The Swiss Grid

February 27, 2020–February 14, 2021

A photograph of the Swiss Grid gallery space with white and grey walls.

The Swiss Grid explores the development and impact of the International Typographic Style, considered one of the most important movements in graphic design history, through a selection of posters and ephemera. Influenced by the Concrete art of the Bauhaus and Jan Tschichold’s The New Typography, the practitioners of this style streamlined compositions through an adherence to geometric grid structures. The results were pared down, harmonious, instantly comprehensible designs—masterpieces of communication—that have stood the test of time.

To complete the story of Swiss poster history, companion exhibitions in adjoining galleries will celebrate over 100 years of Swiss design, from illustrational posters of the prewar period up through the “Swiss punk” movement of the 1970s and beyond.

This collection comes to Poster House through a generous loan from Tom Strong. All ephemera is courtesy of Display, Graphic Design Collection.

Press

“…there’s no denying that there’s a superb sense of both calm and beauty in the International Typographic Style, as a current exhibition titled The Swiss Grid at The Poster House in New York proves.”

— PEOPLE OF PRINT, DECEMBER 7, 2020

“The Swiss Grid at New York’s Poster House museum shows how it was a graphic design powerhouse for decades, embracing geometric grid structures that yielded a crisp, streamlined, and timeless look.”

— DWELL, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

“One, The Sleeping Giant, explores how posters illustrated China’s economic development in the 20th century. The other, The Swiss Grid, delves into the ubiquitous Swiss design and typographic style, typically involving sans serif fonts and a geometric-yet-asymmetric page layout.”

— BEDFORD + BOWERY , FEBRUARY 25, 2020

“…there’s no denying that there’s a superb sense of both calm and beauty in the International Typographic Style, as a current exhibition titled The Swiss Grid at The Poster House in New York proves.”

— PEOPLE OF PRINT, DECEMBER 7, 2020

“The Swiss Grid at New York’s Poster House museum shows how it was a graphic design powerhouse for decades, embracing geometric grid structures that yielded a crisp, streamlined, and timeless look.”

— DWELL, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

“One, The Sleeping Giant, explores how posters illustrated China’s economic development in the 20th century. The other, The Swiss Grid, delves into the ubiquitous Swiss design and typographic style, typically involving sans serif fonts and a geometric-yet-asymmetric page layout.”

— BEDFORD + BOWERY , FEBRUARY 25, 2020

Selected Images

A photo offset poster of a large black circle on a white background with red text over it.

Schützenfest, 1963

Fridolin Müller

A photo offset poster of a birds eye view of a black and white typewriter with red and black text above it.

Olivetti, 1961

Ernst Hiestand

Type-based poster of the alphabet running down the page vertically

Typographie, 1960

Robert Büchler

Black and white photomontage poster of a boot, cello, ballet slipper, and stone pillar

Stadt Theater Basel, 1965

Armin Hofmann

Type-based poster of four black circles of various sizes on a grey background

Musica Viva, 1958

Josef Müller-Brockmann

Black and white photographic poster of a woman covering her ears with her hands and red text placed diagonally on the page

Weniger Lärm, 1960

Josef Müller-Brockmann

Photomontage poster of a black and white image of a vintage car and red text above it.

Citroën, 1958

Karl Gerstner & Markus Kutter

Photographic poster in a red hue of a person pointing their finger at the viewer.

Auch Du Bist Liberal, 1959

Karl Gerstner