’Embedded Artists’ presents the documentation of the eponymous conference which took place in November 2018 at Zurich University of the Arts. The conference aimed to answer questions related to the hypothesis that artistic work increasingly focuses on spheres beyond the traditional realm of the arts. The quest for explanations regarding such shifted areas of focus – which understands artists as producers of the new, as leading figures within social processes, and as co-creators of an expanded concept of art – thereby shaped the formation of the participants. Edited by Frédéric Martel and Hartmut Wickert, the publication is designed in collaboration with Aurelia Peter.

The Meta side table is one of New Tendency’s signature pieces and the first reworked object of the limited ‘Truth to Materials’ series. It combines New Tendency’s conceptual design, clean aesthetics and focuses on functionality with high-tech craftsmanship in its purest form. The logo itself is based on a numerical code that is almost cryptic and thus invites the viewer to engage intensively with the object itself. The work centres on the development of a logo as well as the related packaging design. Photography: New Tendency

It is a common knowledge that visual designers nowadays have easy access—within seconds—to masses of digital image material. In this context, the process of researching, designing, conceiving and implementing often happens on platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr. Since designers often come across very similar content in their feeds during research and design exploration—and are consciously or unconsciously guided by visual impressions made by these feeds—the conclusion seems obvious that design outcomes in the digital age are moving in a unified direction and are strongly influenced by current trends. The starting point of this project is a set of printed posters, selected from a period when the internet and technical aids such as computers and software were not yet common tools for visual designers. Particular attention is given to posters created by some of the most progressive designers of the Zurich and Basel schools in the 20th century. On this basis, the visual search function of Pinterest was used to locate image references formally associated with the selected posters. The search results were arranged and sorted into different categories with the overall goal to show that the digital image material lacks a large amount of undiscovered or disregarded potentials for a future generation of designers.

As early as 1954, Max Frisch in the startling paper “achtung: die Schweiz”, criticised the fact that urban planning happened in speculators’ and insiders’ back rooms without social concerns being taken into account sufficiently. Dozens of years later, spatial development in Switzerland is facing fundamental challenges: while available land is becoming increasingly scarce and property prices continue to rise, the question of how to sensibly deal with the limited resource that is land is becoming ever more prominent. The publication “Die neue Bleiche, Teil eins” looks into this question on the basis of a specific plot of land in provincial Switzerland. Over nine chapters, the authors attempt to understand the piece of ground in the context of its own history, to comprehend the diverse needs of the plot, and finally, to conclude fundamental principles for further elaboration.

Endless is a film by Frank Ocean, released on August 19, 2016. Over 45 minutes and 52 seconds, the film shows Frank building a spiral staircase that ends in emptiness. Endless feels like a mixtape, sliding from song to song and offering a fascinating insight into the processes of artistic creation. Under the creative direction of Frank Ocean and Thomas Mastorakos, I was responsible for designing the logotype as well as various applications for promotional purposes.

Four years after the iconic Channel Orange, Frank Ocean released his second studio album Blond(e) on August 20, 2016. The album features—in the words of Pitchfork—richly emotional songs for a quieter, more meditative space. Blond(e) includes vocal contributions from guests such as André 3000, Beyoncé and Yung Lean. Under the creative direction of Frank Ocean and Thomas Mastorakos, I had the privilege to design the album cover as well as various artistic applications related to the release of Blond(e). The logotype is designed by Thomas Mastorakos and the cover image was taken by Wolfgang Tillmans.

Unknown Precept, established in 2013, is an independent French record label specialising in outsider electronic music. Curated by Jules Peter, Unknown Precept strives to connect the dots between like-minded artists and scenes around the globe, with a strong focus on avant-garde, cutting-edge performances. Since 2014, I have been responsible for the visual identity and art direction of the label. Illustrations: Alisa Odgen

Zett is the official magazine of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). The magazine is published twice annually and distributed free of charge. From 2016 to 2018, we had the privilege of overseeing the artistic direction and design of the magazine. Zett features—from photographic series to design pieces—a variety of student works to profound articles and reviews. Every issue is dedicated to a certain topic and underlined by the photographic interpretation of an alumnus of the university. The project was realised in close collaboration with Aurelia Peter, Dominik Junker and Silvan Possa.

GR10K was born out of Alfredo Grassi S.P.A., a family business manufacturer of workwear, established in 1925. With this rich production tradition, GR10K continues the concept of bringing uniforms to non-work-related contexts. The primary purpose of GR10K is to promote and sustain the values intrinsic to the company itself by developing and spreading the aesthetics of its clothes. This project was realised under the authority of Haw-lin Services.

Unknown Precept, established in 2013, is an independent French record label specialising in outsider electronic music. Curated by Jules Peter, Unknown Precept strives to connect the dots between like-minded artists and scenes around the globe, with a strong focus on avant-garde, cutting-edge performances. Since 2014, I have been responsible for the visual identity and art direction of the label. Illustrations: Alisa Odgen

Unknown Precept, established in 2013, is an independent French record label specialising in outsider electronic music. Curated by Jules Peter, Unknown Precept strives to connect the dots between like-minded artists and scenes around the globe, with a strong focus on avant-garde, cutting-edge performances. Since 2014, I have been responsible for the visual identity and art direction of the label.