From archiving design to shaping its future: 'Archives du Design Romand' at mudac

French-speaking Switzerland has, through the years, harboured design in all its forms: industrial design, graphic design, watchmaking, fashion and interaction design. In its ongoing design exhibition, mudac, the Lausanne-based museum dedicated to global and contemporary design, traces this rich history of emergence and evolution of design in the region. Titled Archives du Design Romand. What Narratives?, the show traces the past to delineate necessary methodologies and it does so by opening the floor up to key contributors of designers, historians and journalists. Over four months, the exhibition will platform lectures, interviews and round table discussions on six thematic phases. oio design studio contributes to the discussions through its Archivives project, an archiving system that collects documents and interviews using artificial intelligence—probing the future possibilities of archiving.

"Observations, questions, objects and documents will be added to the exhibition as the project unfolds, reflecting the evolving and iterative nature of the research. The public will discover the fruits of the discussions that have taken place, while works from the collection will gradually be revealed to echo the topics covered," the official release reads.

mudac's set designers Magali Conus and Camille Némethy collaborate with Geneva-based graphic design studio Cécile + Roger to craft the show's graphic and scenographic identity. The exhibition space is designed with modular structures—the layout allows visitors to move freely while also providing space to accommodate the public during presentations and meetings. The graphic design featured throughout the show speaks of archives through colourful motifs depicting interlinked cellular forms, woven together to yield the new. To complement the visual language, the graphic designers have also developed a new typography, its six variations corresponding to six exhibition themes. The confluence of set design and graphic design reveals the research surrounding design in Switzerland through a refreshing lens.

The first thematic phase of the exhibition, Dream of Design, revisits the foundations and the many (re)definitions of the design discipline. Alexandra Midal, professor of Design History and Theory at HEAD – Genève, Geneva University of Art and Design, takes visitors through world history and local specificities through two lectures: What is design? and The museum from Henry Cole to the present day. The lectures explore how designers have, time and again, transcended categories to expand their spheres of influence, a characteristic all contemporary design museums must acknowledge and accept.

Round-table discussions around the second theme, Preserving the history and heritage of design schools, muster directors and teachers of these higher education institutions and vocational schools. Together, they discuss how the schools' identity can be archived, the current state of applied arts teaching and its future.

Situated on Plateforme 10 since 2021, mudac boasts a rich institutional heritage. Its structure and name have evolved through the years—from Musée d’art industriel (1909-1952) and Musée des arts décoratifs (1967-2000) to mudac. The third thematic From the industrial museum to mudac at Plateforme 10 dissects this transformation that took place in conjunction with the evolution of design. Approaches and practices to archive design from French-speaking Switzerland raises some fundamental questions when it comes to archiving: how far should the museum go in archiving the history of design in French-speaking Switzerland? What elements should be preserved as a priority to ensure a complete collection and what are new archiving processes?

During the show, mudac also delves into the representation of women and gender minorities among designers in the region and the museum's collections. Strategies to preserve the contributions of these designers for future generations are emphasised in the segment The politics of memory: (in)visibility of women designers and gender minorities.

The evolving nature of design and media demands rethinking how archives are built and maintained, in this case, particularly in French-speaking Switzerland. Today, archiving is not just about preserving artefacts, but also about defining the elements necessary to answer future research questions. The final theme, The future of design heritage talks about the integration of new tools, such as AI, which offers exciting possibilities for both enriching digital archives and enhancing collaboration between human expertise and technology. Through speculative projects like the one commissioned by mudac, these advancements raise essential questions about ethical challenges, copyright and the preservation of intangible aspects of design. As AI becomes a key player in the field, it offers the potential to reimagine the future of design archives, challenge biases and open new avenues for research and exhibition. Ultimately, the dialogue between tradition and innovation will shape how the world documents, interprets and shares the legacy of design in years to come.

Alongside Archives du Design Romand. What Narratives?, the exhibition We Will Survive. The prepper movement explores the survivalist subculture actively preparing to survive the apocalypse at mudac.

'Archives du Design Romand. What Narratives?' is on view from September 13, 2024 - February 9, 2025, at mudac in Lausanne, Switzerland.