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. In collaboration with the Bellevaux Cinema: a remarkable space that combines a traditional movie theater setup, a stage, and a 20-point sound system — a place 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
Symposium – Don t Die Now! : Cinema & artificial intelligences,05–06.05.2026,IKEA Auditorium, 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. Lecturers Roberto Beragnoli, Director, Florence Edouard Boccon Gibod, Producer at The Media Company, Paris 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 Further lecturers will be announced shortly.FULL PROGRAMTo comeBOOKINGTo comeDATES05–06.05.2026VENUEAuditoire 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. Led by ECAL s Fine Arts Bachelor program, 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 reflection on ways of listening. From April 27 to May 5, it brings together several invited artists and researchers for public talks and workshops. In this first iteration, Dominique White, Chooc Ly Tan, Soñ Gehwa, Sandra Jean Pierre, and Taylor L. Lemelle 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.
If That s Not an Iconic Image, I ll Hand in My Resignation,24–25.04.2026,Halle de Sébeillon, Lausanne Second-year students of the ECAL Fine Arts Bachelor present a group exhibition exploring the relationship between individual elements and the creation of a whole. As part of the “Faits et gestes” class by , the students designed an installation that unfolds through a cycle of appearance and disappearance, in which the space is alternately and intermittently plunged into darkness and then reactivated by light. By exploring the interaction between isolated elements and the construction of a whole, this exhibition stems from the observation that an accumulation is not enough to produce a coherent unity: fragments — whether visual, textual, or gestural — do not necessarily form a stable or legible system. DATES & OPENNG TIMES24–25.04.2026 3 – 6pm Free entry Opening Friday 23 April 2026, 6pmVENUEHalle de Sébeillon Rue de Genève 101-103, 1003 LausanneSTUDENTSPierre Alliot · Alice Bosshard · Axel Burkhardt · Smilla Carr · Maïa Catsaros · Pauline Chevance · Mathilde Donabédian · Stella Gil · Malvine Klawitter · Dilys-Bel Lafon · Aviva Meinecke · · · Laurine Ndayiziga · Elwynn Pillonel · Alexandra Ritchey · Annabelle StürzenhofeckerPROFESSOR
ECAL X GOOGLE – A Message From Tomorrow,21–25.04.2026,Spazio Orso 16, Milan As part of the Milan Design Week 2026, ECAL and Google present the exhibition A Message From Tomorrow, featuring the projects of Master Product Design students. The Industrial Design team at Google (Google ID) initiated a collaboration with ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne to develop a concept for a mobile-focused product inspired by a daily ritual. ECAL s Master Product Design students were invited to envision innovative hardware engaging with contemporary habits. Through compelling storytelling, these conceptual projects consider the human dimension of mobile technology: how it shapes everyday gestures and how our relationships with devices might evolve in the future. This collaboration reflects ECAL s forward-looking approach to design, combining experimentation, critical thinking, and a strong receptivity to emerging technologies.
ECAL AT VISIONS DU RÉEL: MASTERCLASS & ECAL FILMS,17–26.04.2026,Nyon For its 57th edition, Visions du Réel will feature numerous documentary films by students, graduates, and lecturers of ECAL, as well as a masterclass by American filmmaker Kelly Reichardt, the festival s guest of honor. MASTERCLASS · KELLY REICHARDT Filmmaker, United States Kelly Reichardt is a leading figure in American independent cinema. She first came to be known in 1994 with River of Grass (Sundance), and her career took a new turn with Old Joy (2006, Tiger Award, Rotterdam) and Wendy and Lucy (2008, Un Certain Regard at Cannes). She brings a unique perspective, marked by subtlety and restraint, to intimate narratives rooted in American political, economic, and social realities. Her anti-westerns Meek s Cutoff (2010, Venice Film Festival) and First Cow (2019, Berlinale) revisit founding myths, while she explores the thriller genre in Night Moves (2014) and examines social constructs in