Symposium & Workshop
MAPPING GRAPHIC DESIGN HISTORY IN SWITZERLAND
27 February 2014
Hochschule der Künste Bern, Auditorium, Fellerstrasse 11, 3027 Bern, Switzerland

“Graphic design, it seems, is still searching for its past.”(1)

Graphic Design History examines the production, mediation and consumption of graphic design artefacts and processes, as well as their respective histories. In doing so, it contributes not only to the current under-standing of graphic design practice, but also to the definition of the discipline itself.(2) It could thus be said that Graphic Design History today is both, “a service subject in design education and an academic research subject”.(3) In Switzerland, discussions on Graphic Design History have traditionally been led by practitioners, by art historians and expert organizations, and by professionals within practice-based design education. However, with the establishment of Swiss Universities of the Arts and Design, the field has begun to shift towards more academic research projects, yet it still lacks structures for research training, discussion and exchange. The aim of this symposium is to foster discussions on theoretical and methodical approaches for historical research on graphic design in Switzerland. The symposium will include a selection of projects from the German-, French- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland. We are proud to welcome internationally acclaimed researcher Teal Triggs as our keynote speaker. As a graphic design historian, critic and educator she has lectured and broadcast widely and her writings have appeared in numerous edited books and international design publications. She will present her view of the current state of Graphic Design History, and discuss the potential of Swiss contributions to the discourse. A workshop will be held to encourage further
collaboration, to exchange ideas and to evaluate possibilities for a cross-institutional research project on Graphic Design History in Switzerland.

(1), (2) Triggs, T. (2011). Graphic Design History: Past, Present, and Future. Design Issues 27(1), 3–6.
(3) Fallan, K. (2013). De-tooling Design History: To What Purpose and for Whom Do We Write? Design and Culture 5(1) 2013, 13–19.


PROGRAMME

9:30 Welcome & Introduction
Arne Scheuermann: Head of Forschungsschwerpunkt Kommunikationsdesign, HKB Hochschule der Künste Bern
Peter J. Schneemann: Director of the Institut für Kunstgeschichte, Universität Bern
Robert Lzicar: Lecturer and Researcher, HKB Bern; Doctoral Student, Graduate School of the Arts, Bern

10:00 Keynote
(RE)MAPPING FUTURES: GRAPHIC DESIGN HISTORY, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
Teal Triggs: Professor of Graphic Design and Associate Dean, School of Communication, Royal College of Art, London

10:45 Break

11:15
WOLFGANG WEINGART – TYPOGRAPHY IN CONTEXT: TRADITION, MEDIA REVOLUTIONS AND INNOVATION IN THE WORK OF WOLFGANG WEINGART 1961–2004
Barbara Junod: Curator Graphics Collection, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, ZHdK/ICS

11:45
«TYPOGRAFIE KANN UNTER UMSTÄNDEN KUNST SEIN»: GRAFIKDESIGN IM KONTEXT DES SCHWEIZERISCHEN WERKBUNDS
Bernd Nicolai: Professor, Abteilung Architekturgeschichte und Denkmalpflege, Institut für Kunstgeschichte, Universität Bern

12:15
TYPE DESIGN EDUCATION IN SWITZERLAND 1920–2010: LANDMARK PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS
François Rappo: Lecturer and Researcher, ECAL Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne

12:45 Lunch

13:55 Remark
LOOKING BACK TO THE FUTURE: WHY GRAPHIC DESIGNERS SHOULD KNOW “THEIR” HISTORY
Agnès Laube: Head of MA Communication Design, HKB Bern
Franka Grosse: Lecturer, MA Communication Design, HKB Bern

14:15
DESIGNING THE PAST: CANONIZATION IN SWISS GRAPHIC DESIGN HISTORY
Amanda Unger: Researcher, Forschungsschwerpunkt Kommunikationsdesign, HKB Bern
Robert Lzicar: Lecturer and Researcher, HKB Bern; Doctoral Student, Graduate School of the Arts, Bern

14:45
SWISS STYLE, MADE IN ITALY: GRAPHIC DESIGN ON THE BORDER
Davide Fornari: Lecturer and Researcher, Laboratory of visual culture, SUPSI University of applied sciences and arts of Southern Switzerland, Lugano

15:15
LES 50 DERNIÈRES ANNÉES DU GRAPHISME SUISSE ROMAND
Constance Delamadeleine: Researcher, HEAD Haute école d’art et de design, Genève

15:45 Break

16:15
SUISSE MINIATURE: THE DESIGN OF SWISSNESS IN TRAVEL SOUVENIRS
Franziska Nyffenegger: Cultural Anthropologist, Project Manager and Researcher, Hochschule Luzern Design & Kunst

16:45
ANALYZING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT: THE BASEL SCHOOL OF DESIGN AS A CASE STUDY
Invar Hollaus: Lecturer, HGK FHNW Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Basel

17:15 Break

17:30 Workshop
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? SHARING IDEAS FOR AN INTER-INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT
For invited speakers and experts only


INFORMATION

Concept and Coordination
Robert Lzicar ([log in to unmask]), with the Forschungsschwerpunkt Kommunikationsdesign at the HKB Hochschule der Künste Bern, and the Institut für Kunstgeschichte at the Universität Bern.

Admission
Admission is free. The participation of students and practitioners is strongly encouraged. No registration needed.

Publication
An online publication with all contributions to the conference is being planned. Further information will follow at the symposium.

Workshop
The workshop is opened to invited speakers and experts. For registration please send an email to Robert Lzicar ([log in to unmask]).

Thanks to
This symposium and workshop is kindly supported as an SDN Workshop by the Swiss Design Network (www.swissdesignnetwork.org) and by the Junior Design Research Conference (www.junior-research.ch).


Kind regards,
Robert Lzicar

Berner Fachhochschule / Bern University of Applied Sciences
Hochschule der Künste Bern / Bern University of the Arts

Robert Lzicar, Lecturer and Researcher
___________________________________________________________
Fellerstrasse 11, CH-3027 Bern
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www.hkb.bfh.ch

https://twitter.com/RLzicar