Sky Society: The Events
Opening reception on Thursday, October 3, starting at 7:30 p.m.:
Sky Society – Firsthand
AAt the opening on October 3, the former Swissair advertising director will Konrad Korsunsky He shares a few anecdotes from his time in the former «propaganda department» and also offers insight into the development of one or two poster campaigns. Korsunsky joined Swissair in 1964 before taking over as head of the North American division in 1966. From 1970 to 1998, he was back in Zurich, where—alongside Art Director Fritz Girardin, among others—he was responsible for advertising initiatives and thus frequently collaborated with the author who is now a best-selling writer Martin Suter worked.
Thursday, October 17, starting at 7:00 p.m.:
The Golden Years
On October 17, the Basel historian will focus on Benedikt Meyer the conditions and circumstances under which Swissair, in the 1950s, transformed itself from an airline that had been crippled after the war and was on the brink of bankruptcy into a model company. With «On the Fly» In 2015, Meyer presented the first comprehensive and scholarly study of Swissair, based on his dissertation.
Photo: On board a DC-8, ca. 1965. Source: ETH Library Zurich, Image Archive/Luftbild Schweiz Foundation
Thursday, October 24, starting at 7:00 p.m.:
Kurt Wirth's Swissair
The Zurich-based graphic designer Moreno Tuttobene On October 24, the exhibition will remind the public of the Bernese painter and designer Kurt Wirth (1917–1996), who designed a great deal of promotional material for Swissair in the mid-1950s—works that still appear remarkably modern today. In the 1980s, he also advised Swissair on the implementation of its new corporate identity. Tuttobene wrote his master’s thesis on Wirth in 2013, and in 2017 he curated two Exhibitions of his work.
Fig.: Brochure designed by Kurt Wirth in 1956
Thursday, October 31, starting at 7:00 p.m.:
Takeofff
On October 31, arranged Hans Weder, a former member of the executive board of Swissair’s technical department, gave the audience a glimpse into the pioneering spirit displayed by the first Swiss pilots and company founders in the decades leading up to Swissair, followed by some remarks on Swissair’s early years. Weder has published several works on aviation, most recently «Ready to go.».
Photo: Shortly before takeoff in a DC-3, ca. 1937. Source: ETH Library Zurich, Image Archive/Stiftung Luftbild Schweiz