Visual communication is all around us. Selected examples from the Swiss National Museum’s extensive graphic art collection illustrate the power of visual language. The first part of the exhibition draws on historical posters and objects to show how graphic design evokes desire, conveys stereotypes and shapes cultural identities – for example, through the depiction of gender roles in advertising, through ‘Swissness’ in design, and through exoticized motifs that would be condemned as racist today. The second part of the exhibition provides a hands-on insight into the graphic design process. Visitors can discover the creative and technical methods involved in graphic design, from the creation of posters, logos and typography, to stamps and exhibition visuals. Interactive stations then invite them to have a go themselves, giving them a deeper understanding of the complexity, creativity and social relevance of graphic design from past to present to future.

Open call: Swissness in posters