Certain Women (2017) and Showing Up (2022), always highlighting strong, contemporary female characters. Winner of the Carrosse d Or at Cannes in 2022, she presented her latest film, The Mastermind, there in 2025. Masterclass moderated by Raphaëlle Pireyre. In collaboration with the Cinémathèque suisse and the Fondazione Prada. Tuesday, April 21, 2026 – 2:30 p.m Théâtre de Marens, Nyon More information FILMS From April 18 to 25, films by the ECAL Cinema department, graduates, and lecturers are featured in the program of the Visions du Réel festival in Nyon. Opening Scenes Prochain arrêt : Fontenay by , Cinema Bachelor student, sound editing and mixing by , ECAL–HEAD Cinema Master student. National Competition Der runde Tisch by and , Cinema Bachelor graduates. Editing by ; sound editing by ; sound mixing by , ECAL–HEAD Cinema Master graduates. En terrain neutre by Stéphane Goël, Cinema Bachelor lecturer, and Mehdi Atmani. Cinematography by Nicolas Veuthey, Cinema Bachelor graduate. Eternal Snow by François Kholer. Editing by Karine Sudan ; sound by , Cinema Bachelor graduates. Nicole, Nicole by Lauren Dällenbach. Sound notably by , Cinema Bachelor graduate. Safe Spaces by Sarah Horst. Editing by , Cinema Bachelor graduate and ECAL–HEAD Cinema Master lecturer. To the Moon and Back by , ECAL–HEAD Cinema Master graduate. Cinematography by ; sound by Théodora Menthonnex and Ilù Seydoux, Cinema Bachelor graduates. Burning Lights La voix du troupeau by , ECAL–HEAD Cinema Master graduate, and Lucien Roux. Production by and sound by , ECAL–HEAD Cinema Master graduates. International Feature Film Competition Dentro by , Cinema Bachelor lecturer. Co-produced by , Cinema Bachelor professor. Heat by , ECAL–HEAD Cinema Master lecturer. Borderlight Dao by , Cinema Bachelor lecturer. Cinematography by ; co-produced by Toufik Ayadi and Cristophe Barral, Cinema Bachelor lecturers.DATES & SCHEDULEFestival 17–26.04.2026 Masterclass 21.04.2026, 2:30 PMMASTERCLASS VENUEThéatre de Marens Route du Stand 5, 1260 NyonTICKETS AND FULL PROGRAMMEvisionsdureel.ch
Hubris, peu importe,17–18.04.2026,WIRWIR, Berlin Hubris, peu importe brings together the works of ECAL Fine Arts Bachelor students for a group exhibition curated by Estelle Hoy. Curated by Estelle Hoy, this group exhibition explores how each artist, at the start of their career, is invited to start from scratch or to remain indifferent to the stages of the artistic creation process. To suffer indifference has always signaled a stage in artistic progress. Sitting in the ECAL art school cafeteria, 9 am, or maybe 10, buying a cup of shitty coffee from Mathilde for one thousand Swiss Francs, we came to think about the total inconvenience of art. We have a useless obedience to art that helps us stay intact. Then again: the beautiful fright of art resembles great joy! Mathilde forgot the serviette. We thought about asking her to bring it over on a plastic cafeteria tray, but starting again seemed an exhausting way to begin the day. It s a helluva ask to start over and over. At the very bottom of artistic indifference is the realisation that detesting indifference is mostly dangerous. Mathilde brought over some long-life powdered milk and a packet of Stevia; she forgot the serviette. It matters a little.DATES17–18.04.2026 Free entry Opening Friday 17 April 2026, 6pmVENUEWIRWIR Stuttgarter Strasse 56 12059 Berlin, AllemagneSTUDENTSPierre Alliot · Maïa Catsaros · Alice Bosshard · Sarah Toscano · · · Lamitar · · Laurine Ndayiziga · · · Alexandra RitcheyPROFESSORSEstelle Hoy · WEBSITEwirwir.org
Vico Magistretti and Japan,16.04.2026–25.02.2027,Fondazione studio museo Vico Magistretti, Milano ECAL Bachelor Industrial Design students present miniature versions of furniture pieces designed by Vico Magistretti in the exhibition Vico Magistretti and Japan in Milan. The Vico Magistretti Foundation presents Vico Magistretti and Japan, an exhibition exploring the affinities, conceptual correspondences and formal references between Japanese aesthetics and the work of the Milanese architect and designer Vico Magistretti (1920–2006). This exhibition is the first outcome of a research project led by ECAL, in collaboration with the Vico Magistretti Foundation. On display are archival materials (drawings, photographs, objects, videos), the