Zurich Design Weeks and Biennale to Coincide in September 2023

Zurich, home to the Museum für Gestaltung since 1875, is set to celebrate its 150th anniversary with a rich design heritage. The museum holds over half a million objects, including Swiss icons like the Mondaine clock (1944) and the Rex potato peeler (1947) by Alfred Neweczerzal, with 50 million units sold worldwide. The Zurich School contributed to graphic design and typography through the Concretists, linked to Theo van Doesburg's De Stijl. The museum's two venues—the historic Neues Bauen building on Austellungstrasse and the Schaudepot at Toni-Areal—along with the Pavillon Le Corbusier (reopened in 2019), host frequent temporary exhibitions. In 2017, Zurich launched a Design Biennale (this year September 1-19), and in 2022 the Zurich Design Weeks began. For the first time in September 2023, both events will run concurrently. Curator Gabriela Chicherio notes that Zurich's creative scene is often hidden behind closed doors, and the Biennale and Design Weeks aim to increase visibility. The 2023 theme is 'transition,' covering climate change, upcycling, circularity, material innovation, energy, and food. The Botanical Garden serves as headquarters, with events spread across the Design Museum, studios, off-spaces, and public areas, including the Poster Safari campaign. The initiative also includes the Kyiv Design Week to welcome Ukrainian designers.