historique Lausanne Place de la Cathédrale 4 1005 LausanneHEADS OF PROGRAM· EXHIBITION OPENING09.09.2026, 6:00pm With speeches by : Natacha Litzistorf, Director of Housing, the Environment and Architecture, City of Lausanne Laurent Golay, Director, MHL Diana Le Dinh, Curator, MHL Calypso Mahieu, rHead of Bachelor Photography, ECAL Felix Rauh, Deputy Director, Memoriav DATES & OPENING TIMES10.09.2026–14.03.2027 Tuesday to Sunday: 11:00am–6:00pmEVENTSECAL after Schmid: guided tours led by ECAL students Thursday, October 1, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Thursday, February 4, 2027, 5:00 p.m. Register for the tours by phone, email, or in person: +41 21 315 41 01 / musee.historique@lausanne.chWEBSITEMusée Historique LausanneSTUDENTS· · · · · · · · · · · · · · TEACHER & PROJECT LEADASSISTANT
ECAL × HELINOX — POLARIS,10–19.09.2026,Paris Design Week For Paris Design Week 2026, ECAL is collaborating with the Korean brand Helinox to create a collection of lights. Polaris, the North Star that once guided travellers, inspires this collection of lights which is presented for the first time during Paris Design Week 2026. In collaboration with Helinox, a brand specialising in ultra-lightweight and compact furniture, ECAL Bachelor Industrial Design students designed ingenious, foldable and portable lights. Made for the outdoors, yet naturally at home anywhere. Focusing primarily on the tension between technical rigour and poetic simplicity, our approach was to design lights built around Helinox s own connectors and tensioned textiles, rather than creating conventional lamps. Students explored and reinterpreted the brand s core language — its aluminium poles, spring clips, hubs and technical fabrics — imagining how light could travel with us into the wild and back home again. Based on their research, they designed a range of typologies which reimagine the camp light, an object built for necessity, giving it the presence and warmth of a true piece of lighting design. Their projects take many different forms : a clip-on flashlight that adapts to any tube diameter and swings to direct its beam up or down; a modular hub built around the sunflower connector, letting light be cast wherever it s needed, from a single accent to a full standing structure; a tensioned fabric square that clips onto camp lines to diffuse a soft, ambient glow; a floor lamp whose light module can slide to shift the intensity; a foldable bedside lamp, collapsing flat for storage; and a self-erecting lantern that pops into shape the moment it leaves its pouch, echoing the silhouette of a scout tent.DATE & OPENING TIMES10–19.09.2026 Daily : 1:00pm–7:00pm Free entryADDRESSHELINOX PARIS 79 Rue du Temple, 75003 Paris, FranceSTUDENTS· · · · · · PROJECT LEADCOLLABORATION PARTNERhelinox.com @helinoxECAL EDUCATIONAL TEAM· · · · EXHIBITION SCENOGRAPHYOPENING &TALKThursday September 10, 2026 4:00–5:00pm: Talk Guilhem Floriet, Designer, Helinox Stéphane Halmaï-Voisard, Head of project, ECAL Talk moderated by par Thélonious Goupi, Designer, curator, editor and co-director of Collections Typologie. 5:00–7:00pm: Exhibition opening Booking for the talk via email to guilhem@helinox.com.
ECAL × Victorinox In collaboration with the cutlery brand, Bachelor Industrial Design students drew inspiration from the famous Swiss Army Knif to create original and innovative designs. What happens when an icon inspires a new generation of designers? Taking the design principles of the Original Swiss Army Knife as their starting point, students in the Bachelor Industrial Design have developed original concepts tailored 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 VICTORINOX A rock solid heritage, exacting commitment to Swiss precision and a consistent focus on quality and innovation are the absolute cornerstones of Victorinox. The original Swiss Army Knife™, created by Karl Elsener in 1897, embodies the essence of Victorinox. @victorinox
CRITICAL AI FOR CREATIVES A new training program on the use of artificial intelligence in the arts Artificial intelligence is redefining the conditions of creative practice, from working methods to business models. The Critical AI for Creatives module helps designers and creative professionals understand what AI is, how it works and how it is reshaping their industries. The emphasis is on practice: positioning themselves in relation to AI, building it into their working methods and developing their practice, while keeping a distinct creative identity. The course covers ethical and legal questions, such as copyright, along with strategic considerations, including how to price work made with AI. This is follow by practical application: designing prompts, generating images, text and video, and building workflows suited to their own practice. Over five weeks and in a hybrid format, the courses gives participants access to practitioners who have used AI in their own projects for several years. By the end of the module, participants will have developed with an informed point of view on AI, a real command of what is at stake for their own practice, and the confidence to integrate it into their work while asserting their own voice. Find all the information on the course page. © Jamy Herrmann
