Few names in Swiss poster design carry the weight of Melchior Imboden. With his sharp eye for typography and bold use of color, Melchior turns cultural commentary into art. His award-winning projects, “Zeitzeugen” and “Industrieplakate,” transcend traditional poster design. These works don’t just hang on walls—they speak to the political, social, and industrial narratives that have shaped Switzerland since 1940.
By: Melchior Imboden, Designer
Zeitzeugen, Schweizer Plakate im Weltformat, Swiss Poster Exhibition, Posters from 1940 till Today
The exhibition “Witnesses of Time: Swiss in World Format from 1940 to Today” at the Dreiländermuseum in Lörrach, Germany, was curated by the same Swiss poster collector and presents a selection of world-format posters. The posters were chosen for their exceptionally high quality in design and content. The exhibition addressed themes such as political, environmental, and social issues related to the social and political life of the time. For example, topics like pensions, social insurance, environmental issues, and other subjects sometimes commissioned by the government, private entities, or companies were presented. Again, viewers were made aware of the high design quality of the individual posters. The exhibition once more impressively showcased the diversity and high quality of Swiss graphic design.
Once again, I chose not to imitate any particular graphic style from the exhibited posters. To give as much space to the design as possible while still visualizing the diversity and wide range of the exhibited posters, I created a visually colorful poster by arranging individual words in typographic lines stacked on top of each other. These word lines changed color and contrasted with one another using vibrant, contrasting colors. The typography and background were also connected with changing color gradients. The exhibition poster deliberately stands apart from the displayed posters and aims to visualize the broad and diverse spectrum of the exhibited works.
This poster was also printed in world format (90.5 x 128 cm) using screen printing. Additionally, three other poster formats, the invitation card, and the exhibition brochure were printed using offset printing.
Industrieplakate
Various selected industrial posters from a private collection were exhibited in several poster exhibitions in multiple museums in the canton of Aarau. The exhibition theme was “Swiss Posters in World Format: Industrial Posters from 1900 to Today.” I was asked to design a poster for this. For the exhibition featuring Swiss industrial posters from 1900 to the present, I deliberately focused on a design that did not promote a specific product of industrialization, as it has constantly brought forth new technical advancements and achievements. The exhibition featured posters by world-renowned Swiss graphic artists like Donald Brun, Herbert Leupin, and other prominent Swiss designers. Starting in 1900, the posters were predominantly illustrated with outstanding illustrative techniques depicting the product, and even the typography was designed by hand. Over time, the graphic methods evolved along with printing technology. Whereas lithography was initially used, it was later replaced by offset printing and screen printing, and today, posters are increasingly printed using digital printing.
I consciously chose a technique that reflects modern times to visualize this change, which is also evident in the exhibited industrial posters. Through overlapping and shifting color fields, I aimed to symbolize the screen printing technique or the introduction of looms, representing a significant advancement in industrialization. By overlapping and overprinting the individual color fields in screen printing, new color fields emerge, overlapping one another. Using a line structure resembling a hard drive, I referenced the growing changes in industrialization.
The poster was printed in silkscreen world format (90.5 x 128 cm) and was publicly displayed in Switzerland.
Born in Stans, Switzerland, in 1956, Melchior Imboden lives and works as an artist, graphic designer, and photographer in Buochs, Switzerland. In 1984, he studied graphic design at the Art School in Lucerne while working for designer offices in Italy and Switzerland. After completing his studies in 1989, he worked as an art director in Zurich for two years. Melchior has worked as an artist, independent graphic designer, and photographer in Switzerland and abroad since 1992. His posters, many of which deal with art, photography, music, or other cultural spheres, are part of important collections worldwide and have been honored with numerous national and international awards. He has had exhibitions all over the world, and he is the winner of many international poster awards from Graphis, the Type Directors Club, and more. He has taught the arts, graphic design, and photography at various universities in Switzerland, has been invited as an international juror and guest lecturer, and has given workshops worldwide. Melchior has been a member of AGI since 1998 and was president of AGI Switzerland from 2006 to 2010.