miniature versions of the designer s furniture produced by ECAL s Bachelor Industrial Design students, and the illustrations of Magistretti s Japanese architectures by Dogma.DATES16.04.2026–25.02.2027 Opening reception Wednesday 15.04.2026, 7pm Access: Via Conservatorio 20ADDRESSFondazione studio museo Vico Magistretti Via Vincenzo Bellini 1 Milano, ItalyCREDITSGraphic design: Omnigroup Exhibition design: XPOINDUSTRIAL DESIGN BACHELOR STUDENTS· · · · · · Raquel Ferreira Matos · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · OPENING TIMESTuesday: 10am–6pm Thursday: 2pm–8pm Last Saturday of the month: 11am–3pm During Milan Design Week (21–26.04.2026): Everyday, 11am–8pm Free entry, no booking requiredBOOKINGBooking required on vicomagistretti.itEXHIBITION CURATORDavide Fornari
Masterclass ECAL – Joe Dante,14.04.2026, 18:00,IKEA Auditorium, ECAL In collaboration with the Cinémathèque suisse, the ECAL Cinema Department organises a masterclass by director Joe Dante, a leading figure in 1980 s fantasy cinema. Joe Dante, born in 1946, is a major American filmmaker trained at Roger Corman s New World Pictures. He made a name for himself with Piranha (1978), a film that blends satire, fantasy, and a tribute to B-movies. He achieved international success with Gremlins (1984), produced by Steven Spielberg, which has become a classic of fantasy cinema. His extensive filmography includes The Howling (1981), Explorers (1985), Innerspace (1987), and Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), revealing a childlike imagination that remains critical of American society. With his blend of cinematic references and affection for outsiders, Joe Dante is a director capable of entertaining while questioning the world. From March 21 to April 29, the Cinémathèque suisse is presenting a retrospective dedicated to Joe Dante at the Capitole cinema in Lausanne. The director will be in attendance on April 15 for a special evening featuring a screening of Gremlins. Discussion moderated by Lionel Baier.DATES & SCHEDULE14.04.2026 6pm Free entryVENUEIKEA Auditorium ECAL Avenue du Temps 5 1020 Renens, Suisse
ECAl at Watches and Wonders 2026,14–20.04.2026,Palexpo, Geneva At the exhibition Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026, ECAL presents two original installations that invite visitors to explore the concept of time. Created by 18 students from the Master in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship under the guidance of the Lausanne-based studio Panter&Tourron — designers and teachers at ECAL — these projects offer visitors a range of experiences exploring the concept of Time. Presented as both functional and narrative installations, these creations are designed to accompany and punctuate the visitor s experience of the fair. Among the developed proposals, two installations have been selected for their ability to combine conceptual creativity, formal quality and interaction with the public. They will be presented from April 14 to 20, 2026 at Palexpo, Geneva. The Dial by & Located at the main entrance to the exhibition, The Dial serves as a welcoming and social space, designed to act both as a landmark and a place to pause. Organised around a central pillar, the installation comprises twelve modules — eight seats and four consoles — suggesting the structure of a clock dial. Through a play on proportions, details and mirrored surfaces, the ensemble transposes the codes of horology onto the scale of the space. The Dial offers an experience that is both functional and contemplative, designed to accommodate various activities: waiting, working, observing. Engraved quotations punctuate the surfaces and celebrate the passing of time, whilst blending into the rhythm of the fair. Balade Mécanique by Chiara Corno & Balade Mécanique is a mural that offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the art of paper cutting, an emblematic practice of Switzerland s visual heritage recalling Alpine traditions. In seven sequences, the installation invites visitors to venture into a setting that celebrates nature and watchmaking. Evoking the passage of time, the narrative begins with watch movement components that metamorphose into organic forms: aquatic creatures, insects, and then water lilies resting on the surface of the water.
