{"id":89012,"date":"2026-06-21T12:48:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T12:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/89012\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T12:48:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T12:48:37","slug":"flicker-form-future-how-swiss-design-learned-to-move-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/89012\/","title":{"rendered":"Flicker, form, future: how Swiss design learned to move"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Installation<\/p>\n

Installation view of \u00abFrame in Frame \u2013 Swiss Design in Motion\u00bb, with the modular sofa system \u00abAnagram\u00bb by Panter&Tourron for Vitra. Experimental films from the \u00abFilm + Design\u00bb programme at the Basel School of Design are shown on freestanding projection surfaces. <\/p>\n

Matthew Gordon <\/p>\n

From painstaking frame-by-frame films to modern interfaces, a New York exhibition brings to life pioneering films from the Basel School of Design, linking analogue experimentation to today\u2019s visual language.\n<\/p>\n

This content was published on <\/p>\n

June 21, 2026 – 10:00\n<\/p>\n

On the 19th\u00a0floor of a\u00a0Lower\u00a0Manhattan high-rise, the word EAU in white block letters\u00a0flickers\u00a0across a black screen.\u00a0Across from it, H2O flashes in black against a white backdrop. Ambient music drifts through\u00a0the space\u00a0as visitors linger before the projections.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The exhibition\u00a0Frame in Frame \u2013 Swiss Design in Motion, was presented last month\u00a0as part of\u00a0NYCxDESIGN\u00a0by the\u00a0Swiss consulate-general in New York.\u00a0It\u00a0offered\u00a0US audiences a first look at a lesser-known chapter of Swiss design history; one that helped shape\u00a0the\u00a0development\u00a0of motion design.<\/p>\n

\"Curator<\/p>\n

Curator Christian Herren in the exhibition \u00abFrame in Frame \u2013 Swiss Design in Motion\u00bb, the official Swiss contribution to NYCxDESIGN 2026 in New York. <\/p>\n

Matthew Gordon <\/p>\n

Against\u00a0sweeping\u00a0views of\u00a0the East River and the city\u2019s\u00a0skyscrapers, a multi-channel video and audio installation shows more than 200 rediscovered experimental short films created\u00a0at the\u00a0Basel School of Design between the late 1960s and 1990s.\u00a0Motion design, which animates\u00a0graphic elements like\u00a0text, images, and interfaces, has become a defining visual language of the digital age.\u00a0Yet many of\u00a0its underlying\u00a0ideas\u00a0were already being\u00a0explored\u00a0decades earlier in the\u00a0films\u00a0shown across\u00a0the installation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The exhibition\u00a0both reflects\u00a0and\u00a0expands on\u00a0conventional ideas\u00a0of Swiss design, such as\u00a0\u201cmodularity, right angles, no ornaments, pure design, straight lines,\u201d says the curator, Christian Herren. \u201cWe wanted not to break that image, but to add something new to the story.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rather than\u00a0present\u00a0the films in a fixed, linear way,\u00a0Herren worked with\u00a0a team of\u00a0artists and\u00a0designers\u00a0to create an immersive installation\u00a0combining\u00a0film projections,\u00a0light, sound, and\u00a0iconic examples of\u00a0Swiss\u00a0furniture and design.<\/p>\n

Bringing\u00a0together works from different eras,\u00a0the exhibition connected past and present while highlighting the relationships between\u00a0graphic design, moving image, and product design.\u00a0To realize the project, Herren collaborated with\u00a0the artists\u00a0Daan Couzijn\u00a0and Julia Sch\u00e4fer,\u00a0the designers\u00a0Ben Ganz and Panter & Tourron and included furniture by Vitra, USM, Ruckstuhl, and Lehni.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Time is frame<\/p>\n

