Approaches and practices to archive design from French-speaking Switzerland
Archives of design in French-speaking Switzerland
The evolution of design in French-speaking Switzerland has generated a number of stories that have remained fragmentary until now. However, a number of strategies have already been implemented to better understand and preserve this heritage.
One such approach is mudac’s acquisition policy, which aims to include technical drawings and prototypes by designers in its collection. These initiatives go beyond the simple conservation of objects, they capture the essence of the research that goes into the creation of these works. In this way, the museum focuses on a designer’s design and production process, from the genesis of his or her research to the final product. These archives document the evolution of projects and create potential narratives around the works in the collection.
At the same time, initiatives to improve the accessibility of archives have recently emerged in certain fields of design, such as watch design and graphic design. Meetings are already planned to present the progress of certain areas of research in French-speaking Switzerland.
This approach raises fundamental questions for Archives du Design Romand, such as: 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? Are there new archiving processes that avoid the accumulation of artefacts? How can we establish the various selection criteria necessary for a mission such as this? And could all this take the innovative form of grouping together centres of expertise?
This article is part of a series of six themes explored throughout the Archives du Design Romand exhibition, presented at mudac from 13.09.2024 to 09.02.2025. This laboratory-exhibition is accompanied by a rich and varied program, including conferences, round tables, and workshops.