wiedler.ch

book (design) story #149

leo leuppi:
neue kunst in der schweiz

kunsthalle basel, 1938
size: 21 x 15 cm
designer: jan tschichold

this is the catalogue of the first major exhibition organized by the "allianz", an association of swiss modern artists that was founded in 1937 (see book story 136 for their last exhibition). it took place at the kunsthalle basel. below an introductionary text by leo leuppi, president of the "allianz".

this catalogue's designer is not credited, and several sources attribute it to basel artist max sulzbachner (1904-1985), probably because he designed the (rather different) exhibition poster. well, now i found this item listed in the catalogue of the 1976 jan tschichold (1902-1974) exhibition in the kunstgewerbemuseum zürich as one of this great typographer's designs (tschichold's widow edith had contributed most of the items for this exhibition, and i guess she must have known for sure). tschichold lived and worked in basel after his emigration in 1933 and designed several catalogues for local exhibitions (e.g. book 133).

all text is set in lower-case sans-serif – with spaces before full-stops, as propagated by some "new typographers" from the late 1920s (see book story 47). below a relief by sophie taeuber-arp.

there is a section of modernist style ads – on the right-hand page one for the graphic design studio "eidenbenz" (see book stories 80, 165).