The board members of the Junge Grafik association invested more than two years of preparation for this moment. “It is great to see everything come together tonight. The winners of Junge Grafik N°1 will be celebrated and will be able to meet and network with important people from the graphic design industry here on site. We have been working towards this moment,” says Loana Boppart, who is responsible for the project.
Young Graphic Design From All Over Switzerland
The promotional award for young graphic talents in training is unique in Switzerland. The concept was developed in close cooperation with the training institutions and professional associations, which supported the project from the very beginning. Particularly pleasing: the call for entries was answered by students of all levels of training and all educational institutions in all language regions of Switzerland! Thus, Junge Grafik provides an insight into the future of Swiss Graphic Design. “Swiss graphic design is part of the world’s cultural heritage,” says Boppart, “so we are correspondingly pleased that this is being carried forward by young talent with just as much enthusiasm.”
Quantity and Quality
From the more than 300 entries from all parts of Switzerland, a nine-member jury of renowned Swiss graphic designers selected 30 winning entries at the end of August. The high standard did not make it easy for the jury members. Meret Fischli, in charge of the jury, is pleased with the high quality of the entries: “Outstanding works are produced at Swiss schools—this assumption was the reason for our award. The entries have confirmed the assumption and definitely exceeded our expectations!”
A total of 300 guests gathered at Lucerne’s Neubad last Saturday for the Award Night to celebrate the winning works—and the people behind them. Presenter Monika Schärer led through the evening in a relaxed manner and in four languages (!). In addition to a goodie bag with various professional articles from the numerous sponsors, the winners also received a small amount of money. In addition, their work is the focus of the first Junge Grafik publication, which was published at the Award Night and can now be purchased on the Junge Grafik website. At the following after party, people danced, and celebrated until the early hours of the morning.
The Winning Works Travel On
With the successful award ceremony, however, the first edition of Junge Grafik is far from being history. It was only the starting signal for a traveling exhibition: Until October 17th, the winning works have been on display at the Weltformat Graphic Design Festival in Lucerne, after which the exhibition will make stops at educational institutions in Zurich, Sierre, and Geneva.
Despite the touring exhibition, things are likely to be a little quieter for a while in the coming months. Nina Ruppen, responsible for media and exhibition at Junge Grafik: “Since the competition is held every two years, we have a short break. But I’m already looking forward to the second round in 2023—and the many new works and faces we’ll get to know through it!”
Get more information about the winners and the exhibitions here