Max Bill’s View of Things: Die gute Form: An Exhibition 1949, 2013

Information

“The international touring exhibition Die gute Form was conceived by Max Bill on behalf of the Swiss Werkbund and was shown for the first time in 1949 at the Basel Mustermesse trade fair. The exhibition consisted of 80 display panels, designed by Bill presenting a selection of consumer goods from all over the world chosen by Bill as examples of good design. The show caused some upset in Switzerland and fuelled heated debates abroad. But it also exerted a wide-reaching influence – for example, upon the way in which consumer goods were perceived. This publication documents Bill’s initiative in reproductions of the original display panels and layout plans for the venues visited by the exhibition, and places Die gute Form in a theoretical context that considers its reception and impact within the history of design.’
Lars Müller Publishers

Details

Linked Information

Max Bill's View of Things, Die gute Form, An Exhibition 1949, 2013
Max Bill’s View of Things, Die gute Form, An Exhibition 1949, 2013
More graphic design artefacts
From the design archive:
From the design archive:
From the design archive:
From the design archive:
More graphic design history articles

Members Content

The advertising agency played a crucial role in shaping consumer culture by acting as a bridge between businesses and the media and was stated to have started in the mid-19th century.
I have always loved the design work created for Olivetti. The colourful midcentury designs by Italian designer Giovanni Pintori, the minimal typographic poster by Swiss designer Walter Ballmer and my personal favourite the 1959 poster for Olivetti designed by Herbert Bayer. I recently found out Triest Verlag released a new book, Visual identity and branding at Olivetti which contains further work by Xanti Schawinsky, Renato Zveteremich, Ettore Sottsass, Hans von Klier, Egidio Bonfante and Walter Ballmer.

Members Content

Victorian Graphic Design left a mark on both British and American design history. In Britain, the ornate embellishments served as a symbol of prosperity and cultural values. Meanwhile, America embraced the combination of various design elements to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing society driven by industrialisation and consumerism.

Members Content

Gebrauchsgraphik 06, 1956 features a selection of the posters entered into the 1956 awards. It is unknown how many entries were submitted to the 1956 awards but a total of 21 posters were awarded.