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It’s a pleasure again and again – as well as a nice confirmation – to attract the attention of independent editors. Many thanks this time to the Financial Times. And voilà the online article about the high significance that graphic arts itself enjoys in Zurich: «Signs of the times: three graphic design tours of Zürich» Well, it’s done: Eleven months ago the first meeting took place, now it‘s printed and dispatched to the clients of a Swiss financial service provider: «Made in Switzerland», a little book reviewing the beginnings and the evolution of the Swiss Product Poster till ca. 1960. I‘m pretty honored to have been asked to compile the book, to write the largest part of it and to select the posters. Published in German and in French (no English edition) and – as it‘s meant to be a present – not for sale. However, our clients may get a copy, of course. Many thanks to VZ Vermögenszentrum for the confidence as well as to the Museum für Gestaltung, Steindruckerei Wolfensberger, Jean-Charles Giroud and many more for their support! More pics here And voilà a little review by the curator of a Swiss public poster collection: «Sehr gut geschrieben, inhaltlich spannend, dicht, informativ. Auch gut mit den verwendeten Zitaten; finde es für das wohl anvisierte Publikum überhaupt nicht zu stark vereinfacht. Super.» There are a few bestselling novelists who started as a copywriter – but there is only one who also wrote ads for Swissair. So my delight was all the greater that Martin Suter gladly accepted the invitation to talk on the occasion of the current exhibition «Sky Society – Original Vintage Swissair Posters» about his years back in the 70s when he was working for the legendary agency GGK that was responsible then for Swissair’s advertising. In quite best mood Suter didn’t miss the opportunity to regale PLACART’s guests with some telling anecdotes – his frankness, however, didn’t go as far as he would have revealed what his next novel is about. What an experience: Had the pleasure to give a little talk at the Residence of Switzerland’s ambassador in Singapore about the crucial importance of Le Corbusier‘s artistic œuvre for his built work as well as about his more than just rare hand-signed poster that unifies both. Voilà the first hand account by Ambassador Fabrice Filliez: “Inspiring evening at the Swiss Residence yesterday with distinguished guests! What an honour to host the pre-launch of ‘Building on Art’, 1st exhibition of Le Corbusier’s art in Singapore.” And: “PLACART gallery director Tomas Rabara presented how Le Corbusier’s architecture built on his art work.” Thank you very much for the cordial reception – it was a lasting experience. Not to forget the Raclette: Superbe…! As part of the exhibition “SKY SOCIETY – Original Vintage Swissair Posters”, graphic artist Moreno Tuttobene calls in his presentation (in German) on 24 October to mind Kurt Wirth (1917-1996), who designed several posters and advertising material for Swissair in the 50s – an œuvre that still makes a surprisingly modern impression. Wirth went on to advise the company in the implementation of its corporate identity in the 80s. Tuttobene completed his Master’s Thesis on Wirth in 2013. In 2017, he curated two exhibitions of his work. The posters on display in the exhibition – all originals, of course, in large part from the 30s to the 60s, and all available – as well as the brochures, flight schedules, and other such ephemera, offer the public a view of the sometimes lovely, sometimes – as in Wirth’s case – quite progressive way in which Swissair advertised not only its services but Switzerland as well throughout its many long successful years of flight. Entrance fee CHF 10.–, on site at the gallery; left work: a draft for Wirth’s DC-7 poster, 1956; © Moreno Tuttobene

When Swissair was founded 1931, it wasn’t very likely that it was to be a model for civilian air travel for decades to come. But thanks also to its clever branding, the airline began to set the standards in the airline industry in the 50s and 60s. The Swiss were correspondingly proud of “their” airline company, which even could be said to have played a role in the construction of their national identity. The posters on display in the exhibition – all originals, of course, in large part from the 30s to the 60s, and all available – as well as the brochures, flight schedules, and other such ephemera, offer the public a view of the sometimes lovely, sometimes quite progressive way in which Swissair advertised not only its services but Switzerland as well throughout its many long successful years of flight. To the posters, to the events The works shown in the present Le Corbusier exhibition, on display until 29 June (see the invitation), testify to his more than sixty-year-long artistic productivity and furthermore give an impression of his continuing development as both an artist and an architect. In light of the significance of LCs artistic oeuvre – he referred to it as “the key” to his work as a whole – PLACART is offering four events at which Tomas Rabara, the gallery owner, will be discussing an aspect of LCs virtually unfathomable works. Further info here. The talks, held in German, will begin at 19 o’clock, followed by a short discussion. Seating is limited, so we ask for a short e-mail notification if you would like to attend (see the link above). In the newest issue of Das Ideale Heim, published by Archithema, gallery owner Tomas Rabara tells about the beginnings of his gallery thirteen years ago, when three women stood at its inception: Heidi Weber, and his wife, and his daughter; about his fascination for Le Corbusier’s unfathomable work; and about the world of Original Posters. Read about it now in the May issue – available Friday at the newsstands or right now online at PLACART. On the occasion of the reopening of the Pavilion Le Corbusier in Zurich on 11 May, Gallery Placart is devoting its first exhibit to the part of Le Corbusier’s work which he himself called “the source,” the “key” to all his work: to his artistic opus. The pieces presented here testify to sixty years of uninterrupted artistic activity and offer the viewers an impression of Le Corbusier’s unceasing development as an artist – and thus as an architect, as well – throughout his life. The beginning is marked by his watercolors, produced in the first decade of the last century, and the end by his engravings, which remain unsigned due to his death – in between, among other works: an almost fully worked out puristic study, his “Poème de l’angle droit,” hung as an iconostasis; a tapestry, Modulor sketches, as well as all of Le Corbusier’s posters. Further information about the exhibition: See here. More about the events: See here. annabelle likes Placart, and Placart likes annabelle (very much!). Thanks for the coverage, thanks for the little shooting. Pictured are Henri Ott’s Swissair poster (1951), Hans Aeschbach’s “Swiss Alps Calling” (1951 as well) and three posters (of the complete series of ten) promoting modern architecture, designed by Walter Allner and published by the magazine “Architectural Forum” 1962. The new issue is available at the newsstands as of today – enjoy the reading.