The missing books — Crowdfunding on wemakeit

The book about the exhibition

It was with verve and enthusiasm that Jan Tschichold had suggested to award the most beautiful Swiss books in 1943. Only, for the years of 1946, 1947 and 1948 there is already a gap in the series – no books were entered or awarded. This gap and its context served us as interesting starting point for an exhibition series which discussed book making and book design in Switzerland, particularly from that time, but also linking to the actual situation.

The exhibition was realized by Roland Früh, Corina Neuenschwander and Jenny Eneqvist and the swedish designer Fredrik Paulsen developed the furniture design.

Round table with Linus Bill, Ulrike Meyer Stump and Mirjam Fischer
Exhibition at Corner College, Zurich, Photo: Rasmus Norlander
Exhibition at Corner College, Zurich, Photo: Rasmus Norlander
Stool and display case by Fredrik Paulsen, Photo: Rasmus Norlander
Exhibitino at La Rada, Locarno
Courtyard of Fonderie Kugler, Geneva
Exhibition at Fonderie Kugler, Geneva, Photo: Charles Nègre
Workshop with Nicolas Eigenheer, Régis Tosetti and Corina Neuenschwander, Photo: Charles Nègre
Exhibition at Fonderie Kugler, Geneva, Photo: Charles Nègre
Selection by Julia Born and Klaus Born, Photo: Charles Nègre
Selections by Hans Burkhardt and Jost Hochuli, Photo: Charles Nègre
Workshop with Felix Wieder and Rory McGrath
Round table with Linda van Deursen, Peter Bichsel and Jonas Wandeler

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The aim of the book

With the exhibitions and events in Zurich, Locarno and Geneva, we collected a large amount of documentation and we now decided to take this as the opportunity to realise a publication. In 14 short statements experts like Jost Hochuli, Christoph Schifferli, François Rappo, Nicole Udry, Julia and Klaus Born and many more, explain their selections. These are short stories where we follow their personal interest for and relation to books. Further authors such as Severin Rüegg, Philipp Messner, Noah Stolz and Patrick Gosatti write about a more specific topic, starting from the different aspects of book production and design that were discussed during the events.

The aim of the book is to take the discourse a step further and although we will add a precise selection of historical sources, the publication should not be a history book, but a contemporary comment on what is crucial for the making and designing of books, back then, and today.

The book is edited by Corina Neuenschwander and Roland Früh and will be published in fall 2012 by Niggli Verlag, Sulgen. With texts in German, French and Italian, as well as translations of all texts in English.

The exhibition was supported by Migros Kulturprozent, Pro Helvetia and Oertli Stiftung and we are now looking for funding to realise the publication.