ECAL Graduates Exhibit at Paris Design Week Congratulations to the graduates and members of ECAL, whose projects are on display at this major international event. Several ECAL graduates with bachelor in Industrial Design, master in Product Design, and master in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship are participating in group exhibitions, including : TOUT EST CHAOS 10–13.09.2026 La Gaîté Lyrique 3bis rue Papin, Paris 3e ECAL graduates and students · · Finn de Bruyn · Moos Eus Metselaar · * TEMPIER&MASSAUD 10–14.09.2026 Paris Design Week Factory 116 rue de Turenne, Paris 3e ECAL graduates Oscar Massaud · Brice Tempier * BAR STOOL 10–19.09.2026 Espace Brownstone 26 rue Saint-Gilles, Paris 3e ECAL graduates Alix Arto · Tobias Brunner · Sara de Campos · Hugo Chaffiotte · Sebastien Cluzel · Arthur Desmet · Athime de Crécy · Camille Donias · Quentin Frichet · Guillaume Gindrat · Amandine Gini · François Lafortune· Denise Merlette · Victor Moynier · Camille Paillard Visual © Oscar Massaud · Brice Tempier
ECAL at Biennale Images Vevey,05–27.09.2026,Vevey At the 10th edition of the Biennale Images Vevey, centered on the theme "We are family!", several ECAL graduates and professors are exhibiting their work. From September 5 to 27, 2026, the Biennale Images Vevey will showcase contemporary photography in an anniversary edition centered on reunion, kinship, and celebration. Among a program of 50 artistic projects from 21 countries, two ECAL graduates will present their works. If life is a video game, the graphics are great, but the plot is confusing and the tutorial is way too long. Exhibition by , Photography Bachelor graduate (2025) On view until January 10, 2027 Swiss Camera Museum Grande Place 99, 1800 Vevey This work bluids upon the diploma project the artist began during his studies at ECAL as part of his residency at the Swiss Camera Museum. Taking Elon Musk s life — his career, his private life, and his global influence — as a starting point, the project offers a critical perspective on contemporary society and our collective contradictions in the age of hyperconsumption through photographic tableaux. This exhibition is presented as part of the IMAGES VEVEY × ECAL 2025 Prize, of which Cedric Zellweger is the laureate, in collaboration with the Swiss Camera Museum. Remy Diploma project by , Photography Master graduate (2026) Cinéma Mobile Lóa Fenzy created this short film — which oscillates between a staged documentary and a long-duration performance — based on the question: "What would happen if I hired actors to play the role of my absent father?". Using casting as both a methodology and a narrative structure, the film follows eight men who audition for the role of the artist s father; three of them are then invited to participate in increasingly intimate rehearsals and staged scenes. Presented as part of the Biennale Images Vevey, the installation Remy offers a reflection on identity, memory, and the formation of family bonds. The Elegance of Time, Anoush Abrar Façade & Garden of Nestlé Bergère A professor in the ECAL Bachelor Photography and the official portrait photographer for the Montreux Jazz Festival, presents a "family album" of this legendary Riviera event through iconic images. Poster Child, Charlie Engman La Becque I Artists Residency s series reimagines his photographs using artificial intelligence to compose strange domestic scenes and analyze the family circle as a structure through which society envisions its future. The artist partially developed this project during his ECAL residency at La Becque in the spring semester of 2025. Le Meilleur Ami du Chien & Paparazzi, Mazaccio & Drowilal Quai Roussy & Théâtre de Verdure, Jardin du Rivage , who occasionally teach in ECAL s Master Photography, are exhibiting two series at the Biennale Images Vevey. While the first takes an ironic look at the relationship between "man s best friend" and its owners, the second highlights the banality of celebrities everyday actions. Booklette September 12–13, 2026 11:00am–7:00pm Parvis de la Grenette, Grande Place 28, 1800 Vevey ECAL Shop will also be present at the Biennale Images Vevey as part of Booklette, a fair bringing together Swiss and international publishers of photography books. Poster The poster for the 2026 Biennale Images Vevey was designed by Swiss graphic designer , a Master Art Direction graduate and professor at ECAL.WEBSITEimages.ch
FWD, Improvisations on Vibrations magazine Developed by ECAL, in collaboration with CIRCUIT Center for Contemporary Art and the On The Vibe association, the Vibrations Forward project explored the archives of the Swiss magazine Vibrations, published in Lausanne between 1991 and 2013. This year-long project resulted in a publication designed by ECAL as well as an exhibition presented at CIRCUIT Center for Contemporary Art in Lausanne. Titled FWD – Improvisations, the exhibition brings together numerous archival documents (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. The publication FWD, Improvisations on Vibrations magazine. extends this reflection in the form of a book. It revisits questions of circulation, borrowing, transformation, and evolution, while exploring how a passion for music can be expressed today through graphic, editorial, and visual forms. Edited by François Burkard and written by 27 ECAL members, the book will be available at the ECAL shop.Project leaderEdited byFrançois BurkardCOLLABORATIONSCIRCUIT Centre d art contemporain On The VibeTexts· · Elisabeth Stoudmann · Kevin Le Gendre · Valentina Tanni · Ntone Edjabe · Anaïs Latrace · Thomas Gauffroy-Naudin · Lylly Houngnihin · Lamine Badian Kouyaté · · Aïda Bruyère · Jennifer Houdrouge · Le Chroniqueur Sale · Narjes Bahhar · Cédric Fauq · Daniska Tampise Klebo · · · · · · · · · · Graphic designOOF.FICE — , &
Language English Qualification issued Certificate Fees CHF 1 200.-, Alumni EXECAL CHF 1000.- Credits 2 ECTS Length 4h for 5 weeks, Wednesday afternoon 1:30pm - 5:30pm Useful links Admissions , Contact Course format Hybrid teaching (real-time online and on site at ECAL) Registration deadline 25.10.2026 Dates of courses 11, 18, 25 novembre, 2 et 9 décembre 2026 Artificial intelligence is redefin…