The films were made by students\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0Basel School of Design\u2019s pioneering\u00a0film\u00a0and\u00a0design\u202fcourse,\u00a0which began in 1968 at the initiative of\u00a0Armin Hofmann and\u00a0was\u00a0later\u00a0developed and\u00a0led by Peter von Arx, both\u00a0key figures in\u00a0Swiss\u00a0graphic design. The programme was\u00a0among the first\u00a0to approach moving image through a graphic design\u00a0lens, responding\u00a0to television and emerging electronic media\u00a0at the time,\u00a0and\u00a0is often seen as\u00a0a precursor to what\u00a0is\u00a0now called motion design.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This sculpture by Jean Arp adorns the Basel School for Design building, built between 1956 and 1961. <\/p>\n

Manuel Schmalstieg, CC BY-SA 4.0 <\/p>\n

The course\u00a0applied principles associated with Swiss design to the moving image, treating typography, rhythm, and sequence as constructive elements rather than narrative devices.\u00a0Students were trained\u00a0to think in terms of the frame and its\u00a0organisation\u00a0in time. The resulting films feature flickering sequences of images, minimal shifts, and overlays of\u00a0colour\u00a0and form, from\u00a0black-and-white buildings\u00a0in motion\u00a0to\u00a0swirling\u00a0tree canopies and red parting lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Armin<\/p>\n

Armin Hofmann (1920-2020), photographed for the Grand Prix of Swiss Design, 2013 <\/p>\n

M. Hofmann \/ BAK <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were very touched with how contemporary they can be and how much the films also echo the time we\u2019re living in,\u201d said Herren.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To create the films, von Arx explained in an interview, students first developed\u00a0visual templates,\u00a0such as typography or grid structures,\u00a0and then used a\u00a0\u201cscore\u201d\u00a0to help map\u00a0out how\u00a0those elements would alternate, shift, or transform over time.<\/p>\n

Working with a film camera, they then photographed each frame one by one in a painstaking\u00a0process, not seeing\u00a0the\u00a0finished work until the film was\u00a0projected\u00a0and the sequence finally came together as movement. \u201cThe educational objective of this programme within graphic design education was creativity: designing without yet knowing the result,\u201d said von Arx.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Decades later, the films were rediscovered in 2012 as\u00a0the school prepared\u00a0to\u00a0relocate, von Arx said.\u00a0Over two or so years, he and\u00a0his colleagues\u00a0reviewed\u00a0the collection and\u00a0decided\u00a0which\u00a0materials to keep.\u00a0The surviving archive totals 27 hours of\u00a0projection time. The films were\u00a0preserved and digitised with the support of Memoriav and the Basel University of Art and Design FHNW and are\u00a0now\u00a0accessible to the public.External link<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to this\u00a0digitisation\u00a0effort, the films can still be viewed today,\u201d said von Arx.\u00a0\u201cMore importantly, they remain capable of generating the unique and surprising optical experiences that they produced when they were first created.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Installation<\/p>\n

Installation view of the projection structure developed by Ben Ganz using the Lehni \u00abAluminium Shelf\u00bb system. Films from \u00abPermutations\u00bb are shown within the shelving units. <\/p>\n

Roshan Jacob <\/p>\n

A reaction to propaganda<\/p>\n

Swiss motion design\u00a0developed\u00a0out of\u00a0Swiss graphic design traditions in the mid-20th\u00a0century. The work of designers\u00a0in\u00a0the 1950s and 1960s, which came to be known internationally as the \u201cSwiss Style,\u201d\u00a0was\u00a0characterised\u00a0by\u00a0pared-down visual\u00a0design, relying on\u00a0photography and graphic symbols\u00a0instead of illustrations, limited\u00a0colour\u00a0palettes, sans serif fonts\u00a0such as Helvetica, and\u00a0use of\u00a0the grid system and\u00a0clean and asymmetrical layouts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After the Second World War,\u00a0Swiss\u00a0graphic designers increasingly sought\u00a0an objective approach to communication, explained Michael Renner, professor of visual communication at the Institute Digital Communication Environments, Basel Academy of\u00a0Art\u00a0and Design FHNW.\u00a0The aim was to make\u00a0visual messages that inform rather than seduce\u00a0or persuade\u00a0the viewer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThis emphasis on objectifying visual messages was, on the one hand, a reaction to the experience of propaganda and, on the other hand, an effort to establish graphic design as a discipline distinct from art,\u201d\u00a0he said.<\/p>\n