ECAL A Typographic Atlas in Leipzig,09.04–09.05.2026,HGB Gallery, Leipzig Curated by Master Type Design and Bachelor Graphic Design programmes, this project presents a wide selection of 300 typefaces created by ECAL students from around the world. Presented as a typographic atlas, the exhibition is structured around a single indexing approach. This system is translated into a modular display designed by Adrien Rovero. Alphabetical entries and numerical coordinates form a navigational framework, inviting visitors to move through a typographic territory. 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. This travelling exhibition reflects ECAL s long-standing commitment to contemporary graphic and type design. The Leipzig presentation also features a special collaboration with the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst (HGB) Type Design class and the HGB Gallery. ECAL A Typographic Atlas also comes in the form of a 536-page book published by Empire Books and designed by Giliane Cachin and Eurostandard. Previous stop Turin – Circolo del Design Next stops New York – The Cooper Union Montreal – UQAM Los Angeles – HMCT Gallery Paris – Program/me Lausanne – ECAL Tokyo – SKWAT Kameari Art Centre and more to come... DATES AND OPENING TIMESOpening reception Thursday 09.04 at 5pm Dates 09.04–09.05.2026 Tues.–Fri., 2pm–6pm and by appointment Museum Night Saturday 09.05.2026, 6pm–12pmVENUEHGB Gallery Wächterstrasse 11, Leipzig, Allemagne 04107 Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Academy of Fine Arts LeipzigHEAD OF PROGRAMMES, WEBSITEHochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst, HGB GalleryRelated event
Frame Award for Sebastian Renga Congratulations to Sebastian Renga, ECAL graduate of MAS Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship, for winning the March 2026 Frame Award for his project "Materia Futura". In his diploma project entitled "Materia Futura" in MAS Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship, Sebastian Renga explores the relationship between traditional forms and contemporary technologies. This chair — inspired by primitive structures shaped by time, necessity and simplicity — was crafted using Econit, a cellulose-based composite made from waste from the timber industry. Through a geometry that appears instinctive yet controlled, this project explores how traditional forms can be reborn through modern tools. The Frame Award, established in 2018, is awarded to monthly winners and an annual winner by a jury of renowned professional designers, tasked with assessing projects submitted freely by candidates. Aiming to pushing the boundaries of design and offering designers global visibility, the competition attracts over 1,000 entries from around the world every year. frameweb.com www.sebastianrenga.com
Film Production – 2026 Événement Lumineux Through an in-depth exploration of light as a narrative and sensory medium, first-year students created a short film on the theme “Luminous Event.” This project allows them to learn how to manage a complete audiovisual project while mastering the tools of filming, framing, and camera movement.
Last Minute Risk “What is clearly conceived can be clearly expressed, and the words to say it come easily.” Nicholas Boileau, *L art poétique*. As students embark on their final year of study at ECAL, with their interests and methods taking shape, this final project offers an opportunity to challenge their own rules, established practices and influences, to refuse to settle for the status quo and to take risks.
Swiss Film Award 2026 for ECAL alumni Congratulations to Léa Favre, Julietta Korbel and Yan Ciszewski, ECAL Cinema Bachelor graduates, for winning the Swiss Film Award 2026 in the "Best Graduation Film" and the "Best Short Film" categories. With Hunting (2024), won the 2026 Swiss Film Award for Best Graduation Film. In this film, Léa sets out in search of a subject for a documentary. Just when she thinks she has finally caught her prey, the tables turn. The hunter becomes the hunted. Hunting has already been won several prices, notably at the Krakow Film Festival, the Encounters Film Festival in Bristol, and the Animatou International Animation Film Festival in Geneva. This is the second consecutive year that a film by an ECAL graduate has won the Swiss Film Award for Best Graduation Film, following Maman danse (2024) by . The Swiss Film Award for Best Short Film 2026 goes to Yonne (2025), by and . The film follows the journey of Jeanne and Eugénie, two young peasant sisters, as they navigate among the log drivers in the Morvan region in 1842. , a regular lecturer in the Cinema Bachelor program, co-produced the project. Congratulations to , also a lecturer in the Cinema Bachelor program, whose film À bras-le-corps (2025) won the awards for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing. The film s director of photography, Benoît Dervaux, recently led a workshop focusing on light for Cinema Bachelor students at ECAL, as well as a masterclass. The film was edited by Karine Sudan, a Cinema Bachelor graduate and a lecturer at ECAL. quartz.ch Photo © Eduard Meltzer Photography