\"Ren\u00e9<\/p>\n

Ren\u00e9 Pulfer, \u00abTuriner Monumente\u00bb (1978), film still, shown in \u00abFrame in Frame \u2013 Swiss Design in Motion\u00bb. <\/p>\n

Courtesy FHNW Academy of Art and Design Basel, Media Library, Film + Design Collection <\/p>\n

These\u00a0ideas\u00a0were\u00a0later\u00a0extended into moving image\u00a0and\u00a0have continued to shape motion design,\u00a0evolving\u00a0from\u00a0early\u00a0film animation to video technology and, more recently, digital platforms and social media.\u00a0Today, motion design is ubiquitous,\u00a0guiding users through apps, websites, transit systems, advertising campaigns, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rise of corporations, the expansion of the film industry, and the increasing need to explain a world that was becoming ever more complex all contributed to the significance of Swiss motion design as part of the broader tradition of Swiss\u00a0graphic\u00a0design,\u201d said Renner.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0film\u00a0and\u00a0design\u202fcourse at the Basel School of Design also contributed to this influence, attracting students from around the world.\u00a0Many\u00a0returned to their home countries and carried elements of the Swiss approach into their practices.<\/p>\n

\"Philip<\/p>\n

Philip Burton, \u00abTypografie Animation\u00bb, film still, late 1960s. <\/p>\n

Courtesy FHNW Academy of Art and Design Basel, Media Library, Film + Design Collection. <\/p>\n

Among those associated with the\u00a0school are\u00a0designers such as\u00a0April Greiman, Philip Burton,\u202fand\u00a0Terry Irwin.\u00a0Another former student is American multidisciplinary\u00a0artist\u00a0and activist\u00a0Marlene McCarty, who\u00a0went on to create\u00a0film title sequences for movies including \u201cAmerican Psycho,\u201d\u00a0\u201cHedwig and the Angry Inch,\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cVelvet Goldmine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you look at the list of students who were there\u00a0and\u00a0what they do now, you have fine artists, you have graphic designers, you have filmmakers, you have camera people, you have title designers, and\u00a0you have some architects who apply these techniques to create models.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0very, very broad,\u201d said Herren.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are no current plans to present the exhibition elsewhere, but Herren hopes the films will resonate beyond their New York City run and continue to spark curiosity about\u00a0Swiss\u00a0motion design.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said\u00a0he hopes visitors will leave with an interest in the work. \u201cMaybe they\u00a0go read about it.\u00a0Maybe they\u00a0go to the online archive and can use the materials\u00a0at some\u00a0point.\u00a0Maybe it\u00a0will inspire them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n More<\/p>\n

\""Untitled"<\/p>\n

More <\/p>\n

Culture\n <\/p>\n

From Dada to Concrete Art: when Zurich was a modernist battleground <\/p>\n

\n

This content was published on <\/p>\n

Nov 20, 2024 <\/p>\n

A new book about the pioneers of Concretism fills a gap in the history of the most internationally influential Swiss art movement of the 20th century. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Read more: From Dada to Concrete Art: when Zurich was a modernist battleground
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Edited by Catherine Hickley\/ds<\/p>\n

Articles in this story <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Installation view of \u00abFrame in Frame \u2013 Swiss Design in Motion\u00bb, with the modular sofa system \u00abAnagram\u00bb by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":89013,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4],"tags":[45031,1208,101,8679,98,5610,1918,15551,460,3314,41,17],"class_list":["post-89012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-switzerland","tag-animation","tag-architecture","tag-article","tag-arts-general","tag-beat-culture","tag-beat-swiss-fine-arts","tag-culture","tag-design-and-engineering","tag-multi","tag-production-type-external","tag-swiss","tag-switzerland"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/116788180384609294","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89012"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89012\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}